I know that this #technically should be in the other forum but I posted there asking the strength of the stock aluminum driveshaft and got nothing back so I figured I'd ask who here is running one and how has it held up? Also, how much power/how fast are you running just out of interest.

Thanks

Robert

 

For the last 2 years I have been running a stock GTA alum d/s.
It has a big nick around one of the universal cups from the previous owner breaking a u joint. with no problems yet (knock on wood)
My car runs 11.6 natural and that with a 1.61 60 ft.
I do have a LS1 beefed up d/s as back up just in case,you can pick one of those up for under 200 and it will hande lots.

 

I have a 1le driveshavt on my 88 gta. I leave on a 200 shot and run in the 10's so far no probs and its been about a year..

Drew

 

I had a custom AL shaft made. Its a 3" diameter, .120" or .130" thick wall tube. I can't remember right now. Also used 1320 U joints.

I have not used sticky tires yet at the track.

 

Here's a picture of my 1LE driveshaft...

That was a 2500 rpm "launch" on 16x8 drag radials. Oops!

I've now got a Denny's 3.5" metal matrix driveshaft with billet 1350 yokes, both in the tranny and on the 9"

 

wow.

 

Indeed!

Andris,

Did that cause any damage when it broke? I'd pretty much decided to go for an after market piece like an Inland Empire or something along those lines. I have a few other things to sort out first before funds are available for that though.

 

It dented up the tranny tunnel a little bit, along with the torque arm. Nothing major, though. The failure was right on launch, and in the middle of the driveshaft, so other than some ominous clanking (until I stepped on the clutch, and coasted to a stop), nothing else was damaged.

Andris, fabbing a driveshaft loop next weekend...

 

I had one,lasted about half a season till it let go - handled low 1.6 short times no problem,even two 1.5's(a 1.57 and a 1.58)before it let go.I now have a 3" chrome moly shaft,1.55 short times all day no problems.

Best times in my sig,3520 lbs w/me in it on 26x11.5x16 ET Streets

Steve

 

other part:

 

TTA850!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good to see you,.. haven't seen you on the brds lately,. then again, i haven't been on much,... just dissasembled my shortblock yesterday,..off to the machine shop finnaly,... had no money for a while,.. house, marriage,....etc... Thought you got out of cars and into bikes,.lol. drop me an email munks@optonline.net later tell ed i say hi...
oh btw got a 3core cooler for my setup also,.. should be sweet when i put it back together,.. the #5 piston is wiped out. everything else looks good,..getting blower pistons, low compression, large ring gap... bearings etc.

 

FWIW, the LS1 aluminum DS’s are not as strong as the 3rd gen 1LE and are getting quite a reputation for twisting into pretzels.

Yep, that’s what I ordered for my WS6 and I’ve been passing it around between whatever car I end up racing at any particular time (it’s in my formula right now). That’s one big, honking shaft making it a PITA to install and work around, but I have no fear of it breaking.

 

Ditto. Last step is their nitrous ready DS. The one thing I am afraid of is breaking the torque arm again, and trashing a $700 driveshaft :/

A.

 

huh, they were cheaper when I bought mine in '98...

 

What are they made of? Aluminum?

Thanks


Robert

 

http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/

they look like they have steel ones and aluminum ones.

 

I find that hard to believe due to the fact that the yoke is a whole 1/8 thicker material and the d/s and yokes are both 1/2 larger in diameter.
Do you think they are getting a reputation because most LS1's are 6 speeds and there are already more modded LS1's on the road than there is 3rdgens of 10 yrs.
Or maybe because they come from the factory with over 100 more horses than most 3rd gens.
Or maybe because auto LSI's are getting mid 1.5 short times with only bolt ons.

Also there are many Auto LS1's running 9's with factory D/S.

 

"LS1's getting mid 1.5 shot times, with only bolt ons"?!?!?!?
LOL,.. You must be joking. either that or you have no idea what a 1.5 short time feels like,...most cars like that are dipping into the 10s,... there are no LS1's with bolt-ons going tens, and if there were,.. they would have a rediculous amount of suspension upgrades so the car would hook. I myself was running 1.8 60 fts, with my N/A motor, and only running 13.5's,.. which was very good. I don't know too many people getting better than 1.6's out of any f-bodies,... except of coarse serverly modded ones that are way out of Ls1's league. Many f-bodies that you seee can't even get blow 2.0 or 1.9 short times. anyway,.. just putting this into a better perspective.

