Epiphany
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #76
I would be interested to see if you notice any vibrations at higher speeds like 120+
In past vehicles with 1 piece shafts I noticed all the same improvements as you until I got into the higher speeds then had very bad high speed vibrations that shook the car badly. Putting back in the 2 piece shafts corrected the issues.
Pardon me for a cautious response but I indeed exercised the vehicle in such a way so as to test the CF shaft in the range you are curious about and did not experience vibration. When I removed the two-piece driveshaft from my '09 GT500 and bolted in a '13/'14 GT500 factory CF shaft I got the same result - no new or additional vibration and a much smoother feeling driveline. I cannot speak to the shafts you guys used or the experiences you had but in this particular case, I'm convinced of the attention to detail that QA1 imparted upon the shaft with respect to design/balance and the results appear to back it up. I'll continue to drive with a keen ear and note any deviation from these or any prior statements I've made.I would like to know as well...... Have you had a chance to do a high speed test? A few years ago, I've installed a one piece driveshaft on my (LS3) SS. Although, it was not a CF shaft... it produced a very noticeable vibration. And it seemed proportional to the speed of the car.
Many thanks for such helpful and detailed installation info. I intend to use this during my installation. BTW, the pics are outstanding!
And thanks for the comment on the photos. I have always used my Canon DSLR but due to limited room or access I used a brand new Samsung G8+. My previous cell bricked while down in SC for Mustang Week and I figured it was time to upgrade. The near $900 bill is a killer but it does take great photos and video. I should also mention the host I've been using for the past 7 years, Photobucket, has gotten extremely flaky as most know. I'm getting bombarded with ads for a service I paid a premium for and I'm rather disappointed about it. I won't be paying the $400 to do the same thing my current plan allows for. I honestly don't think anyone will. They are trying to kill the company and doing a great job about it. So if you see a photo you like - save it as the whole thing could crap out sooner than they publicly planned it to.
Crazy to think back at how you (when you posted as Modern Speed) and I used to disagree. Maybe old dogs just give up barking at one another after a while.Very nice @Epiphany - vettttttty nice.
What I would also like to touch on a bit further, as I caught a mention of it in the review above; drive-ability.
People usually tend to base their DS upgrade around weight savings and acceleration improvement, but that is only scratching the surface.
As mentioned by Epiphany above, the GT350 front portion of the DS is mated to the transmission solidly with no "Giubo Joint" like the other model S550 cars have. (auto V8 cars do not have them btw)
Well this solid F/R mounted 2-pc driveshaft is without question one of the things I absolutely despise about the 2005-Current Mustangs. (I understand and accept why they chose to use them)
When you upgrade to a 1-pc DS like this one, the difference is immediately noticed. The engineering behind it, the fact is is CF with some "flex" and ridding of the sloppy harmonics is situation in which is IMO, totally winning.
One of the traits of the modern car's 2-pc DS that is very bothersome to me (especially if I dropped the $$$ on a GT350) is the clickity clackity clunkity that they emit through the drive-line. This sloppy oscillation prevents the driver from truly feeling the car working, and also prevents the driver from being able to "truly" drive the car. Many do not know this as they drive and get accustomed to their new vehicle and they love it, but we all cater our driving styles to our S550s whether we know it or not. My example for this would be, driving these cars for the first time you get that sloppy and jerky feeling that you end up changing the clutch release methods and shifting styles to make the car "behave" better - but once you install a good DS such as this one, you change your driving style as you do not have the driveline "wind up" and unloading anywhere near the level it was with the multipiece unit.
10lbs less rotating mass, MUCH stronger, smoother shifts and better driving characteristics...and just one AWESOME looking piece. This would be the first modification to my GT350 (just like a 1-pc was the first mod to my S550 GTs, both auto and my MT82 car)
Excellent!
Kelly, I've read with much interest most any post from you and greatly appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge on a number of fronts. Especially driveline. The one thing I had in mind to do was to accurately measure driveline angles and I didn't. I simply forgot and I'm kicking myself. I like to have as much data as possible at my fingertips as I believe it helps if you ever need to diagnose an issue. I was prepared to play with washers/shims at the crossmember in order to attenuate any new driveline harmonics. Looks like I don't have to but I'm still curious about the numbers and if they match the typical '15+ Coyote/MT82 car. I don't know if you've measured the angles on a GT350 but I'm interested in your thoughts here.
As you hinted, any semblance of "clunking" has vaporized with this mod. The additional inertia imparted by the heavier stock driveshaft tubing, yokes, and additional joints, seems to work with the lash at the rear and encourages clunking with variation in rpm such as when shifting, etc. The CF doesn't have that flywheel effect and is extremely calm in this regard. That part I love. It is almost as if there is no driveshaft and the engine is connected directly to the axle, albeit in an elastic, non-jarring way.
When down at Mustang Week I studied the '18 Mustang GT up on its side at the Ford Racing Booth. The car was an automatic and while noticing that Ford now uses a composite transmission pan (as well as a composite engine oil pan similar to the GT350's) I saw something else. They are now bolting on a mass damper at the crossmember similar to the GT350. It made me wonder if it had to do with the power bump for '18 or if it was a mere matter of a more limp wristed, NVH noticing demographic. The guibo/non-guibo study is interesting as well.
You keep raising the bar and I have to learn to somehow jump higher. And I abhor ambiguity so my apologies if my explanations sometimes run amok.Bravo. Excellent write up and detailed information. Great job making it understandable as well
So it's here, the instructional PDF from QA1 for this driveshaft.
http://www.qa1.net/tech/documents/DS_MUSTANG_9919-210_REV_5-1-17.pdf
Of importance from the above document:
Be sure to inspect all components regularly, especially following an accident. Do not use any components which may have been damaged.
Composite driveshafts are fragile and if dropped or damaged will be considered scrap and should be replaced.
They clearly agree with Ford on this one.
Sponsored