Aluminum drive shafted

[freebeard]

Well, half the length times the average displacement: 25% of 4lb.

Wait a minute — Less rotational inertia. Good 60ft times but poorer pulse and glide.

[oil pan 4]

I originally purchased the 1LE drive shaft during my go fast days.
The real economic advantage will be from being able to grease the U-joints and not shelling out a U-joint on a road trip and/or having to go back to the drive shaft shop to spend another $100+ on a U-joint replacement in 50,000 to 100,000 miles.

The weight savings is fairly minimal. It was originally a go fast part.

I don't do the pulse and glide, if anything I will use EOC.

The rear axle on camaros, firebirds, trans am cars were all solid axle from 1967 to 2002, I don't know about the new 5th gen camaro. So that would make the axle partially sprung weight and 100% rotating weight.
There is an even lighter 4th Gen aluminum drive shaft but I have found they tend to fail in performance applications, the older 1LE aluminum drive shafts off a 3rd Gen is the one to have.

[ChopStix]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I originally purchased the 1LE drive shaft during my go fast days.
The real economic advantage will be from being able to grease the U-joints and not shelling out a U-joint on a road trip and/or having to go back to the drive shaft shop to spend another $100+ on a U-joint replacement in 50,000 to 100,000 miles.
.

I'm no expert, but I would think that it would take less power to turn the aluminum at the same speed as a steel one, which should have a tiny mpg benefit. I'm not saying just that one change would equal 1 mpg. But maybe if it was combined with some other mods it might show a measurable benefit.

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by ChopStix

I'm no expert, but I would think that it would take less power to turn the aluminum at the same speed as a steel one, which should have a tiny mpg benefit. I'm not saying just that one change would equal 1 mpg. But maybe if it was combined with some other mods it might show a measurable benefit.

It will take less power to accelerate a lighter mass. Keeping it spinning at the same speed there will be no difference between the two. His benefits will therefore be noticed more on take-off and/or stop and go traffic.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Keep in mind that the driveshaft spins on a very short radius, so the inertia savings won't be anything like if you saved the same amount of weight from your tyres.

[oil pan 4]

The drive shaft also spins exactly 3.73 times faster than the wheels.