[Mach Boy]

Alright gears are going on this spring but I'm going to do a driveshaft upgrade too. Here's my dilemma. I don't know if I should go with an aluminum driveshaft or a carbon fiber driveshaft. Now this should be a no brainer but I have a couple of choices here.

1. I get the carbon fiber driveshaft which is lighter than an aluminum one. Now I don't know how much our stock shaft weighs but the 05+ weighs 42lbs. and the carbon shaft weighs 11lbs. Cost $600

2. I get the aluminum driveshaft for $230 and get a SPEC flywheel for $350 bringing the cost to about equal with just the carbon fiber driveshaft.

My summer upgrade will be a nitrous kit. Vote away!

[Mach Boy]

I just thought of this too. Alum shaft and a new throttle body.

[Drick]

I would get the Aluiminum the reason being the little weight diffence between the two are not even gonna be noticable. I have a ford Racing Aluminum on mine and dont have a problem in the world. By the flywheel and the Aluminum one

[dansgt]

go aluminum, as strong as carbon fiber is, it may be a little to brittle for a drive shaft. i could be wrong though. the 30lbs won't make too big a difference anyways.

[Drick]

You will never notice the weight diference ever. But you will notice a difference with Aluminum driveshaft flywheel and Throtle body

[Doc8224]

Definatly do the aluminum DS and the flywheel. you will notice the flywheel the most. it is rotating mass right on the crank, getting a lighter one will help you rev out faster, the negative to the lighter flywheel is that it will not hold the revs between shifts like the heavier one will.

[TheBusher]

I would go aluminum, unless you're building a drag car where ever pound counts. I'm not sure of the specs on the 99-04 GT driveshaft, but my buddy has an 06 GT and his stock driveshaft was 42 lbs, the aluminum driveshaft he put on is 16 lbs (it is also good to 700 rwhp), and a CF driveshaft is 11 lbs. You will notice a difference between 42 & 16 lbs, but you won't between 16 & 11 lbs. A CF drive won't be too brittle compared to an aluminum driveshaft. In fact, in case of driveshaft failure, the CF will actually return to a fiber and not explode into little tiny slivers of CF like some people think, though if you are running that much power, you will want a drivshaft safety loop just to be safe. If the aluminum fails and you don't have a driveshaft safety loop, that could cause some real damage.

[HMUSN]

Aluminum.

[WAR-PARTY]

Aluminum, MMR offers the CF shaft for like 1800, Fly wheels billet steel for drag racing, Aluminum, for circle and road racing.

[neckbonekat]

Originally Posted by dansgt go aluminum, as strong as carbon fiber is, it may be a little to brittle for a drive shaft. i could be wrong though. the 30lbs won't make too big a difference anyways.

Are you kidding? 30 lbs on it's own woudn't make a big difference. 30 lbs in the drive shaft would make quite a big difference. It would seriously cut down parasitic loss. Your car wouldn't make more HP, but more of the HP would get to the wheels increasing your RWHP.

PS - The carbon fiber drive shafts are stronger than the aluminum ones.

Get the Aluminum drive shaft and the aluminum flywheel. It will make a bigger difference in the feel of the shifting than just the CF drive shaft.

[Drick]

it would make probly one more RWHP he wont feel anything but with the aluminum and the flywheel and Throtle body he will be making more than that

[Mach Boy]

I'm up for other opinions too, but I am definitely getting the driveshaft. Maybe control arms? But with the price range I am working with I could only put in one. I'm looking for another part that is roughly $300.

[neckbonekat]

Originally Posted by Mach Boy I'm up for other opinions too, but I am definitely getting the driveshaft. Maybe control arms? But with the price range I am working with I could only put in one. I'm looking for another part that is roughly $300.

Control arms are always a good idea.

[chris1]

Originally Posted by TheBusher I in case of driveshaft failure, the CF will actually return to a fiber and not explode into little tiny slivers of CF like some people think, though if you are running that much power, you will want a drivshaft safety loop just to be safe. If the aluminum fails and you don't have a driveshaft safety loop, that could cause some real damage.

btw Mach boy i say you get a Throttle body and the Aluminum DS with the saftey loop. Im waiting to get mines setup.

oh and i dont mean to hi-jack the thread here but what can cause this failure in a DS? shatter to pieces?

[Mach Boy]

Too much power? Something hitting it from the underside?

[chris1]

so if debris hits it, it would shatter? how reliable is that!? i live in california where the freeways are littered with body parts...

[TheBusher]

Originally Posted by chris1 so if debris hits it, it would shatter? how reliable is that!? i live in california where the freeways are littered with body parts...

DS failure is caused by too much power and too much grip, or at least more then the DS was made to handle. It would have to be a pretty big something to shatter a DS if it were hit. If your DS got hit (again it would have to be pretty big), it would most likely just put a mark/dent in it.

[chris1]

i dont plan on hitting more than 375 rwhp on my car..is that considered safe enough?

[TheBusher]

Most street after market DS's are good to 600-800 rwhp. So yeah, an aluminum DS will EASILY handle 375 rwhp.

[chris1]

Thank you for the information...hey maybe you can drop your .02 in on what application im looking for on my braking/rotor setup. Thank You!