I have a GN with a 494 BBB and Ford 9". I will be having a driveshaft made for it and want to know what shaft diameter and what material(aluminum or Steel) woud be best. I have a 4" aluminum shaft that would need to be shortened but dont see too many of these diameter tubes on cars. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Shawn
Go aluminum, less rotating weight. Most driveshafts are 3.5" od, 4" is even stronger. 4" driveshafts can sometimes cause clearance problems in your driveshaft loops.
steel-aluminum A steel 3 1/2 X .083 shaft would work well and last a long time. Aluminum is fine but not usually prefered in a heavy "drag car". If the alu. shaft you have now was being utilized in your GN and was built for your application it'd be cheaper to shorten & balance it. If it's just an OEM one you got out of something it won't be strong enough due to wall thickness. Tim
check out denny's driveshafts. he makes a very good shaft for reasonable dough. i had a local shop do a 3.5' shaft for my car and all it did was shake it above 40 mph. i put his in and now at 7400 rpm's in drive it is as smooth as silk. chech out his web site. he has measurement charts to go by and it is perfect each time. i have had 3 other friends use him and all were happy. he has steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. i need a new shaft for my recently purchased 65 skylark conv. because the rubber insulated stock one is vibrating. good luck www.dennysdriveshaft.com
Thanks for the info. I was going to add 1/2" to my safety loop to fit the 4" shaft. I had it made a couple of years ago for another project but dont remember the thickness of the aluminum. It cost about $450 and that was supposed to be a discounted price. I was just trying to save a little $$$ without sacrificing quality. Thanks, Shawn
