Guest Anonymous Posted February 12, 2000 Share Posted February 12, 2000 There has been so much discussion on CV conversions over at Zcar.com lately and I'm just curious if all the trouble of getting CV's is worth it?? Is it a HP/Torque issue or are there just too many people around wanting their rear ends to look good (pun intended)? I have heard that the standard R200 half shafts are good for up to 500hp but I suppose this oculd be an exaggeration. I have been throwing around the idea of putting in a Ford 9" with 'vette half shafts, but it the standard halfshafts can handle it I woudl just be making more work for myself. Also...what is everybody running for gears? I'd like to run a 3.36 but I like the idea of LSD which is not available with the 3.36 ratios. SpencZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Spillman Posted February 13, 2000 Share Posted February 13, 2000 Hi SpencZ, I've been running stock 240 Halfshafts w/R200 for more than 7500-8000 miles. Including 2 "driving schools",I don't do any drag racing to speak of,but having 700R4 tranny to soften shifting blows helps. I run a 3.36 LSD that OPM put together for me it works great,with no problems. Good Luck David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 13, 2000 Share Posted February 13, 2000 SpencZ, i have been wondering the same thing for a long time, i have broken a lot of halfshaft u-joints, i heard about spicer u-joints and cv axles, what is the best and strongest ?????????/ quote: Originally posted by SpencZ: There has been so much discussion on CV conversions over at Zcar.com lately and I'm just curious if all the trouble of getting CV's is worth it?? Is it a HP/Torque issue or are there just too many people around wanting their rear ends to look good (pun intended)? I have heard that the standard R200 half shafts are good for up to 500hp but I suppose this oculd be an exaggeration. I have been throwing around the idea of putting in a Ford 9" with 'vette half shafts, but it the standard halfshafts can handle it I woudl just be making more work for myself. Also...what is everybody running for gears? I'd like to run a 3.36 but I like the idea of LSD which is not available with the 3.36 ratios. SpencZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 14, 2000 Share Posted February 14, 2000 Big issue I have always heard besides the U-joint issue, is that CV joints are smoother and provide less vibration than half shafts. I am currently running Spicer U-joints in my Axles, but I think there are CV joints in my future. We'll see how strong the Spicer joints hold up! I'm running a 3:7 LSD and T56 combo... Mike Kelly ------------------ "I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!" mjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted February 14, 2000 Share Posted February 14, 2000 For the folks that have experience with broken half shafts.... What exactly happens? Do you hear a crack and a thud, and that's it, or does the loose half shaft rip apart sheet metal and hydraulic lines as it spins? The point is, I'd rather see for myself if the stock R200 half shafts are strong enough, rather than complicating my already huge project by an upgrade to pre-empt a possibly minor failure - if indeed the failure is "minor". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 14, 2000 Share Posted February 14, 2000 The half shafts that i have seen fail usually fail at the u-joint, ripping it appart and taking out the brake line. I've seen two cars do this, both at drag strips. I personally suffered a failure at the drive shaft on a street race when I had my L6 motor in many years back. Fortunately I had a 75 drive shaft stored in my shed at the time and was able to do a parking lot repair and made an autocross the next day! When my U-joints failed on L6 powered Zs, they always started vibrating, giving me warning that they were going to go, but with the torque that the V8 puts out, I'm thinking that you get little to no warning. the V8 Z I saw suffer U-joint failure at the track lost his at the end of an 1/8th mile run.... car had to use the gravel trap at the end of the 1/8th... and he turned in a 6.8 on that run... Guy was scooting.. took out the brake line and cut the tire. Made for a scary few moments! Mike ------------------ "I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!" mjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted February 14, 2000 Share Posted February 14, 2000 These posts are why I didn't want to mess with the stock rear end! I built and narrowed the rear frame, ditched the strut towers, mini tubbed the wheel wells, and put in a narrowed 12 bolt chevy with 3.73 posi and disc brakes. I used Jeg's street/strip suspension,panhard bar, and coil overs.I'm using 295-50-15 tires on 10 inch rims. All this was a hell of a lot of work, but I don't have to worry about breaking anything! I haven't got the car on the road yet to tell you how it works, but hopefully soon! Mike kZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 14, 2000 Share Posted February 14, 2000 The guy is running a full roller valve train and AFR heads on a 327, with the usuall tricks, race carb, and a 200 shot of nitrous, running on 9 inch M&H street slicks and a T350 trans. Car is gutted and looks like a death trap. He has run a best of 6.71 and I think the last time I spoke with those guys they were talking about putting in a big block. Mike ------------------ "I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!" mjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Spillman Posted February 15, 2000 Share Posted February 15, 2000 Mike, This dragster running nitro/with slicks,this seems extreme example for halfshaft viability...is that a word? How long did his last and were they stock or C/Vs? Concerned minds want to know...My gas lines are within reach in the event of Half shaft failure! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYRON Posted February 15, 2000 Share Posted February 15, 2000 Mike tell me about this 6.8 car. Do you know what hp/ driveline mods he had. The reason i ask is that my buddys 30,000.00 camaro dynoed 604hp and he runs 6.7-6.8 and he thinks his is the **** .. Will i be able to keep up with him with my 475-500 hp and a lighter car with street tires? I know it wont come out of the hole like his but he only goes through the traps at 99 mph. If Biondo's running 103 with a stick, I think i can hang, what to you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 15, 2000 Share Posted February 15, 2000 The guy was getting a couple of months of 1/8 mile racing out of it. They were axle shafts, and he was looking at putting in a Ford 9inch rear. The car was a real death trap in my opinion. The guy offered to let me drive it and I declined because I didn't want to take such a risk. Mike ------------------ "I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!" mjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Locutus Posted February 16, 2000 Share Posted February 16, 2000 What does it take to put cv joints in a ZX is it just a matter of replacement of the shafts with ones made for the purpose or do you have to swap rear ends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted February 17, 2000 Share Posted February 17, 2000 CV shafts in a non-Turbo ZX: Man, we need a ZX expert here. Maybe someone on Zcar.com or the IZCC list knows, but if the stub axles are the same in the Turbo and non-Turbo 280ZXs, then it should only take the CV shaft companion flanges (and 6 bolts/nuts/washers per side) and the CV half shafts out of the 280ZX Turbo. If the hub carrier is that same (my guess is that it's the same) then the stock inner bearing seals should cross over. The other big if: The CV shafts only will work in the R200 diff, so if you don't have one of those, you'll have to upgrade to it. Check this first, but this is my educated guess. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@tidalwave.net">pparaska@tidalwave.net - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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