View Full Version : Introducing the worlds shortest driveshaft!
It fits! This is for my 2015 Coyote, T56 Magnum transmission, with 2015 IRS transmission. A few things to note if you are crazy enough to try this at home. The transmission mount bracket needs to be modified (see pictures below). There is a small spot on the parking brake bracket that needs to be ground down for clearance, and a custom driveshaft is needed. Nate at Michell Drivetrain in Shrewsbury MA (who happens to be one of the vendors who supplies FFR with their drive shafts) did an amazing job machining down two joints before welding them up and running it through the balancing machine. Joint to joint it measures 4" and has 3/4" split play into the transmission (31 spline). Three drive line shops I called first said it couldn't be done. To get it in you must put it while you are installing the motor and trans though. The joint doesn't have enough flex to clear if you try and install it after the motor/trans are in.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n139/r454duke/Cobra/IMG_0126.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/r454duke/media/Cobra/IMG_0126.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n139/r454duke/Cobra/IMG_0129.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/r454duke/media/Cobra/IMG_0129.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n139/r454duke/Cobra/IMG_0128.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/r454duke/media/Cobra/IMG_0128.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n139/r454duke/Cobra/IMG_0122.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/r454duke/media/Cobra/IMG_0122.jpg.html)
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n139/r454duke/Cobra/IMG_0114.jpg (http://s111.photobucket.com/user/r454duke/media/Cobra/IMG_0114.jpg.html)
skullandbones
03-26-2016, 11:02 AM
Hi Duke,
Someone once said, "if I have enough time and money, I can do anything".
They should have added......."and if you find the right craftsman". That's almost unbelievable. BTW: you beat me. I built a different kind of roadster with a C2 Corvette chassis with BBC. It was set back 10 inches and down 6 inches so the drive shaft was about 6.5 to 7 inches long. Yours is almost universal welded to universal. The welding is nice too. So are you the first one to do this?
I suppose you could lift and move the engine forward a little to uninstall and reinstall your driveshaft but it would be a project.
Great innovation!
WEK.
David_Ingermann
03-26-2016, 11:39 AM
This is exactly what i'm planning to do! Thanks for posting! let me know how it works, and if you could post more on this. thanks!
Thanks guys. Yes, first to do this combo (Coyote, T56 Mag, new '15 IRS). I'll post more in my build thread next week. This is actually just two universal joints welded together. They had to machine them down though as they were too long by themselves. There's a small amount of tube that's used as filler but the inside of the joints are flush together.
cgundermann
03-27-2016, 08:41 PM
Holey Snikeys that is small...well done...
oldguy668
03-27-2016, 09:34 PM
Mitchell Drivetrain seems to be staffed by some very skilled and committed techs. They did a heck of a job narrowing my housing and shortening my axles. They also reinstalled my WaveTrac diff unit, and all was done in a few days for a reasonable fee. Very happy with them.
tirod
03-28-2016, 07:04 AM
Similar to a double cardan joint used in 4WD. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Double+Cardan+Universal+Joint&FORM=RESTAB
ATOLightning
03-28-2016, 10:46 AM
I just picked my driveshaft up a few minutes ago. I thought the one I had made was small...haha
52127
Mine is for a 2007 Mustang GT drivetrain with 3-link rear
Similar to a double cardan joint used in 4WD. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Double+Cardan+Universal+Joint&FORM=RESTAB
Funny, we talked about this option but he said they were mostly hollow and probably wouldn't survive the torque.
CHOTIS BILL
03-28-2016, 12:10 PM
That is mighty short but I believe the Cheetah was shorter. The one I saw used a single u-joint with no tube at all with only one spider. :)
Bill Lomenick
charlesshoults
02-02-2017, 01:32 PM
I do like the idea of having a 6-speed transmission in these vehicles but I guess it's not absolutely necessary. Between March 2016 and now, how has it been behaving? If I had to remove the driveshaft for whatever reason, I think I'd pull the axles and the third member and leave the engine/transmission where it is.
still in the gocart phase. I've only driven it on/off the trailer a few times. ETA on completion is late spring. To add complication to the project I'm putting 15" wheels on which means I'm working with Gordon on building a parking brake into the drive line.
Mountain-Metalworks
04-02-2017, 08:58 PM
Hey Duke,
I'm going to have to give Mitchell Drivetrain and a couple other places a call on Monday. In your build thread you mentioned you have 8.25" between IRS mounting point and the end of the tranny output shaft. My setup is currently 7.75" for that same dimension so I'm a little concerned. Did they tell you that yours was literally as short as physically possible? If so I may have to slide my engine/tranny package up a 1/4 - 1/2". Agreed, the T56Magnum is a monster tranny...
I'm going to mention your driveshaft build if that's OK with you. Not necessarily by name, just that it's the same FFR Roadster, same '15 IRS, same T56M tranny, etc...
-TJ