Why not just removed the torque tube and leave the axle with a help bearing in the centre?
If the engine and gearbox have new solid and reforced mounts they doesn't twist.....

 

Why not make a hollow driveshaft since it is in torsion, made of carbon fiber, and house it in an aluminum pipe? Eh? Money......

 

By the time you engineer the driveshaft, helper bearing and mount, better engine mounts and transaxle mounts, attaching the driveshaft to the bell housings and dealing with the U-Joints.... Youd have had the time to rebuild a dozen torque tubes. And you still dont end up with a better solution, since the torque tube provides a lot of structural rigidity in a big crash and keeps the engine and transaxle as a solid unit for simplicity.

 

As I am making a very light 951 racer I'm looking to reduce weight and as the car has a mix of original chassis, tube frame & rollcage it`s very straight

 

If weight is your concern just make your TT housing from aluminum as some have done. I really can't see gaining anything by going to a dedicated flexible driveline and having to redesign the supports for the entire power train.

 

the tt serves as a sort of mount to the engine and trans. they hold eachother upright with the tt.

it is a big part of the crash protection also. do the aluminum one.

 

Won't work.
Remeber that the "drive shaft" cannot be rigidly connected to the engine - there is a clutch in the way!

The only way to do this would require extra engine and transaxle mounting provisions...in the end there would be no weight savings and a lot more issues to fix!

 

jan, quizas que pueda hacerlo de carbon fiber!

 

I've figured out how to do a cf tt. Requires keeping some of the original tube and would only save about 25lbs. Not sure its worth it or not.

 

compared to the cost of doing that i think itd be easier to cut back on the cookies for a month

 

Funny, since I did not state a cost.

 

I just was wondering if some one had tried to do it before and how. It `s as you said 25lb (11kg) and as we are cutting every site I know to be reached without wrecking our car.
We have considered CF. it's expensive and gives a lot of work to do but the truth is that we are addicted to it.
The idea is not to eliminate the complete piece, we would cute the centre part of the tube letting the clutch house and the rear gear box mount.
And as we are making the car lower we have to rise the gearbox and change the gearbox support for a new one and we also are taking away the torsionbars and tube changing it for coilovers and home made suspension arm support.
The cuestion is how far to go?
Maybe we should draw a line where to stop and finish the car!

Jan K

 

One advantage of a drive shaft would be easier access to the clutch components for changing out a clutch and another would be easier removal of the engine for repairs which I would think would be helpful on a track car. I have thought there must be a better system than the tt setup as well.

 

Myself and a few others have looked into it.. I still plan on doing mine sometime. i was gung ho last year until an income loss changed things.. But yes. totally possible.. Right around 28lb loss as calculated by me. Very specific ways this has to be done. More of a NASA machine and bolt together set-up.. Carbon fiber has to be of a specific weave for torsional strength. more specifically for axles. then I found it would be best to cnc some aluminum pieces that can be wound to the carbon fiber when the tube is made, and then make those pieces bolt-able to the bell housing front and rear. I was going to weld an aluminum "receiver" piece for the transmission side that can be bolted, and just make the 4point square for the front to be "wound" in when the axle style fiber is built. Good luck getting the axle place to agree to this, as this was my last hurtle before I quit inquiring since the cost for this piece alone was right around $1000-$2000.. large spread.. but I feel with some looking I can keep it close to $1000 for the carbon tube. Inner diameter is mostly a get what you get sort of thing, and the inner bearing carriers will have to be custom designed for this set up also.

 

Seriously fella's. Hollow steel driveshaft and an aluminum carrier tube could make a nice difference. Im too lazy to run #'s because my time is always full running #'s on other things BUT - the seat of the pants says its a doable and possibly even good idea.