 

Justin it seems you need to spend more time at the track!
And read my sig.....
Yeah Iknow what a 1.5 60 ft feels like ,matter of fact i have felt a 1.49 before
I never said ls1 were hitting 10's with bolt ons.. I said 11's!
That my friend is a fact and I can name several....
Maybe you should visit LS1 techj for a minute.

Ohh yeah also, Both of my cars have bone stock suspension!
1.49 best 10.6 @ 128 / 1.609 best 11.55 @ 120
Thanks for the kind words though

 

Here's a pic

 

87 TA,.. nice times. anyway, u did say that they can hit 1.5's with just some boltons,... i do not believe that.,.. or i should say i have never seen that. you car has gone 1.49's,.. but i'm sure that it has a lot more than just boltons. if you read what i said, i stated that you would need tens in most cars to run 1.5's easily ,.. whatever, i don't feel like arguing, but you should re-read my post.

 

Thanks Justin,
And you are right my cars have more than bolt ons..
I don't wish to argue either I was just being thin skinned..

But there are several, And they surprise the heck out of me to.
But one guy who races at my track has a 2001,
headers,pulleys,draglites,air lid,hollowed mass air,air dams removed,4.10's,4400 vigilante. best et 12.09 @ 111 1.58 60ft.

My brother in law has a 2002 6 speed ,headers,no cats,cut out,
air lid,pulleys,ls1 edit,mass air hollowed.
That car traps almost 113 but a 12.402 with 3.42 gears. if he could 60ft better that would be 11 sec car.

Please don't be offended, I meant no harm.

 

no i'm not offended,.. didn't mean to be rude to you either,.. i just thought the info was inaccurate. anyway,..that is a sweet pic of you car pulling 'em... hope mine will do that with the new motor,.. but i doubt it. i'm just hopeing i can get enough traction to do solid mid 11's. anyway, your brothers car pulls both some great times and trap sppeds,.. however, i'm not sure that what effect better 60fts had on trap speed,.. from my experrience it seems to go down. I am actually curious if that is an accurate assumption,.. and if so,.. why. As far as his car goes,.. if this theory holds true, he may actually lose trap speed,.my guess is because he is getting up to spped faster, thus getting down the track faster, resulting in a slower speed @ the traps. anyway, his car might not pull 113, but it is a definate indicator of the car's potential,.. and furhermore, i think 11's is possible with great traction and suspesnsion mods. but keep in mind, it is harder to chop off 4 tenths when you are going that fast. A 16 second car can chop off 4 tenths with 15 hp from exhaust or something,... a 12 sec car, might need alot more power to do so. Anyway, hopefully, he'll be able to pul an 11 by simply getting traction. good luck! -Justin

 

Well Justin,
In the event you are spinning than usually trap speed will go up.
Sometime if you go to a looser converter you will lose trap but gain ET due to inefficiency.
But if you are not spinning but bogging as he is due to high 1st gear and 3.42's he should pick up trap a little.
Bye the way, whats your combo?
My 87 need some more converter, the car has trapped 120 but 60ft is not strong as it should be.

Sorry If I got off subject. PM me if you like.

 

i pm'd you

 

Justin,good to see your still around and getting some work done hope to see ya back out there soon.

As for the LS1 running 1.5's I'm sure that it's possible and being done,though the only ones I've ever seen do it consistantly are heads/cam cars in the low 11's around 119mph

An another note,87_TA look at the difference in how our cars look on the launch.The attached pic is my car on a 1.56 60ft(best 1.54 and very consistant between 1.54-1.57 every pass),notice it just picks up and goes.I think if you spent some time on your suspension you'll have a considerably quicker car.

Steve

 

Probably right! I still need a converter though.
120 mph there is alot more ET left.
Looks like you have lift bars on there? There is alot of things I need yet, Including Subframe Connectors.

 

TTA850, yeah i just started taking the motor apart... i'm gonna get blower pistons and bearings and slap it right back together,.. everything else will be re-used. give me your phoen #,.. do you you have nextel? thanks -Justin

 

Justin,I'll email ya my number and private ID

Steve

 

yo steve, good to see you broke into the tens,.. long awaited ! good job... howcome the other cars aren't doing 11.7's like the old one lol nextel ,me later