Drive Shaft Loop

[hrosenthal]

I purchased a drive shaft loop, which is designed to bolt onto the large round tubes of the frame.
I've got it in place, but on each side, the area that mounts onto the tube doesn't wrap around to fit flush with the tube.
I have 3 choices -

1 - Only use 2 bolts on each side
2 - Use 4 bolts on each side, but the bottom 2 won't be a flush fit.
3 - Somehow shape the mount to better fit the tube.

In the case of choice 3, I've have never done anything like this before. My guess would be to take a torch to the mounting, and hammer it to properly wrap around the tube. I'm not sure if this is really safe.

Any thoughts???

Thanks

[Jacob McCrea]

I would be comfortable with choice no. 1. Two bolts per side strikes me as sufficient, and this is coming from someone who has two driveshaft loops - one on each u-joint - for as much safety as possible. A while ago Jeff K. posted some photos of a driveshaft failure on a roadster and it wasn't pretty!

Choice no. 3 is also fine, but obviously be careful with a hot piece of steel, and don't use the frame as your "anvil." Maybe use a compass and make a template of a 4" tube from heavy paper. Heat and bend the loop in a vise, checking it against the template, until you get the correct curve.

Also, be careful with where you put the loop. If you install it toward the back I believe you will need to remove the loop to remove the driveshaft.

[hrosenthal]

I think that I'll stick with 2 bolts on each side.
I am installing the loop in the center of the drive shaft, and it does need to be removed in order to remove the drive shaft.
Hopefully, it's not something I'll have to do more than this one time.
Thanks for the feedback.
H