What did you pay for an aluminum Drive shaft?

[Murkey]

I just got one for $350 shipped to my door! rated to 1200HP and is balanced up to 8500rpm :D Just thought I'd share the great deal I got!

Murky

[MarauderMark]

$ 550.00 Installed From Reinhart Automotive in 04..

[duhtroll]

Hold on - is this an apples to apples comparison?

Is this an MMX driveshaft for $350?

-A

[BillyGman]

I just got one for $350 shipped to my door! rated to 1200HP and is balanced up to 8500rpm :D Just thought I'd share the great deal I got!

Murky details please. From where? PM me if you rather do that.

[Murkey]

I got in on a GP from another site. It isn't an MMX...but, with a guarenteed HP rating and vibration free to 8500rpms...screw mmx.

Murk

[Glenn]

I got my alum. driveshaft balanced for $30 up to 10,000 rpm - no vibration.

Glenn

[DEFYANT]

I got my alum. driveshaft balanced for $30 up to 10,000 rpm - no vibration.

Glenn
I think this is what I will do too. I had a shop do a DS for the ole cobra.

[ncmm]

anyone heard of a carbon fiber driveshaft for the MM? I know there are ones for Mustangs. Suppose to be lighter weight and provide smoother ride with less vibration.

oops, just answered my own question. . .http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15627&highlight=DRIVESHAFT

[MENINBLK]

anyone heard of a carbon fiber driveshaft for the MM? I know there are ones for Mustangs. Suppose to be lighter weight and provide smoother ride with less vibration.

oops, just answered my own question. . .http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15627&highlight=DRIVESHAFT


Like this one ???
http://www.acpt.com/driveshaft/index.html

[Dennis Reinhart]

Hold on - is this an apples to apples comparison?

Is this an MMX driveshaft for $350?

-A
EXACTLY

It is not a MMDS, even the 03 CV PI cars are having issues, there is no comparison to the MMDS, there is a old saying you get what you pay for.
I would be glad to do a group buy for the club if there is enough interest.

[CRUZTAKER]

It is not a MMDS, even the 03 CV PI cars are having issues.....
Yes, of course....Ford quit using the MMC-POLICE shaft a few years back. Now everyone gets the one we have OEM.

btw: I paid $180 for an (old school discontinued) MMC-POLICE by Dynotec to my door.

[ncmm]

Like this one ???
http://www.acpt.com/driveshaft/index.html
now you're talking. . .that's the stuff, thanks

[Fourth Horseman]

anyone heard of a carbon fiber driveshaft for the MM? I know there are ones for Mustangs. Suppose to be lighter weight and provide smoother ride with less vibration.

oops, just answered my own question. . .http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15627&highlight=DRIVESHAFT

Holy schnikies, but that's one purty drive shaft. 800 bones, though... ouch. It's probably overkill for my application, but it'd be fun to tell people I had a carbon fiber drive shaft. Heh.

[gdmjoe]

$250 - Used AMMC, new Neapco (designed for aluminum installation and greaseable) U-joints, balanced to 8,000 RPM, and shipping included.

[Svashtar]

Got my MMX from Dennis from Florida to CA for $500. It's a nice piece of work, and the mechanic said it compared favorably to a custom one he had for a drag racer he had built based on a '60's Ford that retailed for close to a thousand dollars. My mechanic installed it and UD pullies and 4:10 gears and stud & girdle kit for around $550. He did a good job. I had him add a DS loop at the same time; not that I will ever need it but it was only $50 and can't hurt, and as long as he had the shaft out what the heck.

I've had the car up to 120 since then and it runs like on rails with no vibration whatsoever. Great peace of mind, esp. with the new gears spinning everything that much faster!

The stock aluminium shaft is nice, but I don't think FLM is going to over engineer something they intend to run at a max 140 mph with 3:55 gears. Just balancing the stock shaft isn't enough IMO if you have changed gears. There has been a ton of threads on this list about that subject that I have waded through.

I also don't mind paying a bit more if it comes with the reputation that Dennis has on this forum; I'd just as soon have someone who will stand by the product they sell if it fails for some reason.


Regards,

Norm

[Murkey]

I won't buy an MMX from Dennis, nothing personal, but too much money..Why spend that much money when I can spend less on a drive shaft from a proven company with a 100% positive feedback rating (not talking ebay either). I know people who have had both and thought they were upgrading from aluminum to an MMX...they were disapointed...Unless you are making upward of 800 HP...MMX isn't needed IMO.

Murkey

[DEFYANT]

MMX isn't needed IMO.I would agree. I have read the posts and opinions in other threads and understand the reported benifets. But if I had a vibration problem, I'd get the OEM shaft balanced first before I spend $$$ on a new one.

Just my .02

[merc]

Cost limitations do led to creative thinking, but I am not sure balancing alone will resolve drive shaft issues. If we spend 6 thousand dollars on a power adder and a couple of thousand on the transmission and rear, then why place a cheap shaft in the middle. :burnout: It's like driving a motorcross on O.E.M brakes. Just because you can do it doesn't make it right. :twocents:

[jgc61sr2002]

I would agree. I have read the posts and opinions in other threads and understand the reported benifets. But if I had a vibration problem, I'd get the OEM shaft balanced first before I spend $$$ on a new one.

