Drive Shafts

[Plan B]

Hi chaps
I'm in process of changing my CVs and noticed on the O/S drive shaft the inner splines are a bit chewed up. I understand that these shafts are TVR specific and unlike the CVs/hub etc are not a standard Cossie 28 spline product. I spoke to Dave Mac, who supplied me with their excellent CV replacements, about supplying a new driveshaft(s). They are asking £290 each for a stronger/higher spec fitment. I also see Clever Trevor has some for £180 each.
I know this is all one-off tooling and understand how this affects the price but I still don't fancy spending ~£400 to £600 for a pair so I wondered if anyone has any helpful ideas.

[my250gt]

And watch out for different length driveshafts too. I bought a used one from a breakers and it was 12mm shorter! I thought the splines looked sheared on mine as i couldnt get the cv off it, sent it to driveshaftsuk and they got it off with a 50 ton press and said shaft was fine. They said the splines didnt usually go before the shafts broke? Mine was gkn diff not btr.

Edited by my250gt on Thursday 9th October 12:53

[macdeb]

Good driveshafts aren't cheap. A certain maker is adding a premium above most others, though on saying that they seem to work. From experience the shafts on a GKN diff' equipped cars are longer and will still fit BTR diff' equipped cars due to the domed housings either end. Not sure if same applies the other way around though and can't see it being the case I've recently had some 'unbreakable' shafts made [and altered] and have yet to fit them but will keep all posted.

[my250gt]

Ive measured up and concluded the later shorter shafts not suitable for early gkn cars IMO.

[carsy]

I have some of the Clever Trevor ones on my `92 GKN Griff.

Must admitt i didnt measure them against the old ones just assumed they would be correct. Been on a couple of years now with no problems.

[Plan B]

Hey Phil, as you have measured it up - my drive shaft is 47 cm long - I assume this is the shorter drive shaft. Correct?? I'm asking because I want to be better clued up before I buy.

[my250gt]

I have the notes in my car and can look tomorrow. In meantime here is earlier thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[my250gt]

Above drawing (borrowed from WADSAPPLES post) i have altered it to show the dimensions i took of a nearside half shaft from my chimaera 1994/5? running a gkn diff. The drive shaft on offside measured the same.

A driveshaft i got from a tvr breaker was approx 12mm shorter in length, meaning the cv joints were also narrower by the same amount.

I have heard that the longer shafts for the gkn diff also appear to work with the later btr diffs when a conversion is done.


Using the later, shorter shaft for the early set up running a gkn diff wont, IMHO, work as they are too short. I measured the distance between flanges on hub and gkn diff over the full travel and with max and min top camber adjustment and found dimension range of 460mm to 480mm required. The shorter shaft with steep angle on the cv joints were too close to the limit IMHO..
Hope this helps.
Phil.

[Plan B]

Thanks for that.
The shaft just taken off my car (BTR diff) has the same dimensions as the one you show. If it did have the shorter shaft when new it must have been replaced at sometime with the longer option.
This morning I ordered new/uprated shafts from Raceproved. They are making them at 47.6 cm which they tell me, as you mention, is for universal fitment across both diff options.

[my250gt]

sounds good plan B

[macdeb]

'Some' upgraded shafts are more 'upgraded' than others. I'd PM some folk

Edited by macdeb on Thursday 9th October 20:50

[Brummmie]

I've snapped a few....