Carbon Fiber Driveshaft

[dirtrace09]

I am going to purchase a carbon fiber driveshaft. Is there anything you have to do to them to protect them such as taping them? Or do you just run them as they come? Thank you for any advice you have on them.

[Matt49]

I am going to purchase a carbon fiber driveshaft. Is there anything you have to do to them to protect them such as taping them? Or do you just run them as they come? Thank you for any advice you have on them.

Probably going to depend on the brand. We use Wiles and they come with plastic outer layer that I only assume is to protect the carbon fiber from getting damaged by rocks. And they are already white so you don't have to worry about painting or anything to comply with most rules.

[TLM4t4]

I run the PST stuff and run it just as it comes, only down fall is its not white and once you paint it and run it a few times and it gets sand blasted it looks like crap. Just to put the info out if your rules must have a white shaft to go along with what matt49 said.

[grt74]

we don't paint them because there not a factor like a steal or aluminum drive shaft is(as far as being a safety factor)we have had a wiles for years now with no problems,with several races on it,we run them in all our cars,i just like the safety factor,i think I'm worth more than 600-800 dollars and my son also

[Matt49]

^^^
I wish more people thought this way when it comes to safety provisions. If I ran a track or sanction, CF driveshaft would be mandatory as well as full containment seat. And I don't want to hear about cost. This is an area where spending a few hundred extra dollars on components that will last and are much safer is well worth it.
If you race a late model and can't "afford" a 600 dollar drive shaft and a 600 dollar seat (less than the cost of two sets of tires), find a new hobby. Just my opinion.

[hucktyson]

I have seen way too
Many races lost dude to broken carbon shafts . I'll stick with a Brinn and aluminum shaft ...

[grt74]

I have seen way too
Many races lost dude to broken carbon shafts . I'll stick with a Brinn and aluminum shaft ...

we have broken harden lower shafts,gears,spools,ring gear,axles,ect,and we still have the original carbon fiber driveshaft that we bought years ago,many be just lucky but we have never broke a carbon fiber drive shaft yet and we run 450's and 430's with a ton of power and torque,come to think of it we have never broke one at all,i would have to say the only thing that would break it in my opinion is misalignment but that just my opinion and experience

[hucktyson]

I
Guess maybe all of the times I see driveshaft as the reason for a dnf in race finishing orders all
Of those cars were misaligned . Such as when casebolt dropped a shaft out of no where on lap 90 at te show me or when I pulled on to the track next to a rumley car and the drive shaft broke pulling out of the pits. I'm not saying your wrong , you are the first person I have ever seen say they have never had an issue with a carbon shaft. I agree with a ball spline your crazy to not run carbon. But that car that embarrassed everyone at the world 100 doesn't have a ball spline in it and if it was an advantage he would be running them.

[PushinTheLimit]

I have a bert ball spline and have been looking at getting a carbon fiber driveshaft. Is there a difference between the slip yoke and the ball spline drive shafts as far as what dealers have on their websites to choose from? I've been looking at Wiles and PST by the way.

[Matt49]

If there is an advantage to a ball spline, to me it isn't worth the extra maintenance. And like you said huck, if it was a sure advantage, all the top guys would run them and they don't.
I've seen way more u-joint/bolt failures than driveshaft failures. The last time I saw a carbon fiber drive shaft come apart was due to the 5th coil turning it down like it was in a lathe.
I wouldn't sit in a car with a ball spline transmission and anything but CF for drive shaft to get my picture taken, much less race it. That is a dangerous situation.
In most cases, you'll need a shorter shaft for the ball spline vs standard slip. Your chassis manufacturer or someone on here can tell you what you need.

[PushinTheLimit]

So basically it sounds like I just need to measure the drive shaft I currently have and get the same size since the one I have currently works just fine. I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread as I didn't realize how dangerous it was to not have one with a ball spline.

[setup479point2]

With a ball spline , the driveshaft is hooked to the trans , if it breaks at the back of the driveshaft the driveshaft is still going to be spinning at the same RPM as the engine . It'll open you and the interior panels up like a very jagged knife through butter . Carbon fiber should be manditory with ball spline , if not all race cars .

[hpmaster]

With a ball spline , the driveshaft is hooked to the trans , if it breaks at the back of the driveshaft the driveshaft is still going to be spinning at the same RPM as the engine . It'll open you and the interior panels up like a very jagged knife through butter . Carbon fiber should be manditory with ball spline , if not all race cars .

