New Driveshaft

[Dave]

Im not happy with the driveshaft in the 32 too bad its aluminum but somehow i got it crooked and its not balanced and its a little short for my liking. Anyone know where I can geat a deal on a new one. Ive been checking and it looks like they should be chrome for the prices they get now..
Dave

[purplepickup]

Dave, there's a shop by Albion or Concord that dynamic balances driveshafts and they do vibration analysis.  If they're still in business it might be worth calling them.  They might be in your phonebook.  If not I think I've got their name & number at work.

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

Roadstar just had his balanced this week, both ends actually.  He can give you more details as to where he had it done.  He's very happy with the results.

My dad had 3 made before he was happy with one for his '56 Olds.  He finally ended up with a 2 piece one to get it perfect.  I'll ask him tomorrow who made it for him and the cost.

[Roadstar]

The guy I use is Auto Truck, in Roseville Mi.
They originally built the driveshaft for me last year.
Then when I started driving the car I wasn't happy. I noticed a vibration that would increase with speed(usually a driveshaft).
I took it back and they Highspeed balanced it. Much better now.

[C9]

Before you have it balanced, you may want to check the runout.

You can do it in the car with a dial indicator set up to read both ends and the middle.

Read the middle first, you may find a bow in it and if not, either end could be a touch off center.

Next step would be to check the phasing.
You can do it at home with a magnetic angle finder.
Even though magnetic you'll probably want to find a square and true piece that can fit up against a u-joint cap and put the angle finder on there.  (Yokes don't always have a flat and square outside surface.)
Read one end and then the other without turning the driveshaft.

If the shaft is off the car and the u-joints removed, clamp the driveshaft lightly in a vise and slide a couple of straight and true pieces through the u-joint holes and sight down the driveshaft making sure the test pieces are exactly aligned with one another.

In the first iteration of my 50 Ford coupe, there was quite a bit of eyeball rattling vibration when spinning through the San Fernando dragstrip traps at 100 mph.
Figuring the driveshaft needed balancing, I took it to a driveshaft shop in the SF Valley.
Where they pointed out that the yokes were 90 degrees out of phase.
Never noticed it at lower speed because the driveshaft had a very small angle at the yokes.
They repaired it in phase as it should have been at the first shop.
Never went back to the first shop....

Last driveshaft I had built at the local speed shop.
I mentioned I was taking it to the balance shop and they recommended I give it a try as it was because they built many driveshafts for 150 mph door-slammers and never had a complaint about driveshaft vibration.

I did and it turned out to be as smooth as the previously installed, electronically balanced one I removed.

[Dave]

Well I knew it ran out a bit and I wasnt happy cutting it apart again and having to prolly shorten it some more to get it straight. I found a guy in NY that does em and he does em cheaper than Dennys where I got the one for my 34. Actually he is rebuilding and shortening a used shaft for a 150 bucks. He told me it will look like new and work like new also. I called him friday and he told me it will prolly ship monday. Thats pretty good service. Ill work on the aluminum one later..
Dave