I'm finding a lot of conflicting information. Maybe a thread is needed to correct it all.
I have 2 Aluminum driveshafts that I picked up. both were in LT1 cars. From what I read, LT1 cars didn't have Aluminum shafts but 1le thirdgens and certain LS1 cars did (M6 or steep geared autos)..
Can anyone tell me how to distinguish the 2 shafts? I hear 3" and 2.75" .. but it's one thread saying one thing and another saying something different.

Thanks.
Pics would be awesome!

 

LS1 driveshafts normally come out of 98-02 third gen and had a round dampener at the end. 1 LE driveshafts came from previous years. Check out #28 on the thread below.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...-exterior.html

 

yet more conflicting info but thanks for the reference.
So I know the steel 4th gen shafts have a damper (i have one) .. but can anyone confirm for sure the LS1 Aluminum does?
And am i right when I say the 1LE is the more desirable OEM shaft? ..assuming you're not dropping the clutch at 6K with a set of slicks on? lol

 

I have LS1 aluminum driveshafts on all my Firebirds and they all have the dampener. Although I have purchased a 1LE before, without the dampener, I did not install it. The LS1s have reduced the noise and vibration over the stock steel driveshafts on my vehicles. I did find a stock steel drive with a dampener on a 2002 Firebird at a Pick-N-Pull but it was much heavier than the LS1 driveshaft. From what I have gathered, the LS1 is the most desirable short of the aftermaket ones.

 

My LS1 shaft has the damper on it.

 

sounds like I have 2 1le shafts then.

 

The so-called 1LE version has a label at the tail of the shaft with GM part number 10085375.

JamesC

 

anyone have a picture of a ls1 shaft?

 

These are the shafts I have, the dirty one is for sure GM part number 10085375. It measures roughly 2.75" in diameter. The cleaner one is 3" and is lighter. Has no markings at all on it. I pulled it from a 94TA (claiming to be WS6) which had a ton of SLP stuff on it. The car hit 2 moose I guess in Newfoundland. I don't think it was a good scene

 

The ones with the round dampener are the LS1s.

 

The smaller diameter shaft is thirdgen 1LE.

The 3" diameter shaft is fourthgen aluminum (IIRC used on 94-02 M6 cars).

The thirdgen shaft is a little bit stronger, but has a lower critical speed. I'm not sure what it is on the 1LE shaft, but an LS1 driveshaft with stock gears is only good for 177mph or so, again IIRC.