Thursday, November 21, 2013
How to Properly Measure a Driveshaft
The drive shaft is responsible for transferring torque from the engine to the axles. It is subject to a great deal of wear and occasionally may need to be replaced. You may also want to change the drive shaft if you are modifying your car to increase speed and power. In order to get the correct replacement part, it is imperative to have the correct measurements. Fortunately, this is not difficult to do, and can be accomplished with just a tape measure or ruler.
Instructions
- 1
Determine if you have a single piece or multi-piece drive shaft and which type of connection you have. You can determine this by looking at the mounting. It will be either a universal joint (U joint) and yoke, a flange mount, or a one-piece drive shaft that connects to the rear differential with a cap mount.
2To measure a U joint drive shaft, measure from the center of one U joint to the center of the other. You should also measure the U joint cap diameter that fits into the pinion yoke.
3To measure a drive shaft connected by flanges, place one end of your measuring tape at the inside face of the flange and measure across to the inside face of the opposite flange. In addition to the overall length, you should also measure how far the shaft sticks out of the flange.
4To measure a one-piece drive shaft, place one end of your tape at the end of the transmission shaft and measure to top of the cap at the opposite end.
5To measure a drive shaft with a center support bearing, measure the overall length from the end of the transmission case to the center of the center support. Then measure from the center of the center support to the flat surface on the pinion yoke. You will also need to measure the width of the pinion yoke, the the U joint cap diameter, how far the shaft sticks out past the end of the case, and note if the hole in the end is threaded or not.
6To measure a drive shaft that has two different types of connections; for example a U joint on one side, and a flange on the other, simply combine the instruction for each type of mount. In the example, you would measure from the center of the U joint to the inside face of the flange on the opposite side.
7Some companies will also require you to measure the space between the locating tabs, or two flat surfaces on the yoke. This should be done with a small six-inch ruler or caliper. Depending on the type of drive shaft, you may also be asked for the number of splines in the yoke, the diameter of the splined hole, and the height of the yoke.
No comments:
Post a Comment