Carbon fiber vs aluminum driveshafts?

[SMEGMA STENCH]

Yeah I'm sure this topic has been done to death. But I'd like to see if anybody here has ever had both aluminum and carbon fiber driveshafts, and find out what differences you noticed. Some people will tell you that the carbon fiber driveshafts are just there to get more money from you. Others will say they eliminate vibration that aluminum can't. Any idea?

[RuStYpNuS]

unless your in some f1 car and looking for weight reduction i wouldnt spend the grip on CF. Aluminum does just fine.....and how much of a weight difference is there.....aluminum units are pretty f-ing light

[Cooter]

CF driveshafts are for applications where you're ready to spend $500-1000 for .01 in trap speed, not for a daily driver IMO

[jw33]

http://www.acpt.com/driveshaft/driveshafts.html

Pretty much a race only part unless you just have to have every possible edge. I thought about it for 5 seconds before I ordered the aluminum one I have now.

[SMEGMA STENCH]

Yeah that's what pretty much everyone says. Then you got that one guy that says that his CF driveshafts eliminated all the vibration that aluminum didn't. Especially over at the F-body forums. Maybe the bad vibration is a chevy thing or something.

[Cooter]

Yeah that's what pretty much everyone says. Then you got that one guy that says that his CF driveshafts eliminated all the vibration that aluminum didn't. Especially over at the F-body forums. Maybe the bad vibration is a chevy thing or something.

nope, it's a dumbfuck thing... sounds like he got ripped off or is trying to sell CF driveshafts... come on now, you think everybody has had driveline vibrations up until the point that the CF driveshaft was developed? LOL

[fastwhite99gt]

A carbon fiber driveshaft will help a stick car way more than an auto if you are going for every last little bit. They actually twist and absorb some of the shock from the clutch drop and then act as a spring when they unwind. They do not take to street cars very well, nicks will destroy one in a hurry. At least when they do fly apart, you dont have to worry about a metal tube beating the shit out of the bottom of your car, they just shatter into a few million pieces. And they weight is about half of an aluminum, so about 1/4 the weight of a normal steel driveshaft.

[Trick Pony]

I would consider putting one on my Vette with the power it makes to put less shock to the drivetrain running drag radials. Also, on a Vette the driveshaft is enclosed in a tube that would protect it. On a Mustang I don't see the point unless you've got a ton of money into it and just have to have it.

[SMEGMA STENCH]

As for the little nicks, yeah I like the tube idea the vette has. No reason you couldn't do the exact same thing on a stang. But from what you guys are saying, I'll be getting an aluminum driveshaft, not carbon fiber.

[ceyko]

A carbon fiber driveshaft will help a stick car way more than an auto if you are going for every last little bit. They actually twist and absorb some of the shock from the clutch drop and then act as a spring when they unwind. They do not take to street cars very well, nicks will destroy one in a hurry. At least when they do fly apart, you dont have to worry about a metal tube beating the shit out of the bottom of your car, they just shatter into a few million pieces. And they weight is about half of an aluminum, so about 1/4 the weight of a normal steel driveshaft.

Is twisting and springing back a good thing by design?

[fastwhite99gt]

On a stick car if gives a slight extra nudge when it unwinds just as the settles down and a lot of time will help the 60'. If a metal shaft twists, it's done.

[TENGRAM]

On a stick car if gives a slight extra nudge when it unwinds just as the settles down and a lot of time will help the 60'. If a metal shaft twists, it's done.

All materials will twist elastically to some extent. /nitpicking

[sdun]

I remember Hargett running one on his cars. Of course not many people go 170mph in the 1/8.