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Carbon driveshaft installed

tec548

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I installed my "driveshaft shop" carbon fiber driveshaft on Wednesday. It was a bit of a PITA because I had to completely drop the exhaust but all went pretty well. It took about 2 hours because of the exhaust but a relatively easy "do-it-yourself" install. I ordered the driveshaft from Lethal Performance and it arrived packaged well with the longer differential flange bolts included. This is literally half the weight of stock and one less U-joint! Only instruction included was to be sure the final measurement from the end of the driveshaft to the flange was within 3.25" and 4.25". Mine was 3.49" so all good there. Torqued the bolts up to factory spec, reinstalled the exhaust and took her out for a ride. First impression was nothing much to be honest. Does not even feel like a LWFW install... it's on the driveline anyway, right. Driving is hard to tell but it does seem to be a little bit smoother... I mean both engagement and ride. I can't tell if it rips any more than before because it will break the tires free almost all the time anyway. I know this sounds really non-committal but it is about what I was expecting and I'm happy with it.
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Dr. JL

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I could feel an immediate difference after installation of my QA1 CFDS. No more bucking at driveway/parking lot speeds. It is worth the cost and time to install just to eliminate that. Plus, it's lighter and stronger...and should have been standard equipment.
 

Gt350procharged

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I have one that came with the car.....mechanic noticed that a few bolts tightening the carbon driveshaft were very loose.....glad he caught this and put new bolts/tightened them up
 

Schwerin

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I could feel an immediate difference after installation of my QA1 CFDS. No more bucking at driveway/parking lot speeds. It is worth the cost and time to install just to eliminate that. Plus, it's lighter and stronger...and should have been standard equipment.
There was a piece/quote with a Ford engineer where he explained why it wasn't originally equipped with one I think it was explained as coming down to harmonics at high RPM.
 

Dr. JL

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I hadn't heard that. I figure it was more a cost to produce issue since CF is much less conductive of vibration/noise than metals.
 

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Rapid Red

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I could feel an immediate difference after installation of my QA1 CFDS. No more bucking at driveway/parking lot speeds. It is worth the cost and time to install just to eliminate that. Plus, it's lighter and stronger...and should have been standard equipment.

I think aluminum would have worked just as well. With the differences pointed out.
 

Schwerin

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I hadn't heard that. I figure it was more a cost to produce issue since CF is much less conductive of vibration/noise than metals.
They may have been more talking about a solid shaft in general. I'm sure someone here remembers it much better than I do.
 

jdwass

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They may have been more talking about a solid shaft in general. I'm sure someone here remembers it much better than I do.
"Another change from the last GT500 is the return to a steel 2-piece drive-shaft in place of the carbon fiber drive shaft used before. With the new characteristics of the Voodoo engine and the independent rear suspension, the carbon shaft wasnā€™t stiff enough."

It was this article that I remember.

https://sam.abuelsamid.com/2015/06/02/the-2015-ford-shelby-gt350-v8-when-flatter-is-better/
 

Schwerin

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StlDocGT350

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I agree with Dr JL. QA1 took care of the issues at low speeds. Very smooth. No increase in NVH at all and I honestly think it is much smoother at highway speeds when just cruising.
 
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tec548

tec548

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After driving 500-600 miles with the driveshaft installed there are absolutely no regrets. It feels smoother with less vibration at all ranges and loads. It should have come like this and I highly recommend.
 

galaxy

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@tec548 heres the write up on my install. I agree with all your findings except for the feedback Iā€™m getting in mine. I use that word because itā€™s not what I would call a vibration. Thus I think itā€™s just feedback from that direct connection. Thatā€™s the only thing that prevents me from saying mine is smoother. But the drivability connection is certainly there.

Iā€™ve got an exhaust project coming up, so Iā€™m thinking about rotating mine one turn at the transmission end while the exhaust is down anyways, and just for the helluvit. Weā€™ll see.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/lets-talk-dss-install.155378/
 
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tec548

tec548

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Looks like we have the same car and going with the same mods... Beautiful car! Just dyno'd mine stock the day before yesterday and putting exhaust when it gets here. Then back to the dyno. Then adding a 93 tune and on to E85. I will dyno after each mod same dyno and post only SAE#s (it made 473whp STD but that's only correct for that day). I'll post these up if interested. I've got 10.8k miles and burn about 1qt to 5k miles.

SCAN0444.JPG
 

Epiphany

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I like to disassemble things.
There's more to the story than that brief quip from Hameedi regarding not using a CF shaft behind the Voodoo engine.

That said, Ford engineers chose QA1 to supply the CF tube for the '20 and up GT500...
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