Is anyone here running LG's carbon driveshaft. Are you using one, two, or none of the aluminium couplers? If your running any of the solid couplers, do you have any vibration? I'm concidering doing this mod when I'm into my clutch here shortly. Thanks for all the advice.

 

A local shop here in Atlanta has come up with a much better solution for couplers than the aluminium option.

Check out www.peachstateposse.com for details.

http://www.peachstateposse.com/forum...pic.php?t=5244

 

Those are nice but $500!

 

That was the original estimated price... The release price is going to be $399

The material these are made of is super expensive... Might be able to get a better price if we organize a group buy.

 

That's better. Maybe there could be a group price of around $300. That would be great.

 

I'm thinking about a set myself.

 

I'm curious how many people are running the carbon fiber driveshaft? Please post your thoughts. I'm considering going with this driveshaft when replacing the clutch, but it is a lot of money to spend on something I'm not yet convinced is necessary for my car.

 

What is it made out of Delrin?

 

 

This part will fix the symptom not the cause. The aluminum drive shaft is only rated to 6200 rpms before it flexes. it is the flex that causes the rubber donuts to break.
the flex causes the aluminum drive shaft to start to whip like a jump rope. This deflection causes the rubber ends to make extreme heat which causes the failure.

This is why our carbon shaft was developed. It is rated to 8200 rpms with a 25% safety margin before deflection. that means that you can rev the engine ( and thus the drive shaft) to over 10,000 rpms( but that is truly in the margin)

There have been so many drive shaft failures that to just make a beefier coupler and call it "Good" is missing the problem.

I ran the entire World Challenge season on my Carbon shaft including many test days at the race track plus a day at the drag races where we ran 140mph in the 1/4 mile and destroyed 3 complete rear ends in the process.

The drive shaft came out looking like brand new.

Keep in mind that the Corvette Drive shaft is just an extension of the transmission input shaft. So it revs at engine RPMS all the time, in any gear. So if you rev over 6200 rpms you are in the margin with an Aluminum driveshaft.

What did GM do to solve the problem? They put a composite disc on the drive shaft as a rubbing block so that when the drive shaft starts to "whip" like a jump rope, this disc rubs on the inside of the torque tube and limits how far the stock aluminum drive shaft can deflect.

Just look inside your torque tube when you have it out and you will see the rub marks. Marks that can only be made if the shaft wabbles, or whips.

What you will have even with an improved rubber coupler or billit couplers is the energy from the whipping shaft will now go into your bearings and destroy them. Or it will destroy those upgraded rubber couplers just like the stock ones because it is not the radial strength that the stock couplers are lacking, it is what the forces do to a rubber coupler that has been moved from its original intended position.

Picture the input shaft clamped in a vice. then let the aluminum shaft hang down. that is what happens to the rubber couplers at high rpms. Just using stiffer rubber will not cure the problem, but it will just try to affect the symptom which is destroyed rubbers. The deflection will still exist with the aluminum shaft.

A carbon shaft is the only way available now to avoid drive shaft deflection. and deflection is RPM related. The rubber then loses strength and cracks, and they come apart on a launch or a hard accelleration. then the "acceleration" is believed to be the cause, not just the straw that broke the camels back.

thanks

Lou Gigliotti LGM
972-429-1963

 

Lou, never meant to imply that these new bushing would cure the whipping effect, just they might be a better solution than the aluminum couplers. I personally think the best solution would be your CF driveshaft and these new couplers.

 

I was thinking of doing this. I have the LG CF drive shaft and it is a quality unit

The LWA coupler is an interesting to solution for something more durable than the factory rubber coupler but allows some dampening which aluminum does not. The safety features are well thought out too. When my tq tube failed the input shaft moved forward damaging the splines on the back disk on a McLeod Street Twin and ate up the pilot bearing.

 

Thanks,

The only thing that I don't like is the steel plate on one side. that means that the give in the coupler is limited by how much angle deflection the front 3 bolts can flex or lean over.

Imagine if the rubber was not there, then the bolts would be held in place by the steel bushings molded into the rubber. When the torque is applied you can see how the steel plate will limit the amount of give the rubber coupler will have.

I think the LSA coupler will be a solution for those who have cracked stock ones but I think that without a Carbon Shaft the problems will just manifest themselves in a different way.

Just my .02

LG

 

The pics need to be updated as the one pictured is a prototype. The production unit has more of a triangle shaped metal plate somewhat mirroring the end of the LG CF driveshaft on each side of the coupler to allow more vibration to be absorbed.

I thought the same thing when I first saw the pics. The designer came out to a local Club Dinner last Friday night and passed around the production unit.

 

Lou, What comes with the Driveshaft for $1300? Does it include aluminum couplers? I guess what I want to know is what else is required and what is included? Since my whole driveline is out of the car, I'm at the perfect stage...

Mike

 

Also Mike what year is your car? I think the LG CF driveshaft is for 01+ tq tubes only.

Lamar

 

My car is a 99 coupe. The LGM site shows one for the early version, and one for later versions...

Mike

 

I am using LG's CF DS. I kept the stock rubber couplers and have no vibrations at all. I understand the aluminum couplers introduce a little noise or vibration into the driveline.

 

Hi Mike,

The Corvette forum price is $1195. Sorry,

We have them for early cars now as well as mid 01 and up. (there was a change in 01. All Z06 cars got the larger driveshaft and some later Coupes did.

You just get the drive shaft. We only recommend one of the Aluminum couplers. the shaft needs some compliance to account for machine tollerances between the bell housing, torque tube and Transmission.

I ran the whole racing Season with both rubber couplers in place and had no problems.

The aluminum coupler is $99 Corvette forum price.

Thanks
Lou G

 

Lou,

You have one of these composite driveshafts for the A4 yet?

I have vibrations at ~3500 to 4500 rpm in N or D... dealer scares me with "it must be in the engine" which runs strong and very smooth at any other speed. I have felt that it is in the driveline somewhere.