Propshaft tubing spec

[Bricol]

Anyone know what spec the tubing for steel propshafts is? Need to make a new prop to connect one side of a welded up FWD box to a normal live axle and wondered what spec steel tubing to get. Can't find much onfo on the web as yet.

 

Bri

[shn7]

Having seen a prop that had failed recently make sure you get it right. Example I saw, the tubing had simply twisted allowing the front end to leave the gearbox and flail around damaging the tunnel and seat *eek*

 

Steve.

Sussex (West) AR

Not forgetting Percy the Polar Bear

[Andy Wiltshire]

 

Hi,

I take it that it is either the Marina or Escort diff/axle that you have. If so, source an original propshaft from a scrapyard and cut the front of it down. You know that it will take the torque and it will already have the tail end on (less work and you know that the welding on that end will not fail).

[alextangent]

From another blog;

 

The Propshaft Clinic

Buck House

Buck Street

Bradford

BD3 9QP

 

01274-305399

 

He'll build or modify propshafts to spec.

 

Alex McDonald

A loud 1700 SS

[Bricol]

Maybe I ought to explain a little more . . .

 

This is a sporting trials car - non-road legal, uses fiddle brakes on the back wheels to turn around one wheel - massive front lock and suspension travel to keep the driving wheels on the ground at all times.

 

Uses a Pug 106 engine and box mounted up front. The diff is welded solid, a blanking plug in one side of the box, the remaining cut down driveshaft will be connected to the Bedford Rascal back axle. With the 5:1 back axle ratio, 3rd and 4th in the Pug box give pretty close to the desired 22 and 18:1 overall ratio.

 

Unfortunately the Rascal prop is quite short. The Pug driveshaft with the wheel end CV joint removed isn't exactly long either. I therefore need a new lump of suitable tubing to replace the Rascal tube, after having parted off the original Hookes joint, to allow it to reach the Pug shaft, joining the two with a simple steel spacer and suitable welding rods.

 

So, either I need some new tubing, or somewhere to borrow the prop from if it has tubing with 2" OD and around 2.3 wall thickness and is long enough.

 

This is for a mate who baulked at the 150 quid the the propshaft clinic wanted when he slapped the bits down on the counter after I sent him there. In fairness to the place, I reckon they are more used to working with road cars and the associated liabilities, as I reckon the 150 was cheap for what they proposed to do (which wasn't quite what he wanted).

 

Bri

[Grebby]

No wanting to seem daft but if the dif is welded then fiddle brakes on back axel will do sod all won't they?

 

Grebby

[Bricol]

"wanting to seem daft" . . .that's what speed reading does for you . . . 😬

 

Pug 106 engine and box mounted up front longittudinally . . . . This is a front wheel drive unit, so the welded up diff now drives out of one side of the Pug gearbox, down the centre of the car and is connected to the Rascal back axle . . . the Rascal axle diff is free . . . so the fiddle brakes work perfectly.

 

But until I find the spec of the tube used for propshafts, it won't be going too far under it's own power.

 

Bri

[Grebby]

That makes sense