Carbon Fiber Drive Shaft - Anyone installed one yet?

[PP0001]

Just curious if anyone has any experience with a carbon fiber drive shaft. I've seen at least two in the market place.

Thanks!:cheers:

I installed one piece CF drive shafts (DSS) in two of my Boss 302 cars and because of the significant weight reduction from the stock 2 piece steel units I noticed an improvement in throttle response and improved smoothness when hard on acceleration.

Reduced rotating weight mass for my Boss cars was cut pretty much in half therefore I noticed an improvement but how much reduction in rotating weight mass will be for the GT350's I do not know.

The amount of ballast used on the stock axle end of the 2 piece steel drive shaft in order to reduce vibration for my Boss cars was hard to comprehend and suggest that maybe the GT350's don't use near as much ballast.

Good luck!

;)

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[Epiphany]

31lbs for the stock shaft
20.5 for the QA1

QA1 matches the pinion flange adapter to the rear CV joint when balancing. They use different thickness paired washers, each with a specific location to fine tune as well.

 

[UnhandledException]

Is there a DIY or just a general installation guide for this?

 

[Epiphany]

PDF for the QA1 CF shafts...

http://qa1.net/tech/documents/DS_MUSTANG_9919-210_REV_5-1-17.pdf

 

[Mach4.6]

Is there a DIY or just a general installation guide for this?

I have a DSS CF driveshaft, it came with basic instructions, just plan on dropping the exhaust from the cat back

 

[PP0001]

31lbs for the stock shaft
20.5 for the QA1

QA1 matches the pinion flange adapter to the rear CV joint when balancing. They use different thickness paired washers, each with a specific location to fine tune as well.

If I recall correctly the weight of the stock drive shaft in my Boss 302's was over 40 pounds.

 

[UnhandledException]

Dropping the exhaust is no problem but is it just plug and play or do you need to make any adjustments anywhere?

 

[AndreiD]

QA1 has two different shafts for the GT350, one without SFI one with SFI. Depending on the seller, that's around 100$ in price difference.

Can anyone tell me what SFI means? I emailed them also but got no reply so far.

Sorry if that is a dumb question!

LE: Got the reply so the question no longer stands: "SFI approved means that these are legal in all racing classes link NHRA etc. These go through different certifications to make sure they can take the abuse of racing."

 

[AndreiD]

I'm willing to jump on this but I have mostly 2 concerns:

1. What are the vibrations/harmonic effects on the carbon fiber DS and the rest of the drive train!?

2. What about exhaust temperatures affecting the CF DS, since it runs exactly between the close exhaust pipes? I'm afraid that in time the high exhaust temps occured on track days will affect the resin and other components of the CF.

 

[wildcatgoal]

Within SFI-cert you are just paying for paperwork. Same driveshaft more than likely. If you aren't doing sanctioned racing, no point in paying more for SFI-cert.

Exhaust temp isn't a concern I'd have for a CF driveshaft. Remember, CF makes the entire body of some cars...

 

[Offboost]

Does anyone know the max RPM of this driveshaft? Since 5th is 1 to 1 it will need to be at least 8250 + RPM.

 

[wildcatgoal]

They're typically balanced to 9000 rpm...

 

[thumper]

this is what QA1 says on their website:

https://www.qa1.net/about/news/qa1-...er-driveshafts-now-certified-to-sfi-43-1-spec

The SFI Foundation is a non-profit organization that establishes recognized levels of product performance or quality to create a safer racing environment. The 43.1 standard specifically focuses on driveshafts used in competitive motorsports and establishes uniform test procedures and minimum standards for evaluating performance capabilities. Submitted driveshafts are subjected to a static torque test and cyclic torque tests to determine that they meet stringent standards for safety and performance.

translation: what wildcatgoal said above?

 

[Offboost]

This is what concerns me regarding a 1 piece.

The two smaller-diameter units, beyond fitting much easier into limited space areas like X-members and driveshaft tunnels, also run much smoother than their larger-diameter counterparts. “A two-piece driveshaft is a great item when built and balanced correctly,” says Denny Bringhurst of Denny’s Driveshafts. Denny also reiterates that two-piece units will allow the driveshaft to maintain a higher critical speed, which is essentially a redline rpm maximum of a driveshaft. “As a driveshaft spins faster, the higher the chances of a slight imbalance causing a wobble, which can lead to failure and breakage within the driveline itself,” Denny warns.

Here is the link pretty good reading actually.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0608rc-driveshaft-tech/

 

[nastang87xx]

2 piece CF unit...? I completely understand and am okay with why 2 piece units are still widely used.

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