Thoughts on 'Big Block' Driveshafts please

[novarally]

As most of you will know I am currently rebuilding my Nova hillclimb car after a fairly big accident.

Whilst it's all apart, I gave the gearbox to my friend who's a specialist, for him to check over the Quaife SC/CR cluster, and the Tran-X LSD unit.

He's rung me today to advise that the Tran-X casing has some significant damage where the long driveshaft goes into the side gears. It's going to need either a new casing, or the other option is to machine out the damage and replace the side gears with the 'big block' type.

I wasn't really keen on this idea (mainly due to weight), but I'm now thinking it might not be such a bad thing, given the amount of power/torque the new engine will be giving out. The shafts are standard 'small block' type at the moment and have amazingly put up with loads of standing starts on slicks, etc.

So, I was wondering which driveshafts everyone is using these days in their 2.0/XE/LET Novas, and what they think of them?

[nova_stee]

All conversion shafts snap and there heavy. That just my experience

[mk1nova_rich]

What about retaining Nova GTE/GSi shafts with Mk2 Cav inner CVs to suit the big block side gears as another train of thought...

[novarally]

What about retaining Nova GTE/GSi shafts with Mk2 Cav inner CVs to suit the big block side gears as another train of thought...

Thanks Rich. Yes, that is another possibility, it shows how long I've been away from the Nova scene as that had slipped my mind.

[mk1nova_rich]

I just thought that if you havn't had any issues with small block shafts and don't want to add weight it makes sense...plus people seem to have good things to say about using them for XE conversions

[Andy]

Agreed,although I ran Courtenay tapers on my xe nova with no issues from hard launches,i have heard plenty of people who have sheared them,so another gte/cav 1.6 inner vote here.

[scott.parker]

I think it's luck of the draw, or not so lucky if you snap shafts, i don't think theres any evidence to say big block conversion stuff is weak, in my experience with them the cv's whent fist, and when i did damage a shaft i twisted the splines, but no snap.

[blue_peg_16v]

I've snapped 3 sets of conversion shafts switched to 22 splines and other than sheering both outer cvs in the hubs never had a problem all the shaft snappin happens with the loon and xe now run the phase 3 let on the 22 and there fine

[blue_peg_16v]

I think it's luck of the draw, or not so lucky if you snap shafts, i don't think theres any evidence to say big block conversion stuff is weak, in my experience with them the cv's whent fist, and when i did damage a shaft i twisted the splines, but no snap.

Thats the start of snapping mine all sneered at the cir clip

[Johnny A]

I wouldn't consider any shafts unless they were machined from a single piece of metal

[novarally]

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated.

Where's the best place to source some Mk.2 Cavalier inner CV's?

[lee303]

i'd go with the small block shafts with the big block mk2 cav inner route tbh, outer CVs are usually the weak point, usually if the car has too much castor effected by moving the hub forward with tie bars or is run too low so the CVs see extreme angled when steering is also taken into account
so with that in mind, if you're not going for big block outers as well, the shafts themselves will be fine

[Benn]

Machined, not welded shafts would be ok. One proper machined shafts the only week point is the outer circlip groove. Which can be the same on any shaft.
If your doing a 1.8, can you not use the small block one like Lee uses?

[Iain]

I thought all these snapping/twisting problems were caused by the tapered/welded shafts. Running conversion big block shafts with big block CVs either end surely doesn't have any strength problems, as the only design change is their length to suit a Nova.

[scott.parker]

I thought all these snapping/twisting problems were caused by the tapered/welded shafts. Running conversion big block shafts with big block CVs either end surely doesn't have any strength problems, as the only design change is their length to suit a Nova.

See on this page of my old track car
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?90109-Project-Apache-Orange/page86

That was an m tech shaft i bought back in 2004? When my old gsi got xe converted, it lasted well and took some huge abuse..
Didn't snap though.

[Iain]

MTech shaft is a tapered one to take a Nova outer CV yeah? Can't think why anyone would use one of those when it's so well documented how to run modified knuckles and big block inner and outer CVs.

[burgo]

I dont think David dixon has had any failures yet has he?

[scott.parker]

MTech shaft is a tapered one to take a Nova outer CV yeah? Can't think why anyone would use one of those when it's so well documented how to run modified knuckles and big block inner and outer CVs.

Not mine, mine were part of a full kit i bought back in 2003/4 from cossvaux and were for big block inner outer cv's.

[_Jake]

I'd use some dixon equal length ones (im sure ive seen them advertised before?) big block side gears and hubs, job done. No ****ing around with different CV's and pissy shafts then

[Iain]

Is it possible to mount up an equal length shaft setup to a smallblock bottom end? Bolt holes there or custom adaptor plate maybe?

[lee303]

Machined, not welded shafts would be ok. One proper machined shafts the only week point is the outer circlip groove. Which can be the same on any shaft.
If your doing a 1.8, can you not use the small block one like Lee uses?

i actually run a big block f20 casing with Hewland 6 speed dog engagement gears and their F3 plate diff, and so use custom shafts from dave mac props, they use small block outers but large GKN lo-bro style joints that bolt to drive flanges that fit into the diff, so not a setup that is easily copied, but very strong, circlip grooves should not be an issue with a shaft if it is made right though


as for fitting equal length, there are no direct bolt on fitments available for the small block but i think you could fabricate something that would work

[Benn]

I remember you having custom shafts to fit then bolt on like inner cvs. Didn't know they where big block tho.

[lee303]

well, the casing is big block, but the outers are small block and the inners are massive industrial looking splines not even remotely related to a big block cv

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/leeh303/1800%20build/20112008497.jpg (http://s26.photobucket.com/user/leeh303/media/1800%20build/20112008497.jpg.html)

thats a big block shaft compared to the cv i use, this is the drive flange
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/leeh303/1800%20build/09122008511.jpg (http://s26.photobucket.com/user/leeh303/media/1800%20build/09122008511.jpg.html)

[novarally]

as for fitting equal length, there are no direct bolt on fitments available for the small block but i think you could fabricate something that would work

Anyone done an equal length driveshaft conversion and willing to share the details?

And as per previous request, where's a good source for a Mk.2 Cavalier inner CV joint? Is it going to be a stock motor factors item?

[Damo]

Novarally the mk2 cav inner joint is a pj16 I believe most motorfactors should know/recognise that.

Damo.

[mk1nova_rich]

Anyone done an equal length driveshaft conversion and willing to share the details?

And as per previous request, where's a good source for a Mk.2 Cavalier inner CV joint? Is it going to be a stock motor factors item?

As far as I know nobody has actually done it, just talked about it...

[Benn]

I work in a motorfactor, ever make of joint ive had is wrong for the mk2 cav inners. All the ones ive found are big block both sides.

Re equal length, if the box is BB then you can use Cally/Cav fixed after, then its just the outer bit you need to be small block, so use one of the David Dixon shafts for the length and inner splines, then have it made to be small block fitment on the outer splines...

[flatout618]

Best thing I could reccommend is to buy my Nova XE. Its got some heafty shafts slipping into the F20 wound up by the snorting sound of the Redtop on carbs trimmed up with some Autosprint cams ARP's on the rods and the Canems ECU.
I could go on but hey times precious.Please someone buy my car!!!!!!!!!:thumb:

[Hobbit]

I run the Dave Dixon equal length set up on my V6 and it seems bomb proof.