drive shaft question (anorexic drive shaft)

[Chris 0]

hi

 

im using my original 16v drive shafts for my vr conversion (keeping it narrow track and 4 bolt) now the short passenger side shaft looks normal but the longer drivers side looks a little different to what im used to seeing. its just as thin as the thin passenger side shaft and also looks to be made from alloy, its totally shiny after i hosed it off, can pretty much see my face in it.

 

is this worth using this on the vr? is it going to be safe? i thought the longer shaft was meant to be fatter than the pass side shaft....

 

 

if i have to replace it does anyone know of a good place to buy one from at a fair price?

 

 

 

cheers,

chris

[quicky1980 0]

im guessing that the shiny shaft may have been made by the previouse owner? I would personally source the correct part, cheap enough 2nd hand esp the 16v version

[boost monkey 0]

I got a pair of 16v shafts and 239mm hubs on the bay for £40 i think, if that helps as a ball park figure?

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

is it not just steel? i cant see how it would be made from alloy! get a magnet and find out..

[Chris 0]

is it not just steel? i cant see how it would be made from alloy! get a magnet and find out..

 

 

lol, its been under there for years and has not rusted at all like the rest of the parts so im assuming its not steel. it was real strange to find it.

 

ill be looking for a new one then. ill post up on the wanted section.

 

 

cheers boost monkey for the heads up, im only after the long shaft by itself really as ive got everything else i need brand new already.

[quicky1980 0]

i think, so check this, but vr shafts are the same as 16v. the difference is just the cv joints.

 

again check this because my cv's are playing up so i think i may have mismatched

[blue95 0]

My 16v is exactly the same.

 

The driver side driveshaft is not powder coated but is just shiny and has no rust on it?? mystery??

 

FYI I have a late(95) valver

[quicky1980 0]

Any pictures available?

[blue95 0]

Any pictures available?

 

 

I'll stick some of mine up tonite, I'd love to know the reason behine this aswell.

[Chris 0]

i would take a photo but im away till the weekend. really intrigued as to why the drive shaft is like this.

[boost monkey 0]

any updates?

[blue95 0]

any updates?

 

 

Took some last night with my camera phone (finally), excuse the crap quality....

 

2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdfDSC00067.JPG[/attachment:21eo69ij]

 

DSC00069.JPG[/attachment:21eo69ij]

[quicky1980 0]

well never seen one like that. It does look like someone made it using engineering tools, not sure why they would do that tbh. Any stamp markings on it? If its been fine before then should be ok for refitting??

[blue95 0]

Thought it would have been cheaper to buy a new or second hand one, than get one made or go to the trouble of making one?

 

Weird....no markings on it?

 

Anyone shed any light???

[boost monkey 0]

well it has a resonance weight on it, so my money is that it's a genuine part or has at least been engineered that way.

 

It does look a lot smaller though.

[davidwort 0]

the 1.8 16v drivers side shaft is thinner than the G60 and later cars although I don't think the actual CV joints are any different, interesting that that shaft seems to be an alloy, mine has rusted so much the balance weight was just sliding around so I cut it off, no ill effects so far.

[Chris 0]

any updates?

 

 

Took some last night with my camera phone (finally), excuse the crap quality....

 

2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdfDSC00067.JPG[/attachment:1ylycnn0]

 

DSC00069.JPG[/attachment:1ylycnn0]

 

 

exactly the same as mine, sorry i never did get around to taking any photos of mine.

 

weird it seems to be only me and you so far with this drive shaft.

 

 

what do ya reckon, use it on the new vr im just about to whack in or get a normal 2.0l 16v drive shaft???

[colinstubbs 0]

If it's an unknown quantity and you're putting more torque through it I'd be inclined to bin it and get the real thing.

 

Better safe than sorry!!!

[Chris 0]

If it's an unknown quantity and you're putting more torque through it I'd be inclined to bin it and get the real thing.

 

Better safe than sorry!!!

 

 

 

point noted. ill go with a normal 16v one

 

 

 

 

chris

[boost monkey 0]

It is more likely to be galvanised than an actual alloy (who would pay silly money to get one of those made?) and my money is that it's a factor driveshaft...unless you can see any VW Audi markings on it?

 

Thickness wise, I reckon it would still transmit all the torque you are asking of it (200lbs ish?) as you must remember that torgue is generated linearly, and even if it was generated in one lump sum, you are more than likely to spin the tyres before you start buckling a steel bar.

 

Tensile modulus for steel is about 200 Giga Pascals :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

for you non engineers, that's fookin huge.

[boost monkey 0]

p.s. if you do get a different shaft, could you gut the skinny one in half please?

 

I just have to know what it's made out of now :lol:

[Dec 1]

Alloy steel driveshafts can be made as an upgrade. They aren't that difficult to source, and usually made from aircraft grade high strength steel alloy. Sort of material that is used in Wrc and F1.....so I wouldn't be too quick to bin your shiny ones! :lol:

[Chris 0]

ok, decided after those last comments ill stick with the shaft and see how it treats me.

 

thanks so much to everyone for the advice

[Chris 0]

i found out what this drive shaft was by the way. its a torsion shaft of some sort which was appartantly used on overseas g60's (golfs i think). not recommended for use with a vr6 :) i havent had any probems yet, but then im not thrashing it.

 

thought i'd post this up incase anyone was still curious

 

 

edit *** it was used to prevent wheel hop under hard acceleration

[quicky1980 0]

thanks for following this post up. Interesting to know this too.

 

I used a 2.0 16v shaft on my conversion, and im sure its the same as the g60. This was fine on my car including multiple hard starts (you have to to apreciate the vr growl of course ;)), so logic would say that the one you have on should be fine. But I recently converted the drivetrain to full vr6 so that I knew it was as it should be and remove that little doubt of "will it let go one day?".