lightweight driveshafts

That's not 100% accurate. A formula 1 has over 600 hirsepower and their engines rev at a resiculous rpm, like 20,000rpm. But they don't put out any more torque than a fiat.

Torque is what will shatter that driveshaft, that being said I personally don't knowing it could hold or not but I was actually just thinking about that today.

 

I think if you want a lighter material with thinner wall you would need to increase diameter of the tube. Can you imagine trying to fit a 2' dia. shaft between the rails?

 

MPG gains would be absolutely minimal. Gains in a race situation are different because you're either losing or gaining speed, trucking we're just cruising along most of the time. The only real gains would be in weight reduction in specific applications.

 

Weight reduction would also be minimal. Yes normal driving down the highway will handle softer metals but soft ground would get the better of an aluminum driveline. Carbon fiber isn't even comparable from a formula 1 car. They weigh as much as my lawn mower. It wouldn't be worth the risk of changing it out. For the weights I haul I thought about going heavier.

 

Torque at the driveshaft is what wrecks driveshafts, not at the engine. You'd be surprised the torque those engines put down on the ground due to ridiculous multiplication.

 

Video on you tube: type carbon fiber drive shaft test in the search box. Then click on 'Steel Shaft Vs Carbon Fiber'.

 

Dana.com website shows their 'Diamond Series' lightweight driveshafts; says may save up to 100 lbs, mentions about a 1-piece aluminum shaft replacing a 2-piece steel. They claim strength equal to or greater than steel (their words). Spec's show one version is 7" diameter, the larger is 8.5" diameter. No idea of a cost.

 

The one thing about aluminum is usually you cannot shorten or lengthen them, nobody will redo it.

 

lighter drive shafts equal more payload not less fuel in my mind as all companys are tring to do is reduce tare wt this sells trucks

i would be more inclined to look towards other rotating mass iteams like wheels hubs drum /disc etc. even tyres first as drive shafts are costly and if it anit broken dont fix it
ally is lighter but more is required to produce the same strenght, limiting uni movement as yokes need to be thicker. holes for unis flog out faster . stick with the steel unit for now as there are better long term ways to save $$$$$$$
Thick of it lick this as far as drive line stress 2200 ft lb torgue@1850 rpm vs perhaps 300 ft lb torque@18000 rpm more power stroke in the same distance traveled means more power strokes less torsional vibration on top of that the race car pushs f/all weight
live with steel shaft reduce rotating mass elswhere cheers mark