Just my .02


I don't think that balance is the answer. The stock drive shafe will flex at very high speed causing a vibration.

[Murkey]

I don't think that balance is the answer. The stock drive shafe will flex at very high speed causing a vibration.
Yep...Thats why I got an Aluminum one for $325 to my door. I'll install it myself as I dd everthing, had to get rid of that sad excuse for a stocker.

But $500...when there is a justifiable reason for one, maybe...But my new one I just got...handles 1200HP gaurenteed, and vibration free to 8500rpm...Yea, my car won't go that fast....I think it equates to 167mph in overdrive.

Murkey

[DEFYANT]

I see I am in the minority here. What is "very high speed"? 80+ 90+ 100+?

[Sactown]

This is an example of a great thread...conflicting opinions without the pissing contest.

[Dennis Reinhart]

Here is what I know for a fact, the three original FHP cars that had the top speedlimiter removed walked out the rear tailshaft bushings on all three cars. We installed Dyno Tech's MMDS on all 27 FHP cars they have had no failures since then, the FHP at one time had a different drive shaft installed that was not the MMDS and then Ford dropped that, and since then the CV PI cars have had premature tailshaft failures, Steve Babcock told club at Ennis Tx this was the fix, the MMDS yes its 500.00 but again if there is enough interest I would be glad to do a group buy, The stock Marauder shuts down at 128 MPH because the drive shaft is rated for that, its met its critical drive line speed, if you add 410 Gears you have lowered this critical drive line speed to uner 100MPH thats why its a good idea to add the MMDS if you are planning on driving the car at high speeds.

[Agent M79]

It is my understanding that you can balance any driveshaft and that will solve a vibrational problem up to an certain RPM. So if all you had was a vibration problem, this could fix it.

The thing that is not addressed is the flex. This can be address structurally. Metal Matrix, Aluminum, Carbon Fiber all would be a change in structure and hopefully a marked reduction/elimination of vibration and a better tolerance for flex.

It's rare that I am going faster than 85 or so. I have not had many occasions to go a lot faster than that. When I have, I have not felt any vibrations at all. If I had occasion to drive triple-digits with frequency I would certainly be looking at a better drive shaft.

[DEFYANT]

Excellent info here guys thanks.

Being a poilce officer, I know how the FHP guys probably drive. Sustained speeds at or over 100 mph. I am like Agent M79 here. I rarely would drive that fast.

If the "better" drive shaft becomes available and is not too expencive, I'll upgrade. Untill then, no very high speeds.

After spending what I've spent, I am not going to get cheep on something that is basicly insurance against tranny failure. I just want to make sure it is truely necessary for my application

[Dennis Reinhart]

Excellent info here guys thanks.

Being a poilce officer, I know how the FHP guys probably drive. Sustained speeds at or over 100 mph. I am like Agent M79 here. I rarely would drive that fast.

If the "better" drive shaft becomes available and is not too expencive, I'll upgrade. Untill then, no very high speeds.

After spending what I've spent, I am not going to get cheep on something that is basicly insurance against tranny failure. I just want to make sure it is truely necessary for my application
Right now the biggest issue with the Marauder and the CV PI is brake rotors cracking, Ford has had problems with this for years, the cars normal life expectancy for a set of pads is 12K, so KVR is making cryo treated rotors which should lower brake rotor temperature, pad where is directly proportional to brake rotor heat higher temperatures more pad wear.

[Murkey]

Very good points here...but being balanced AND gaurenteed vibration free to 8500 shaft RPM...As well as 1200HP rating...if it is guarenteed...no need to buy anything else....can't argue. the company has yet to have a failure..including thier Aluminum shafts in mustangs, which are often drag cars. Why not trust them?

Dennis, group buy? Gonna drop the price to $350 shipped to my door? I personally don't have a ton of money...just put in a new TC from Dirtyd0g, built trans, etc....what a difference...13s coming soon :D

Murkey

[MM2004]

Once a certain speed is met, any and all driveshafts will flex. Some more than others, but either way, flexing is guaranteed. Pending on the J.A.E.L. of the driveshaft and overall length of the tube, exceeding the J.A.E.L. limits of the tubing will self destruct the driveline from the linear center to the outer ends thus exceeding critical self-destructive speed.

The metal-matrix driveshaft is more rigid than the OEM driveshaft thus does in fact have a higher critcal vibration/self-destruct speed than the OEM aluminum driveshaft.

Critical vibration speed does not mean the driveshaft will self-destruct. It represents a certain frequency or hertz being met creating NVH issues in the vehicle.

In my experience, most OEM drivelines are dynamically balanced between 3,000 - 4,000 rpm with the vehicle at the OEM being dyno'd up to around 80mph.

If my memory serves me correctly, most drivelines self-destruct around 7,500rpm to 8,500rpm. There are a lot of factors involved but this is in the ballpark for our application.

I have been looking into fitting my MM with a 4" OD aluminum driveshaft that would increase critcal vibration at higher speeds at a much cheaper price. This, of course depends on floor pan clearance while the vehicle is being jousted over railroad tracks, speed bumps, etc.

Just my :twocents: and a lot more.

Mike.

[Dennis Reinhart]

This explains it better than I can

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5163&highlight=drive+line+vibration

[Mike Poore]

Mike, Charlie, Dennis and all, congratulations on a super thread. You guys are the best.:2thumbs: