Comes around don't it?

Hey a thought! A new mod. Custom painted drive shafts. lariat stipe and all. Or maybe color coordinated covers like those plastic ones you put on shower curtain rods to color match with the curtain. A whole new after market area that ain't been tapped yet.

And who says Aluminum is stronger? It might be lighter. I personally like the rusty old steel one on mine.

 

That may be our only recourse, to push the notion that the rusty steel one is superior!

 

Well of course it is!

Also easier to paint.

Have you heard about the cracks in the Aluminum ones? Ford is not admitting it yet but....

 

Wow - this great variety has me curious enough to crawl under my Super Duty and look.
I'll be on the road over the weekend, but will post my findings Sunday night.
See ya'll then...

 

My driveshaft is steel. It was rusty when I bought the truck but since then I painted it along with the entire chassis. I know on all of our motorhome chassis we make our driveshafts out of 6" steel tube. Less expensive and stronger than aluminum.

------------------
1999 F150 S.Cab 4x4
Northland Edition,5.4
Off road pkg. Fleetside
Black w/grey int.




[This message has been edited by Bob's F150 (edited 01-14-2000).]

 

Checked a few other stucks today, 97 regcab 4X4, aluminum; 97 SC 4x4, aluminum; 98 regcab 4x4 w/towpackage, aluminum; 00 SC 4x2, aluminum, 00 SC 4x4 w/tow, aluminum. Every truck that I have looked under has had an aluminum driveshaft. I have always heard that pound for pound aluminum is something like 5 times stronger. Not sure about this, do we have any engineers on this board that would know for sure?

------------------
Michael
99f150@pickupman.com
mkrieger@mailcity.com
99 F-150 XLT Supercab, 4x2, Bright Red/Harvest Gold, 4.2L, Automatic, 3.55LS, 255/70R16 Goodyears, Captains Chairs, Keyless Entry, CD Changer, Tow Package

Accessories: SuperChip, Donnelly Compass Mirror, Lariat Wheelwell Moldings and Bumper Cap, Ford Splash Guards, Bug Shield, Bed Mat, WeatherTech Deflectors, Mobil1 Synthetic Oil

Modifications: Painted Tailgate Handle, A/C on/off switch

 

Steel here

------------------
99 XLT 5.4L Regular Cab 4x2 120" Wheelbase 4 wheel disc brakes/ABS 5 star larait style wheels Toreador Red/Silver 3.55 gears 255/70/16 OWL Delta toolbox, Ventshades, Bugflector, Bullrings, Donnelly compass mirror, 2" Rear drop.
Eclipse 5340 cd player
Memphis ARCS50 component speakers w/tweeters mounted flush in the door panels (excellent sound)powered by a Sherwood 35x2 RMS amp
Jensen 50x2 RMS for the 2 Audiobahn AWC10 subs
regcab54@sc.rr.com

 

HI!... Well guys I have a steel driveshaft under my truck. Just looked under my dad's "97" F-150 reg-cab, longbox with the v-6 and he has a aluminum driveshaft. An aluminum driveshaft is not stronger than a steel one, just that it has less centrifical weight and will actually drop your 1/4 mile E.T's by a couple of tenths in racing. On my PRO STREET RANGER I have a 3 inch diameter chrome moly driveshaft that will easily hold up towards 1200h.p. I agree with RL that if money is no object that a carbon fiber driveshaft is the best way to go. It has the strength and the lightness all in one.

------------------
NEAL [ the horsepower freak ] NEWMAN
'99' F-150 XLT SPORT, oxford white, reg cab shortbox stepside,5.4, auto, 4.10L.S, captain's chairs, bedliner, GTS carbon fiber headlight covers, **** CEPECK clear halogen driving lights, GTS slotted tailight covers (painted oxford white), FORD locking lug nuts, tinted windows,true duel exhaust with 2.5 inch mandrel bent pipes and FLOWMASTER 3 chamber mufflers with 3' tailpipes exiting before the rear wheel like the LIGHTNING, HELLWIG rear stabalizer bar, AUTOMETER guage pod and tranny temp guage, custom fabricated air intake trac and huge K/N filter, TPS mod, BELLTECH 2-inch rear drop, custom programed SUPERCHIP.

FUTURE MODS : JBA headers, power pulleys, twin electric fans, traction bars, BAUMANN ENGINEERING shift kit, POWERAID, and a KENNE BELL BLOWZILLA supercharger.
ESTIMATED H.P TO DATE : 310H.P / 405ft/lbs of torque.

OTHER TOYS : "83" PRO STREET FORD RANGER : 351-w 530H.P(natural), 750H.P with N.O.S, tubbed (crome moly tubing), 12 point chrome moly roll cage, 4-link with coil overs, MUSTANG II front suspension, c-4 tranny (race prepped), 4000rpm stall converter(8 INCH), 3" chrome moly driveshaft,AUTOMETER guages, 15.50 MICKEY THOMPSON rear tires, 4" M/T front tires, fiberglass hood - bumper - prostock hood scoop, wishbone trac-link, two chrome moly driveshaft loops, 16 gallon RCI fuel cell,etc

 

I find this driveshaft thread interesting because of my experience with a driveshaft problem on our 99SC. Had a clunk when coming to a stop, which started @ 1500 miles and was finally fixed after 3 visits @ 14000 miles. Ford replaced the transmission output shaft housing which had a loose bushing and allowed the shaft lots of up and down movement. After a test drive, my dealer's S.M. still heard a clunk, and remembered what I had shared with him about finding someone else on F150 online that had a similar problem, and his dealer replaced the driveshaft to stop the clunk. Did not have a replacement in stock so he sent one of his mechanics out on the lot and took a new one off of a new truck and installed it in ours. (I have a GREAT dealer here!) Bye Bye clunk. This service manager then explained that when he worked for Dodge, they had a similar problem with their aluminum driveshafts. It seems that Dodge uses a corrigated cardboard tube inside the aluminum to quell the harmonics which can result from a large diameter thin walled tube. On occasion, the bond which held this cardboard to the I.D. of the tube would loosen and the tube would "float" back and forth as the vehicle sped up and slowed down, causing a "clunk". Perhaps the move back to a steel tube is an attempt to aleviate this annoying problem. Just a thought..perhaps the factory guys do pay attention to this site like Steve says! My possible .002 worth tonite....j.b.

------------------
99 SC Sport, Silver color everywhere, 4.2 auto,3.55 rear gear, split bench, stock AM/FM @ 2 cheesy speakers w/Ford brand bedliner. Keep'n stock from the factory because we love it for what it is...One fine ride!

 

Mine has the ugly rusty one-----what a shame, under the beautiful Black/Silver

Be careful painting driveshafts, remember they are balanced and could cause a vibration

------------------
2000 F-150, XLT, SC, 5.4, 4X4, 355 LS, ORP, Black/Silver, class III, single CD, sliding glass, med. gray, keyless, elect. shift, engine date 8-18-99, '93 Harley Fatboy Black & tons of chrome

 

All aluminum on mine.

F&B's

------------------
98 F-150 XLT, SC, SWB, 2WD, 4.2L auto, 4.10 gears w/ LS, Tow Pkg. BFG AT 265/75/16, K&N air filter, Dynomax muffler, Superchip, Edlelbrock shocks, Hellwig sway bar, 3" body lift, signal mirrors...tons of cosmetic products

 

Welp i have a 2000 2wd w/tow pkg and it DOES have the massive aluminum driveshaft.

DS

------------------
2000 F150 XLT 4x2, supercab, shortbed, 5.4L auto, 3.55 LS, Class III tow/cooling, 4 wheel disk/ABS, Med Toreador solid, Med Graphite int, 60/40 bench, sliding r.window, pwr everything except seat, 16" chrome alloys
*** In the Works - FabTech 3.5",Bullseye spindles,3" bodylift,Eagle 589's w/BFG AT ko's,alarm/keyless entry,Changer/Fosgate amp/JL subs (when i figure how im gonna make the box fit!) ***

 

Aluminum On this one and the 99 both

------------------
2000 F150 SC XLT
5.4
4-sp auto
255/70r-16
3.55 LS
Heavy Duty electric
Heavy Duty cooling
Trailer Towing Group
Keyless Entry
Soft Cover
Captains Chairs
wedg blue& silver two tone
Fog Lights
Bed Liner
Fender Flairs
Cab Steps
10 disc CD changer

(Just 892 more payments and that sucker is all mine)

 

My 97 4x4 reg cab ORP 3.55 Tow Package 4.6L had a steel driveshaft because I noticed it was rusty the day I bought it brand new. My 99 4x4 supercab ORP 3.73 tow package 5.4L has an aluminum one. It seems like Ford is just putting in what ever driveshaft they can find lying around the shop.

Woops...Sorry guys. Just went out and checked my driveshaft after typing this thread. I has rusted since the last time I looked at it so it ain't aluminum!
------------------
99.5 4x4 S/C Lariat, ORP, Flairside,5.4l 3.73 rear, oxford white, 4 wheel disc, 4 wheel ABS,factory nerf bars, 6 disc changer, keyless entry

To mod or not to mod....that is the question!




[This message has been edited by J.J. Middleton (edited 01-15-2000).]

 

I suspect that a lot of those reporting have steel but no rust. Only way to know for sure is to put a magnet on em.

Go steel rusty drive shafts! You the Boss!