7 replies to this topic

[mitch19]

Hi everyone, i have the engine removed on my mini and wish to change the driveshafts. Is it possible to remove them after removing the cv rubber cover and just pulling them out into the engine bay or will the circlip keep them located? Cheers

[nicklouse]

Why do you need to change the drive shafts. There is very little that can go wrong with them.

 

yes the C clip will hold them in place you will either have to remove them from the hub and then use a heavy foot face mallet to shock the CV.

[mitch19]

Cheers, will remove the whole assembly. Change is to fit some uprated ones as I’ve heard they occasional snap when running decent power and tyres on track and although it’s is very rare I’d rather not waste the price of a track day.

[nicklouse]

uprated ones often brake as well not had any break on my race car yet even when RWD and 9X13 with 8.2 slicks just running used Hardyspicer type.

the Metro with the same tyres and slick on the front only ran standard Metro driveshafts.

the uprated ones still have the same weak point at the CV end.

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Edited by nicklouse, 11 May 2020 - 12:12 PM.

[GraemeC]

Decent uprated ones don't have that week point Nick as they delete that heavy circlip. 

However, I agree swapping them out shouldn't be done without proper thought - many people consider the driveshaft as a 'fuse' to break first rather than something else much more difficult and more expensive to replace.

[Spider]

As Graham mentioned, the proper uprated ones are up-rated by the removal of that weak spot on the end. This seems to be from the groove to take the heavy Circlip.

 

That's were I've broken all of mine.

[MiniMadRacer]

The only ones I ever broke on my race car was through sharp turns and a lead foot.. They broke exactly as shown above and may even have broken by the shaft touching the CV... i limited the turn circle very slightly, and ensured the shaft are parallel to the ground when the car sits normally..I never broke a shaft after that.

 

I agree with using the shaft as a "fuse".. at the end of the day regardless of the shafts strength they fit into the gearbox ultimately to a "Std" size component, and you dont want to make a  cog deep in the gearbox the weakest link

[Cooperman]

The proper comp drive shafts are made from a higher grade steel, EN24 from memory, and there is no circlip groove at all. A thick wasker is tack-welded onto the shaft to locate the CV joint in the correct position.
It is rare for them to snap even when shock loaded, for example when a wheel goes onto o loose surface, the wheel spins and then you suddenly go back onto tarmac. That is how standard ones break in competition.