2.9X posi IRS pumpking donor/halfshaft q?

[Gary Derian]

Those old Datsuns used regular U-joints and ball splines to accommodate the
length change.  All front wheel drive and independent rear suspension rear
wheel drive cars use halfshafts that accommodate length change.  Its done in
the joint itself.  Typically, the outer joint is a CV type (Rzeppa) which
can handle high angles but no length variance, and the inner joint is a
tripode or similar that can handle only a small angle change but also some
length change.  These types of joints would require different flanges on
your hubs.

To get sliding spline joints, visit your local bearing/power transmission
shop.  Several manufacturers make sliding spline shafts for industrial
machinery.

Gary Derian <gderian at oh.verio.com>



> I know this is NC but I'm just amazed at some feedback/backgrounds members
> can relate back so here goes. (plus I know theirs several owners of
> possible donors on these lists)
>
> A fella from Detroit called me up this eve. on a net tip from a friend
that
> I'd checked out swapping a 'vette posi into a Datsun Z car.  Neat to hear
> his name when he intro'd as I knew it immediately as a fella that had a
> gorgeous older Z in Hotrod a year ago April or May as an import w/
domestic
> muscle feature.  Anyhow, we were trying to figure out how one could
> fabricate 'telescoping' halfshaft for such a swap (he thought I'd solved
> this but it hadn't even occurred to me yet).  Vette's (I'm not v. familiar
> w/ their setup) have fixed length halfshafts and our Z's all have
> compressible telescoping  halfshafts and he hasn't been able to find a
shop
> that has a clue on fabricating anything similar.  Anyone w/ ideers on this
> one?  He also mentioned that a Viper rear end looked a lot easier to
> transplant d/2 it's OEM dimensions ('vette unit needs narrowing etc he
> said) but he only found one locally available for big bucks.  I've got nil
> exposure to other makes etc but thought some BMW's or Mercedes (or any
> other) might have feasible donor diff's for this swap as well??  Basically
> he's looking for an ~8.25" or larger ring gear posi pumpkin w/ low ratios
> (~3 or even less).  He said the viper ratio is 3.07, no ideer if other
> ratios were available?  Dana 60 'vette units only go down to 3.07 and he's
> at 3.15 know so that's not much gain for him but he's still interested in
> that step if it's all that's available.
>
> So any ideas/thoughts at all on the halfshaft fabrication (other donor
> telescoping parts? our Z ones are too weak for him), other donor diffs w/
> any ratios, and lastly any sources for the viper rear's or others
suggested
> w/ any ~ costs would be great.  He's not on the 'net so I want to
> accumulate what I can before phoning back etc.
>
> PS he runs high 10's in the 1/4 in street trim w/ A/C and a fully
insulated
> booming slick car that weighs in at 2600lbs wet w/ no driver that also
sees
> track roadracing several times a year.  A seriously cool ride I hope to
see
> in person some day.  Just trying to spread the fun .
>
> Ross Corrigan  /  Vancouver, Canada
>
>  '80 327ZX   IZCC#255, Edmonton Z-car Club #44, British Columbia ZCR
> Life's a journey, not a destination.. Enjoy the pitstops and maximize the
> straights
>
> mailto:zxv at istar.ca     *New ICQ # 11549358
> http://home.iSTAR.ca/~zxv/index.shtml
> http://207.212.212.139/~corrigan/gearheads/pics/wheels/sirbg.jpg    where
a
> Z belongs