Having run both a ball spline and a standard yoke transmission I agree that a carbon fiber should be mandated with a ballspline BUT mandating it for a standard yoke I feel is a bit of over kill.

[grt74]

[QUOTE=hucktyson;1872648]I
Guess maybe all of the times I see driveshaft as the reason for a dnf in race finishing orders all
Of those cars were misaligned . Such as when casebolt dropped a shaft out of no where on lap 90 at te show me or when I pulled on to the track next to a rumley car and the drive shaft broke pulling out of the pits. I'm not saying your wrong , you are the first person I have ever seen say they have never had an issue with a carbon shaft. I agree with a ball spline your crazy to not run carbon. But that car that embarrassed everyone at the world 100 doesn't have a ball spline in it and if it was an advantage he would be running them.[/QUOTE
lets agree to disagree,there are plenty of national guys running them,and yes you don't need a ballspline but if you have one already or can get one for a good price,why not??but they do require more maint thats why everyone got away from them,if i lose a ten thousand to win race but it saves my life,i would think my family and friends could live with that,i know i could

[PushinTheLimit]

What extra maintenance does a ball spline require over a slip yoke?

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

What extra maintenance does a ball spline require over a slip yoke?

You need to keep the ball bearings clean and greased. A regular slip yoke stays a lot cleaner, IMO.

[PushinTheLimit]

Gotcha... thanks!

[powerslide]

I said it in the other thread say it in this one too. We had one back in 03 and i took it apart after about 15 races and cleaned/greased it. It has a rubber seal and i didnt ever see any dirt in it. I agree one should not run a Ball spline w/o the CF shaft unless you like playing russian roulette.

[fastford]

I said it in the other thread say it in this one too. We had one back in 03 and i took it apart after about 15 races and cleaned/greased it. It has a rubber seal and i didnt ever see any dirt in it. I agree one should not run a Ball spline w/o the CF shaft unless you like playing russian roulette.

didn't you also say you don't run one now ?

[powerslide]

Correct, the extra expense of the ball spline up front and then the extra expense of the cf shaft negates any gains for me, if they have any. I have a brinn

[W2racing]

So where is the best place to buy a carbon fiber driveshaft? Is it advisable to get a new one over used?

[dirtrace09]

Has anyone ran a fastshafts carbon fiber driveshaft?

[mattworx]

If there is an advantage to a ball spline, to me it isn't worth the extra maintenance. And like you said huck, if it was a sure advantage, all the top guys would run them and they don't.
I've seen way more u-joint/bolt failures than driveshaft failures. The last time I saw a carbon fiber drive shaft come apart was due to the 5th coil turning it down like it was in a lathe.
I wouldn't sit in a car with a ball spline transmission and anything but CF for drive shaft to get my picture taken, much less race it. That is a dangerous situation.
In most cases, you'll need a shorter shaft for the ball spline vs standard slip. Your chassis manufacturer or someone on here can tell you what you need.
hi matt id have to say I haven't had any problems with aluminum drive shafts and i make ours out of longer shafts .carbon fiber is safer! but as far as loosing races, you will with a carbon fiber shaft. u joints on the other hand can be a problem if you don't keep up on them no matter what you have . the one thing I found that when using a ball spline it frees up the rear end movement. the drive shaft appears to act like a long toque arm lifting up further on the chassis , in my finding (another words R&D) it changed how the car acted . I am not saying a lot but enough for me to stay with ball spline .I know there is a bushing in a regular bert but I feel the upwards pressure lifts the car and I don't want that in my cars . I have no # to prove it one way or another but maybe someone does. maybe the big chassis builders are using it as a torque arm. just a thought

[Sprint76]

Has anyone ran a fastshafts carbon fiber driveshaft?

We've run them the past few years without issue.

[lm#9]

soo if I have a 640 hp motor would I need the 2,25 od or the 3.25 od in the wiles cf driveshaft thanks

[Matt49]

soo if I have a 640 hp motor would I need the 2,25 od or the 3.25 od in the wiles cf driveshaft thanks

It's not on their website anymore but the product description in many catalogs used to state that the 2.25 were for under 500HP. Better safe than sorry...I'd get the big one if I were you.

[grt74]

the reason ballsplines were so hot for awhile is because the yoke travels more in a ballspline compared to the standard trans but everyone found out later that they were traveling to much for the most part,lm#9 there is barely any difference in the weight of the small verses the bigger diameter shafts so i would go with the stronger one

[lm#9]

thanks for the input