Mackeyred96: Great Photo! It looks like you really maximized the rear rubber! What rear tires, and wheel size/ backspacing are you using?

 

The stock 1/2 shafts take a brutal pounding *if* the rear is setup right.

We brutilize our 1/2 shafts weekend after weekend pulling mid 1.4 60' times and I have only had 2 fail - mind you this is after HUNDREDS of passes from anywhere from high 13s to low 10s.

I replace mine with stock new units and they are now working fine again. The one was replaced mid last year and its has another 60+ runs on it without incident.

You can always gets something stronger, but you are just moving the weak link to something else. My fear is making the center section the weak point point, which is a 2k dollar bill.

Corky has YET to break a 1/2 shaft - and he consistantly pulls some of the best 60' times I have seen on here - with <1.45 60' times pass after pass. Not to mention the 2 bunny hops he does before every stage, which are just as wild as the launches, usually lifting the front wheels with each hop. So his 1/2 shafts probably have 60k+ miles on then driving around and nothing under 1k passes - they are still going strong. (knock on wood for you cork. )

At the end of the day I think the stocker are plenty good for MANY passes at very extreme power situations.

 

.125" wall... I've just built a jig to build 3" chromoly halfshafts with billet yokes. Unfortunately my tubing company has backordered my three sticks of chromoly til the end of the month. I'll post pics while I'm building them.
-Jeb
PS- NEVER broken a halfshaft...Just drive spindles (pre-cryo). I've always had good luck with them.

 

I would say it has more to do with your auto tranny and loose converter taking the initial shock off of the driveline.

 

If you think a 5000 stall converter hitting from is idle does have any shock.....ok.

Couple in the 1st gear ratiowith torque multiplication....I am sure there is enough shock there to detroy about anything. I have seen Strange Racing Axles off 415ci motored cars twisted into a spiral in the spline areas.....

Bottom line is as the toy demonstrated with the carbon fibers....the price tag on things doesn't assure damage will not happen.

I choose to pick my weak point which is has proven to withstand hundreds of passes and failure expense is minimal and replacement is a piece of cake.

 

Why the ...? A stick car with the same combo would be much more violent on the drivetrain. You yourself preach the same exact thing every time someone mentions that they like having a manual transmission instead of an automatic.

 

You answered your own question about the eye roll.

Read your second sentence......you are now assuming its the same combination. Corky's car or my car with a manual transmission, and slicks would be destructive on ANYTHING you put back there, including and not limited to 9" components. Everything has its limits and as I said before I have seen strange axles twisted into spirals.

The real point is there is no reason a car that is pull much less 60' times, can't use the same 1/2 shafts we have proven take hundreds if not thousands of passes at <1.49 60' times.

UNLESS something is not setup right...ie, camber of the wheels on launch.....its no different than setting up the proper pinion angle on a floating rear. Get the angles wrong and the two u-joints start working against one another and either break the u-joints of other components. Its not surprising that this happens on these cars, were the setup is much more dynamic - 95% of the people that race "floating" axle rears do not know how to properly setup a pinion angle. Everyone assumes that a negative pinion angle x degree is best....when that could be 100% off the wrong angle.

And I think you need to check yourself with your assumption I do not like manual cars. I could care less if someone likes a manual transmission - its their car, not mine. The only time I voiced an opinion regarding manual vs automatic is use on a dragstrip....and well, spend some time in the pits during a points race and see how many stick cars you can find - its not that everyone has a vendeta against stick cars....its just that they can't compete in that area effectively and consistantly to the level they need to. Again if you disagree - see how many people successfully compete and win manual vs automatics.