Drive shafts orientation
Discussion
I had to remove my O/S trailing arm recently to have it repaired and found that the hub nut is a left hand threaded one. As I understand it, this should be on the N/side and the O/side should be a right hand thread. Assuming that when I get to check the N/side hub nut it will be a right hand thread (I know, never assume), I plan to swop them round to the correct sides. As I see it I have two choices,
1- swap the complete drive shaft assemblies over.
2- just swap over the hub end shafts.
Anyone have any thoughts as to which of these would be the less problematic way to go to do this? (As far as I can tell the car has been like this for the last 10 years or so, or could it have left the factory like it?)
1- swap the complete drive shaft assemblies over.
2- just swap over the hub end shafts.
Anyone have any thoughts as to which of these would be the less problematic way to go to do this? (As far as I can tell the car has been like this for the last 10 years or so, or could it have left the factory like it?)
Edited by WotnoV8 on Tuesday 11th April 21:08
WotnoV8 said:
I had to remove my O/S trailing arm recently to have it repaired and found that the hub nut is a left hand threaded one. As I understand it, this should be on the N/side and the O/side should be a right hand thread. Assuming that when I get to check the N/side hub nut it will be a right hand thread (I know, never assume), I plan to swop them round to the correct sides. As I see it I have two choices,
1- swap the complete drive shaft assemblies over.
2- just swap over the hub end shafts.
Anyone have any thoughts as to which of these would be the less problematic way to go to do this? (As far as I can tell the car has been like this for the last 10 years or so, or could it have left the factory like it?)
Mine was the "wrong" way round as well. Doesn't matter which way you do it, you have to get the nuts of the shaft and you will need to fit new ones. So, if it ain't broke don't fix it. But if you do then best to keep all rotating parts together, so swab hubs and shafts as a set.1- swap the complete drive shaft assemblies over.
2- just swap over the hub end shafts.
Anyone have any thoughts as to which of these would be the less problematic way to go to do this? (As far as I can tell the car has been like this for the last 10 years or so, or could it have left the factory like it?)
Edited by WotnoV8 on Tuesday 11th April 21:08
Personally I'd not swap the shafts, i'd leave them rotating the way they have been for last 10 years or more. In fact I wouldn't even bother change the hubs, if they were going to come undone I think they would have by now?
Possibly a "factory error" or someone has had it all apart and got their front and rear confused, at the front it is LH nut on RH side of car
There isn't really a right way to do it. I agree you want the L/H thread stub axle on the nearside, but how long have the shafts been fitted like that? Not ideal to reverse their rotation.
I don't think you can pick a 'correct' answer to this. If you only swap the stub axles, you're assuming whoever put it together had the shafts apart. If you swap the complete shafts, you KNOW they're been operating the opposite way, and there's a chance they've been fitted that way round on purpose, which you'd then unwittingly reverse (doubtful though, because if the stub axle's on backwards, chances are they paid no attention to which way round the shafts when in!)
Of course, you might have the shafts on the correct sides, but inside out
Personally, I would strip the shafts out, buy 4 new CV joints (they're not expensive on the S), build the shafts up in the correct layout and install them the right way round. There's no way of knowing whether the shafts themselves are the right way round, but you know the car's OK at the moment, so provided there are no fractures or evidence of twisting, I'd stick with it.
I would strip and clean the shafts themselves, and then paint a couple of dead straight, thin lines along the shaft - you'll be able to tell if it's distorting in a year's time as the stripes won't be arrow-straight anymore.
I don't think you can pick a 'correct' answer to this. If you only swap the stub axles, you're assuming whoever put it together had the shafts apart. If you swap the complete shafts, you KNOW they're been operating the opposite way, and there's a chance they've been fitted that way round on purpose, which you'd then unwittingly reverse (doubtful though, because if the stub axle's on backwards, chances are they paid no attention to which way round the shafts when in!)
Of course, you might have the shafts on the correct sides, but inside out
Personally, I would strip the shafts out, buy 4 new CV joints (they're not expensive on the S), build the shafts up in the correct layout and install them the right way round. There's no way of knowing whether the shafts themselves are the right way round, but you know the car's OK at the moment, so provided there are no fractures or evidence of twisting, I'd stick with it.
I would strip and clean the shafts themselves, and then paint a couple of dead straight, thin lines along the shaft - you'll be able to tell if it's distorting in a year's time as the stripes won't be arrow-straight anymore.
Kitchski said:
you'll be able to tell if it's distorting in a year's time as the stripes won't be arrow-straight anymore.
Is it common for the shafts to take up a static twist? I've never noticed that on mine, although I had quite a few develop fatigue cracks at the circlip groove which eventually lead to a complete break. Some tougher replacements without the groove developed some very pretty radial cracks from the surface right down to the core of the shaft round the end of the spline and eventually snapped there leaving a bizarre frayed end on the shaft.FWIW I agree this would be a good time to replace the CVs since they are inexpensive and taking the drive shaft off again to replace them is a dirty, unpleasant job.
GreenV8S said:
Kitchski said:
you'll be able to tell if it's distorting in a year's time as the stripes won't be arrow-straight anymore.
Is it common for the shafts to take up a static twist? I've never noticed that on mine, although I had quite a few develop fatigue cracks at the circlip groove which eventually lead to a complete break. Some tougher replacements without the groove developed some very pretty radial cracks from the surface right down to the core of the shaft round the end of the spline and eventually snapped there leaving a bizarre frayed end on the shaft.FWIW I agree this would be a good time to replace the CVs since they are inexpensive and taking the drive shaft off again to replace them is a dirty, unpleasant job.
I always punch NO, NI, OO and OI on the ends of the ones I do chassis refurbs on. I'll leave everyone to figure out why!
GreenV8S said:
Is it common for the shafts to take up a static twist? I've never noticed that on mine, although I had quite a few develop fatigue cracks at the circlip groove which eventually lead to a complete break. Some tougher replacements without the groove developed some very pretty radial cracks from the surface right down to the core of the shaft round the end of the spline and eventually snapped there leaving a bizarre frayed end on the shaft.
What tyres were you using?I had the end come off one of mine at the "please snap here" inner circlip groove
new standard (but not the same as the ones TVR used) shafts are only about £20 each from J&R. I think they're only about £50 each with cv joints on the ends.
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff