Drive Shaft Loop for Mildly Stock GN?

Mike Swentzel

Active Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2017
My GN is never gonna hit the track, and is mostly stock and want to know is a Drive shaft loop necessary? I know it won't hurt just a peace of mind if anything ever happened to the DS. If I do buy one i'd replace the u- joints, would I need to rebalance the DS? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
When my trans was off at Janis I took the opportunity to put on the stronger Spicer "U"-joints & that same driveshaft loop from Jason at RJC.

Hoping for an 11 second car so I figured it couldn't hurt. A cheap level of safety & security to me since the driveshaft was off. I did NOT get my driveshaft balanced.
 
I have the same drive shaft loop on mine, too. No need to rebalance, not at stockish power levels.
 
Gotcha, I don't think it would matter which to get then. I definitely don't know which U - joints to get though. I've been looking at the Moog 234 or the Spicer.
 
I believe those are the same ones I got......it's been a while. Some people say the non-greaseable ones are stronger.

They worked with the DS on my Turbo-T with no issues. Stock DS a far as I know.
 
Stock driveshaft yes. Just make sure the C clips are on the bearings and that everything is centered in the yokes, especially at the rear diff U bolts/straps. It should be locked in if you did it right.
 
Non greasable are definetly stronger!
Get Moroso or other quality H.P. joints and don't worry about a loop. Loops are needed mostly with: slicks, Big Blocks, trans brakes, roots blowers, and stick shifts.
The only time that I ever hurt a drive shaft in 50 years of racing and running low 9 and 10 second street/ strip cars, was in my 1968 Nova. An 8/71 blown, ported, roller cammed, BBChevy at 14 lbs boost, Hoosier biggest tires that I could fit into the wheelwells, and seriously worked suspension, on a brushed concrete freeway on ramp. Grabbed 2 ND gear (manual valve body built TH-400) at about 55 mph, pretzled the driveshaft, about 4 complete twists! Never hurt the Moroso U joints! It didn't even twist it in half! Just shortened it enough to slide out of the transmission spline!
Your results may vary.....
TIMINATOR
I hung that on the wall at my shop for years!
 
Thanks for your advice and knowledge, much appreciated.👍
P.S. Nova ran 9.68@ 141 on the first pass coming out easy on a dusty track about 2 weeks later. No roll bar! Got kicked out!
Went to other track just to see what it would do in a HIGH GEAR ONLY PASS!
Got kicked out there too. Only ran 10.29@ 136 (3.90 gears 28" slicks) in 1989. We have much better tires now! I have had 5 turbo cars, and more than that: 6/71, 8/71, and 14/71 cars and boats. A properly set up roots blower makes near the same boost at 2000 rpm as it does at 6500! Monster torque!!!
The nova had a STOCK dually TH 400 convertor, with a FORKLIFT stator (to try and get the stall down to 1800 rpm cause the car was NOT tubbed) and it stalled 2200+ anyway. On the high gear pass it burnt most of the red paint off of the Hughes convertor! Fluid smelled funny too.... No trans cooler. Oooops!
It did make the near 40 mile drive home though.
I'll try most anything to learn something!
But to my credit, I do still have one functioning kidney, and more than 20 broken bones....
TIMINATOR
 
Top