Drive Shaft How to:
- How to make your drive shaft stronger.
- How to make your drive shaft lighter.
- How to lengthen your existing drive shaft.
- How to shorten your existing drive shaft.
- How to fix drive shaft vibration.
- How to fix a twisted / bent/ dented drive shaft.
1. How to make your drive shaft stronger.
There are many way you can make your drive shaft stronger.
- Increase the tubing diameter
- Increase the tubing wall thickness
- Increase the size of your universal joint (u-joint)
- Switch from greasable u-joints to non-greasable u-joints.
- Switch from a steel to an aluminum or a composite driveshaft
****WARNING: You can make your drive shaft too strong for the application and you could cause more damage than just a twisted drive shaft.
***ALWAYS Consult an MSI Sales Engineer before changing the strength of your drive shaft**
2. How to make your drive shaft lighter.
You can change the material of your drive shaft tubing to aluminum or a composite material to greatly decrease the weight of your drive line.
3. How to lengthen your existing drive shaft.
To lengthen an existing drive shaft you need re-tube the drive shaft. First you will need to cut the weld yoke and stub off of the existing drive shaft. Then press in the new section of tubing into the old weld yoke and stub and re-weld the components onto the new tubing. Finally, the shaft must be balanced.
***A few things to consider before lengthening your existing drive shaft***
- What is the safe operating speed of the new shaft?
- Did any operating angles change?
- Should a two piece or multi-piece drive line be used?
Always contact a MSI Sales Engineer before making any changes to your drive line
4. How to shorten your existing drive shaft.
To shorten your existing drive shaft you need to remove the weld yoke and cut the existing tubing to desired length and then press and re-weld the weld yoke back on to the drive shaft. The shaft then must be re-balanced.
***A few things to consider before shortening your existing drive shaft***
- What is the safe operating speed of the new shaft?
- Did any operating angles change?
Contact a MSI Sales Engineer before making any changes to your drive line
5. How to fix drive shaft vibration.
First inspection your driveshaft for any visible damage, e.g., dents, creases, missing balance weights, etc.
6. How to fix a twisted / bent/ dented drive shaft
To fix a damaged drive shaft that has been twisted or bent. The drive shaft tubing must be replaced and the other components must be checked for damage also.
A lot of time a drive shaft comes in with dents or creases in the tubing. If your drive shaft has a dent in the tubing, most of the time you can straighten and balance the shaft to compensate for the dent in the tubing. However, if there is a crease in the tubing, then the drive shaft tubing should be replaced.
Examples of Drive Shaft Tubing Failure