Outer Limits 4x4 Board

When I was in the local bearing shop the other day I was looking at their nylon rods and an idea sprung to my head. Will the nylon be strong enough to use as a driveshaft spacer? I've made up a driveshaft spacer for the front end out aluminium but it was a pain because the only stock material I can get is square so there is heaps more machining involved. Whereas the nylon already comes in a round rod and is very easy to machine the lips into and drill the holes etc.
Will the material hold up to the stresses in the driveline?
Cheers for any insight!

my worry would be that it would tend to flog out and go all sloppy... probably best to go the pre-manufactured options already available.

Lcoktup have some cheap 1inch ones in stock atm that I got chris to order in Believe me cheapest around, not worth making them.

Kitika wrote:When I was in the local bearing shop the other day I was looking at their nylon rods and an idea sprung to my head. Will the nylon be strong enough to use as a driveshaft spacer? I've made up a driveshaft spacer for the front end out aluminium but it was a pain because the only stock material I can get is square so there is heaps more machining involved. Whereas the nylon already comes in a round rod and is very easy to machine the lips into and drill the holes etc.
Will the material hold up to the stresses in the driveline?
Cheers for any insight!

But if you were to make the, then yes, it will be strong enough.

MF

give it a go and report back, make it for the front and try it.. no harm in that.. if it does break, so what, its only the front.
+ as you said, it will machine easy, time is free if your doing it for your self

Could possibly fit metal sleaves for the bolt holes and a sleave of large diam pipe over the whole thing

If it breaks there's a r chance it could smash its way into the cabin or hit the ground and lever the car onto its roof.

Don't do it. These are a precision part - the rebate and spigot on the yoke and flange are pretty critical. I wouldn't even use alloy, let alone nylon.

Steve.

why bother .. spacers are only about $30 to $40.

Could possibly fit metal sleaves for the bolt holes and a sleave of large diam pipe over the whole thing

Why not just make it out of metal bar in the first place??? You can buy pretty much any diameter round bar.....??? [/quote]

lockiytup is selling em for $39 delivered.
not worth looking for the material let alone machineing it up

I was just throwing up ideas, I CBF making them when you can get them so cheap off locktup.

Gwagensteve wrote:If it breaks there's a r chance it could smash its way into the cabin or hit the ground and lever the car onto its roof.

Don't do it. These are a precision part - the rebate and spigot on the yoke and flange are pretty critical. I wouldn't even use alloy, let alone nylon.

Steve.

Just to comment on this, mythbusters tested this theory, of memory the result was plausible, but extremely unlikely. Took them days to reproduce. Not that im siding with the use of nylon spacers here!

I made one out of a kitchen chopping board years ago...lol

(I'm gonna get smashed for that, I know....)

Anyhoo... needless to say, it only lasted about a year before it crapped out and I took it out.

On a 4WD with a front driveshaft?

I think they used a RWD car dropping the shaft out of the gearbox.

I'd say dropping a front shaft in a 4WD woudl be much more likely to start the lever.

PS I have seen the result of a front shaft coming though the tunnel...

Steve.

why steve? it works on the same pricible??
and in a zook it would just swivel on the uni under the chassi..
i would do it! BUT i think it is plausable.. and i wouldnt have a problem with it in the front!

da13ro wrote:

Gwagensteve wrote:If it breaks there's a r chance it could smash its way into the cabin or hit the ground and lever the car onto its roof.

Don't do it. These are a precision part - the rebate and spigot on the yoke and flange are pretty critical. I wouldn't even use alloy, let alone nylon.

Steve.

Just to comment on this, mythbusters tested this theory, of memory the result was plausible, but extremely unlikely. Took them days to reproduce. Not that im siding with the use of nylon spacers here!

If they'd watched much motor racing they need not have bothered. It can and has happened even on a RWD car.

In the front, it won't just lock the wheels and skid. The back will drive the car over the top of the shaft.

Steve.

I'll definitely be going for one from locktup! I haven't seen a spacer that cheap before I thought they were all around the $80 mark landed in oz.

They are! Some even try to sell them for $80 plus postage from Aus, *cough snake cough*. I hit Chris up to see what price he could do me and nearly backflipped, and he said he was thinking about stocking them all the time. I told him at that price you won't have trouble moving them.

on the front drive shaft thing my dad had it come through the floor on his MQ patrol doing 100ks down the freeway, it does happen and unfortunatly the injuries will always be with him.

The story i heard about was the guy who put his new >sane hp street machine on a dyno. ran it up, drive shaft let go at noise and made like a blender blade nearly ripping car in half. I wonder if the high HP dyno guys control revs from outside the car for a reason????

Tailshaft loops are a requirement for most motorsports for a reason....

Pardon my ignorance, but how do you work out what thickness spacer you need?

Mike