Stronger half shafts???

[beretta777]

Ok I race my Beretta on a dirt track its similar to rally cross or your short course stadium trucks with much smaller jumps to sometimes none. I keep breaking the drivers side shaft. What I am wondering if anyone knows of a stronger half shaft for our cars? Which be aftermarket or out of a different model car? Also has anyone locked up there front end to get both to spin and spilt the stress between the two. I did see a company that made rally stuff for the Berettas but I believe they are out of business now.

Thanks

[Slinky]

http://www.beretta.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9752

[beretta777]

Also did anybody ever just weld it up like you would on a rear wheel drive. This car never sees the streets besides a test run up and down the road then it goes on the trailer to the track. Will post pics later of what it really looks like in the racing section.

[woody90gtz]

I went with a EP lsd and DSS axles for street duty. But superdave has welded the diff solid like a spool for track use.

[beretta777]

Ok thanks are the dss axles a upgrade from stock replacements. I pm SuperDave about the diff what I am worried about is the car just wanting to push in the corners and not turn good.

[woody90gtz]

www.driveshaftshop.com

[Rettax3]

I've been dealing with CV/half-shaft issues on my GTU (3800 Series II Super-Charged, five-speed conversion) for a few months now, as the car is getting a tranny upgrade from the worn 282 five-speed it has had for a couple of years now. I don't know what tranny you are using, but the half-shafts on the five-speed are much, much beefier than the automatic CVs. If you can use the spiders and shafts from a manual and plug them into the tulip that goes into your auto (if that is what you are running), that might make the difference for you. I am basing this on a TH125 3-speed auto though, and IIRC your car is newer than that, so this may or may not be accurate. I'm also not certain that the shaft-lengths would be right for both sides, but since your issues seem to be exclusive to the driver's side, that might be an option for you to work with.

[Koots]

What DSS axles are you using Woody? I only see Cavalier axles in their site.

[woody90gtz]

The Beretta axles aren't on the site. I had to call Frank and order them over the phone.

[beretta777]

Yea its the 3 speed auto dss axles are way too much money to put into this car. But I seen that it didn't actually break it pulled out of the cup at the wheel. I got a idea but not sure how it would work. Since my car sees no street time all dirt and on the track im thinking about pulling the boots back as far as I can them and welding the splines from the shaft to the cups solid that way it couldn't pull apart.

[Rettax3]

I'm not sure exactly what you are suggesting here. Usually, the wheel-side of our CVs are of the "ball-and-cage" type, rather than the usual inboard "tripot" design. But if you are suggesting to weld the splined shaft to the inner 'race' where the balls ride, that shouldn't be a problem so long as you keep the parts clean. Dito if you are talking about a tripot design regarding welding the spider to the shaft. You will prevent the joint from being rebuildable, but that is about all. But if you are suggesting welding the entire CV joint end solid (welding the shaft to the outer cup), it will break the first time your suspension flexes -both ends of the CV joints need to flex freely.

I would think that something is wrong with your suspension to cause it allow the CV to pop apart. Perhaps since you have some light jumps on your tracks, the suspension is over-extending or over-compressing... maybe the solution is to weld some stops on the lower A-arm to prevent this over-travel. Also check your strut, to make sure it isn't broken to allow the over-travel.

[beretta777]

Ok hopefully those pic attachments work. That's what I have am I missing a piece or is it just warn out that much? What my idea was to weld those fingers or teeth whatever you want to call them to the slots they ride on in the cup.

[Rettax3]

No. That would not allow the joint to move at all. You should have six giant ball-bearings and a cage that holds them in there. You COULD weld that six-pointed star-looking inner part to the axle shaft itself, but other than that, no. Wow, that thing is busted up... If that is where your joint keeps failing, I don't know if even trying to hybrid parts from a manual transmission's half-shaft would help, since I think the ball-and-cage part is about the same (the shaft diameter itself is bigger from the V-6 manual trannys) as yours. Definitely check to see if your suspension is over-traveling, or if it it somehow swinging outward (worn-out A-arm bushings, maybe?). That isn't normal...