Hey guys,

After all the reading and searching I was under the impression that all 98+ driveshafts are the same and that they are all 3" aluminum. Is that true, or were there 4th gens with steel driveshafts as well.

I just called a local salvage yard and they told me there was a difference between 98 and 99, V8/V6, std/auto and even rear end ratio. He wanted me to tell him all that before he even started looking.

Any of this make sense? TIA

 

That junkyard guy is retarded. He is probably using a computer, like our good friends at autozone, and needs a whole crapload of info to find out if he has the part or not. It always ticks me off when I go into autozone to get a fuel filter and they ask me what size tires I have!

 

Heh, I went to a local AutoZone for something and I told the guy. He repeats "Grand Am". I say, "No, Trans Am." His response: "They're the same car." I walked out.

Another time a different guy said I didn't know what car I had because he couldn't find Trans Am under "Pontiac Truck."

If he insisted on knowing year and such, I'd waste his time till he found one. "Do you have for a 98 V6?" "Nope." "98 V8 auto?" "Nope." etc etc...

Better yet find 2 he has from different years and when you pick them up show him there is no difference.

 

The LS1 A4 cars with the 2.73 rear had steel shafts. The aluminum shafts cam on all the 3.23 and 3.42 cars. They are very rare however but there were two shafts non the less. LT1 shafts are steel as well.

 

I agree entirely. But, an aluminum driveshaft is just that, an aluminum driveshaft. If the huy cant tell an aluminum driveshaft from a steel one, what the hell is he doing with that job anyway?

 

thanks guys, so if I tell him 98+ w/ 3.23 or 3.42, auto or manual, V6 or V8, all those cars should have aluminum driveshaft?

Shifty, which ones are rare, the ones I am looking for or A4's with 2.73?

 

That should do fine. The easy way for him to tell itsw aluminum is that its not rusted, if he has a hard time telling.

I don't know how JYs are there, but here they don't keep track of rear gears so unless you can go check out the car yourself prior I wouldn't rely on him using that information to grab the right part.

 

98+ aluminum driveshafts have a dampener. Do a search; you'll find pics.

Third gen alum. shafts are the strongest.

I have a pic of a destroyed LT1 shaft on my webspace somewhere.

 

I am not 100% positive, but 98+ V6 cars should have the steel 2 piece drive shaft.

 

The rare ones are the steel shafts found on V8 auto LS1 cars with the 2.73 gear. If you ask for an LS1 shaft out of an 6 speed car or auto car with 3.42/3.23 you will be fine. Like ljnowell said, if they can't tell the difference then they have bigger problems. Check ebay and local classifieds as well.

 

They are anything but rare. Nearly half of all LS1s were equipped with the standard rear gear and automatic transmission. We've had nearly a dozen LS1 cars state inspected at the dealer I work for, all were steel shafts.

 

Interesting. I never realized they were so common.