Swapped Steel Driveshaft for Aluminum today
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Overdrive Member
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From: IL
You pulled it only to put it back on? 
Ya should've bought my 1 piece! 
FS: '82-'02 Camaro/Firebird Steel OEM Drive Shaft - Camaro Forums - Chevy Camaro Enthusiast Forum
Those 2 piece shafts gotta go!
Ya should've bought my 1 piece! FS: '82-'02 Camaro/Firebird Steel OEM Drive Shaft - Camaro Forums - Chevy Camaro Enthusiast Forum
Those 2 piece shafts gotta go!
To make myself feel better about the invisible under carriage the average passersby will notice, I pulled my 2 piece drive shaft and went to work on it with a wire wheel attached to my angle grinder. After all of the fabulous grime, grit and rust were gone, I gave it a healthy coat of primer and high gloss black paint from a can. Looks good, but the guy I did run over said nothing about the performance and shininess of the drive shaft.
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Overdrive Member
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From: IL
That's like saying the 2012 V6 Camaro loosing 20.5 engine lbs doesn't matter either. No way that would enhance efficiency and driving dynamics, right? 
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4 lbs. saved on a driveshaft equates to .004 (4/1000) of a second. You think you're going to notice that whopping "enhancement"? No, me neither.
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Overdrive Member
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Reportedly Each 1 lb remove from the wheel (unsprung weight) ~ 6.5 lbs removed from the car itself or sprung wt. I believe it is similar for the driveshaft, but the real difference should relate to the % of weight and HP.
Rotating mass also has to be accelerated and decelerated, so this is the other benefit of the lost weight since you don't have to move so much of it.
Rotating mass also has to be accelerated and decelerated, so this is the other benefit of the lost weight since you don't have to move so much of it.
Apples and oranges. Rule of thumb, plus or minus, is that for every 100 lbs. you can lose on the cars weight, you gain 1/10 of a second in the 1/4 mile.
4 lbs. saved on a driveshaft equates to .004 (4/1000) of a second. You think you're going to notice that whopping "enhancement"? No, me neither.
4 lbs. saved on a driveshaft equates to .004 (4/1000) of a second. You think you're going to notice that whopping "enhancement"? No, me neither.
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Reportedly Each 1 lb remove from the wheel (unsprung weight) ~ 6.5 lbs removed from the car itself or sprung wt. I believe it is similar for the driveshaft, but the real difference should relate to the % of weight and HP.
Rotating mass also has to be accelerated and decelerated, so this is the other benefit of the lost weight since you don't have to move so much of it.
Rotating mass also has to be accelerated and decelerated, so this is the other benefit of the lost weight since you don't have to move so much of it.
When life hands you lemons.. pee in a cup and sell it as lemonade
Because the aluminum shaft is actually stronger than a steel one. You simply bought into the hype that it's going to make a noticeable improvement in your car's performance. If you went from a heavy two-piece shaft, then yes you might notice something. But the one-piece to one-piece weight difference is slight.
Last edited by Senshi09; Oct 2, 2011 at 10:51 AM.
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Lighter weight doesn't always mean weaker. The steel driveshaft is about 2.5" in diameter, the aluminum one is 3". Steel driveshafts can twist like a pretzel if subjected to too much horsepower/torque. Aluminum ones, not as easily. Keep in mind, we're talking about a tube here, not a flat sheet.
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Driveshaft Specialist Inc
Check out that site to order your drive shaft. They do steel/alum products to your specs.
Avg price including shipping is between $250 to $450 depending on your specs.
Check out that site to order your drive shaft. They do steel/alum products to your specs.
Avg price including shipping is between $250 to $450 depending on your specs.