Here's an opportunity on a one piece driveshaft on a NA 2+2. It's a Z1 steel unit that I saw on eBay. I may pull the trigger on it to have for the future. my car drives smooth without any driveshaft issues right now. Lol it may help with throttle response and maintenance... Any problem with buying a used driveshaft?

 

If anyone is interested here's the link: http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=162013454241

 

On one piece shafts are they worth the monies? Any pro and cons?

Having fitted scores on one piece prop shafts to customers cars I can tell you it transforms the drive of the car even if you have no issue`s, its removes much of the drive train rotation weight it is like driving in neutral, smooth, very smooth and no compromises.

 

Jeff

I've got a Z1 one piece prop sat in my garage waiting to be fitted. Can't wait to get it on!

Jimmer @ powerzed can supply and fit these single piece propshafts.

 

He fitted one to my car, made a huge difference to the feel and drive of the car, well worthwhile mod

Are they difficult to fit?

Makes you wonder why Nissan fitted a more complicated and expensive unit in the first place.

If your really interested;

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/additional-how-to/0608rc-driveshaft-tech/

I had an aluminium drive shaft, gaz now has it. So light in comparison.

What the Frick guy must go through having a surname like that! He must get Fricking teased left right and centre!

If your really interested;

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/additional-how-to/0608rc-driveshaft-tech/

I had an aluminium drive shaft, gaz now has it. So light in comparison.

 

Thanks, the article supports the reading I have made elsewhere. As to why Nissan fitted a 2-piece I came across this post on TT.net:

 

"Seems like nothing but more complexity and headache for no real gain in anything ... anyone have an idea why they did it. I know trucks have them, but I'm not real sure why.

 

First, driveshaft angles are important. The designers are limited to about four degrees in one bend. The down angle of our cars from the end of the tranny to the lip of the differential is about 4 1/2 degrees, making it marginal to use a one piece unit. If you are able to measure both sections of the driveshaft (which I did once....), you will find out that the down angle on the front shaft is about 2 1/2 degrees, and the rear shaft is just over 2 degrees.

 

The center support bearing is there also to take some abuse from the drivetrain. The rubber mount is able to withstand some of the shock you put on the driveshaft when you launch the car. Nissan's engineers wanted to give us a smooth ride. The torque from a TT is also absorbed by the sliding section at the rear of the driveshaft, which permits driveshaft movement without excessive vibrations on launch and when driving.

 

That said, some people have very good luck with one piece driveshafts. Some don't. Most of the difference is whether the aftermarket driveshaft uses the sliding section at the rear, and whether the entire thing is balanced properly. If your two piece unit is straight (and excessive torque CAN twist it), then you should be able to get it balanced, and have the two or three U-joints replaced when or if necessary. I've done two that way, and each one worked fine."

 

http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/forums/technical/view/382673/Its-intended-to-do-a-couple-of-things-more.html

When I bought my SWB, it had a wonderful vibration between about 40mph and 55mph... you could feel and hear it drumming through the cabin at those speeds! It disappeared once everything had warmed up a little, bit it was still a PITA when the car was cold.

 

Kev (Harby300) bought a Z1 solid prop secondhand for his car, only to find out it was too short. So, as it was for SWB manual TT, I said I'd buy it off him.

 

Jimmer fitted it for me and the car drives so much better now. The vibration is gone completely, hot or cold!

 

Definitely a very worthwhile modification in my opinion. :thumbup1:

Definitely a very worthwhile modification in my opinion. :thumbup1:

 

Well it would be if your stock driveshaft was faulty!

I managed to score a prop off a UK car with about 4miles on the clock. Ok more than that but criminally low miles, it was broken for parts and scrapped. If and when it fails I will likely go aluminium one piece, coupled with a lightweight fly, more for the rotation mass reduction than to go single piece.

A functional stock unit is great all round solution, albeit expensive and heavy.

I had a single piece prop fitted by Jimmer last summer and it completely changes the car, even the resonance in the exhaust. It feels more refined and it seems to even out the powerband a little - most importantly, it's silky smooth; a worthwhile upgrade in my opinion if you're getting prop vibration.

I had a single piece prop fitted by Jimmer last summer

 

Who made it?

An engineering shop that Jim knows, I think they're based in Wales, I'll ask him later today.

These might be worth a look too - aluminium shafts averaging $380 (£265 currently) plus carriage and import tax of course - http://shaftmasters.com/nissan-300zx-drivesha300.html

 

I looked at a carbon fibre prop about 10 years back but finally decided against it on grounds of cost - huge rotational weight saving though, even against the aluminium ones, weighing just 12lbs in total. Link for carbon props here in case you have the money burning a hole in your pocket :) - https://conceptzperformance.com/inland-empire-1pc-1-piece-carbon-fiber-driveshaft-12lb-nissan-300zx-90-96-z32-37000-cf_p_2470.php

 

Seriously considering an aluminium one now though.

 

Does the forum still do group buys? Paying for shipping on just one large parcel should make for a decent saving.

Edited May 7, 20169 yr by konrad

One of Jeff's fitted to my SWB and loving it.

 

I looked at a carbon fibre prop about 10 years back but finally decided against it on grounds of cost - huge rotational weight saving though, even against the aluminium ones, weighing just 12lbs in total. Link for carbon props here in case you have the money burning a hole in your pocket :) - https://conceptzperformance.com/inland-empire-1pc-1-piece-carbon-fiber-driveshaft-12lb-nissan-300zx-90-96-z32-37000-cf_p_2470.php

 

Project 300ZX in the Sport Compact Car magazine (Sept. 2002) published their reasons a for going with a CF driveshaft. Admittedly they

were working on a car that went over 600hp, but their reasoning also applies to lower power cars.

 

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/project-car/0008scc-project-nissan-300zx-part-6 (Scroll down to - Other Stuff: ACPT Carbon Fiber Driveshaft)

 

I like the "soft failure" mode of CF - I remember seeing a photograph of a single piece metal propshaft that had failed and literally punched a

hole into the passenger cell.

Project 300ZX in the Sport Compact Car magazine (Sept. 2002) published their reasons a for going with a CF driveshaft. Admittedly they

were working on a car that went over 600hp, but their reasoning also applies to lower power cars.

 

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/project-car/0008scc-project-nissan-300zx-part-6 (Scroll down to - Other Stuff: ACPT Carbon Fiber Driveshaft)

 

I like the "soft failure" mode of CF - I remember seeing a photograph of a single piece metal propshaft that had failed and literally punched a

hole into the passenger cell.

 

Yep, that story kicked off my original search - a propshaft spinning at speed in the cabin might smart a bit! Presumably a crazy-low chance given the number of cars on the road with them against the number of reports of it but still scary.

 

The 5% power gain at the rear wheel would be handy though for sure!

Ive found the aluminium type make a chinking noise at low load through town etc..steel version doesnt seem to do it imo

I like the "soft failure" mode of CF -

 

and fail they do, in unusual ways as seen here >>>> http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?124867-carbon-fibre-propshaft-failure&highlight=Carbon+fibre+propshaft

 

 

 

Jeff

Ive always prefered weld over glue :)

Any CF/metal joint will fail if it is not correctly prepared during manufacture. This is the type of soft failure I mean:

 

 

From the manufacturer quoted in the SCC article I posted above. If you scroll down to the "Performance Tested" section

you can see the levels of testing undertaken before their driveshafts fail which for the CF tube and joints is well above the

failure points of the metal UJ's.

 

http://www.acpt.com/Products/Composite-Driveshafts.aspx

Just to add some relative clarification here , has anyone here had a catastrophic failure with a metal one piece prop shaft? and has anyone had any kind of failure with carbon fibre prop shaft. In either case has anyone pictures or information on the failure?

 

Jeff

Poor quality lightened flywheels are what scare me. Have a google if you don't know what I'm on about. What it does to the bell housing and tunnel are scarey. If that came through and hit you you'd loose a leg and that's if your lucky.

Ive found the aluminium type make a chinking noise at low load through town etc..steel version doesnt seem to do it imo

 

I heard of that too, but one company fill the aluminum driveshafts with some type of filler! I'm not sure if it works or not.. Anyone had this done?