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asims View Drop Down
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    Posted: Sep/19/2009 at 7:43pm
In the past, our team has just scavenged drive axles off whatever happened to be available.  This year we're looking to be a little more thoughtful with our drive train and would like to build our own custom axles, most likely with u-joints for a variety of reasons.  I was curious where other teams have had luck in finding u-joints that could be used to make custom-length axles.

I've seen some teams who have made their own custom slider-shafts (usually out of square tube) with u-joints welded on the each end of the sliders and I'm curious how these are made - Is it just a hacked up driveshaft with custom shafts spliced onto the existing shaft, or are u-joints available without a shaft, so that one could put their own shafts on?

Thanks
Andrew Sims
University of Arizona
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Points: 98 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kenneth.mandeville Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/20/2009 at 12:25am
Usually the slider shafts are from tractor PTO Shafts, available at your local tractor supply or online somewhere.  I guess you could use the U joints with the PTO too but they are usually heavy.
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We did sliding driveshafts in 2008 and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.  We didn't have any failures out of them but they were way heavy and a pain in the ass in to fab.

Ours started as a stock Honda halfshaft that was cut.  Then we welded in two sections of 4130 box(EXPENSIVE!!!) that we had machined for a tight fit.
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Unless you just have to have sliding axles, which should be able to be avoided with the right suspension calculations and positions, i would look at gorilla axles, or taylor axles.  Taylor in the past has only made formula axles but their rep talked to me in alabama about making them for baja this year, so its something to check out.  We ran gorilla last year, awesome sweet custom axles, but about $850 for a custom set.  THey can make you any lenght set you want, and their cv shafts have have 45* of miss alignment, the most of any cv joint we have found.  If you do order from gorilla allow a ton of lead time, fyi.
Wichita State University
Shocker Baja Racing

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Originally posted by Shocker Racer Shocker Racer wrote:

  If you do order from gorilla allow a ton of lead time, fyi.



And be prepared to send it back 3 times and spend 15 hours on the phone telling them what you ordered againCensored
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Points: 30 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote umbaja2009 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/20/2009 at 10:43pm
We have been using Dana u-joints.  When we used slip shafts 4 years ago, we used the slip part from Dana also I believe.
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We make our own custom shafts with the method laid out by blue2kss it this post

http://forums.bajasae.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40

As he said, we do this in Baja and Formula cars, with no failures, or even slight fatigue to date.


Edited by USF Stick - Oct/05/2009 at 7:51pm
Justin 'Stick' Van Hall
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USF - if you don't mind sharing, what CV's do you use inboard/outboard?
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Points: 51 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote karman1970 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/16/2009 at 6:33pm
We ran old Yamahas for two years. My personal favorites are VW CVs with Sway-a-Way axles. They bolt on to the stub axles, they're bullet proof, and with a little machining are not really any heavier than a big ATV CV.
Wes
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Originally posted by iwm iwm wrote:

USF - if you don't mind sharing, what CV's do you use inboard/outboard?


Last year for our IRS baja we used stock Polaris CVs.  I am 90% sure they are out of a Sportman 300.  It was the same inboard and out, because all we did was cut the stock spline and lengthen it, as detailed in the other post i referenced above.
Justin 'Stick' Van Hall
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Has anyone here ever run tripod CVs? What about inboard braking through them?
Andrew Smock
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Augusta, GA
UA Baja Team Leader 2006-2009
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Originally posted by smock smock wrote:

Has anyone here ever run tripod CVs? What about inboard braking through them?


Yes, and yes. Never had problems. But I don't know details as to what they were off of. They were used my first year on the team and after that we ran Polaris.
-Joe
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Ohio State Baja 2005-2009
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Points: 60 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote smock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/19/2009 at 5:29pm
Yeah our formula team uses them, there is a company called Taylor Race that makes them for FSAE.  The whole assembly seems a lot simpler than a rzeppa joint (6 ball cv) and is able to get approx 22* of max deflection which should work for about 8-10" of travel.  We're making a custom drivetrain this year so we figured, hey, why not make everything out to the wheel custom too?
Andrew Smock
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Points: 19 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bigusnickus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/20/2009 at 8:57pm
Andrew,
 
I want to elaborate on Joe's post. We (Ohio State) used to use custom (formula derived) wire EDM Aluminum CV housings and the Taylor Tripods. We did have some issues with longevity due to mud entering the cv when the boot came off or developed a tear. The aluminum would essentially eat itself up as would the super tiny PITA needle bearings in the tripod.
 
That being said, a properly protected CV should work well. They are a lot lighter than the current steel CV's we use now. Durability was the only issue we saw.
Nick Balzer Baja Buckeyes Alum 08'
BAE Systems Welding Engineer
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Points: 60 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote smock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/20/2009 at 9:24pm
Thanks Nick, I appreciate comments.  Seems like if we keep it well protected we should be fine.
Andrew Smock
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John Deere Commercial Products
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UA Baja Team Leader 2006-2009
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Points: 20 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote goliath0904 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/30/2009 at 12:22pm
Originally posted by USF Stick USF Stick wrote:

Last year for our IRS baja we used stock Polaris CVs.  I am 90% sure they are out of a Sportman 300.  It was the same inboard and out, because all we did was cut the stock spline and lengthen it, as detailed in the other post i referenced above.


We used the Sportman 300 drive shafts last year as well.  We used to use sliding drive shafts because our suspension geometry was never perfect.  This time around we got the geometry correct and used the Sportman shafts.  They are great drive shafts and I would definitely recommend them.  The only thing we had to do to them was lengthen them, which simply involved cutting them and welding a piece of stock in and adding some reinforcing pieces around the joints.
Jared Szechy - Treasurer
University of Dayton Mini Baja
sae.udayton.edu
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