[DeTomaso] : Back in the saddle

Thu Sep 11 02:31:28 EDT 2014

I have the SACO adapters and shafts, but I'm not using their boots or 
bolts. The boots they use are too bulky for my taste and sits too close 
to the exhaust. The bolts were also fully threaded ARP bolts, and I got 
prop bolts from Aircraft Spruce, with the proper unthreaded shank, and 
shimmed them to the correct install height, plus safety wired them.

I'm using Aero boots from Pegasus and have had zero issues. Install and 
forget, at least so far.

No leaks either, and I believe the problems at least one owner has had 
is due to the adapter being open in the rear end, as far as I know. The 
SACO adapters are closed. I added some RTV when I installed the boots 
and it is all tight. There was more grease and crap flying off the old 
shafts.

See attached photos (if they come through).

Cheers,
Thomas

Mike Drew via DeTomaso skrev 2014-09-11 07:04:
>     In a message dated 9/10/14 14 56 47, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:
>
>       As I understand the reaming and sleeving of halfshafts was a
>       Hall Pantera work around for low availability and exorbitant pricing
>       of oem u-joints many years ago. Gary would sleeve the joint
>       carriers down to use  a Spicer u-joint in the stock halfshaft. My
>       '74 halfshafts were like that and were basically junk, I'd advise
>       anyone who doesn't know what they have to check and if you find you
>       have Spicer u-joints in stock style half shaft then do something
>       ASAP.
>
>     >>>Agreed.  In my case, that's not what I had.  Instead, a driveshaft
>     shop or machinist had reamed two of the holes (but interestingly, not
>     opposite holes, but rather one on each piece, on one end of each
>     driveshaft) to accept a sleeve, and then smaller caps.  So what I had
>     was original, stock U-joints on one end, and at the other end,
>     stock-replacement U-joints with grease fittings, and two different size
>     caps, not opposite to one another!
>
>       >If you need to replace the half shafts then a switch to CV joints
>       is indeed economical and prudent at that point in my opinion.
>
>     >>>I would never spend the massive dollars needed to buy so-called
>     'heavy duty' Spicer halfshafts.  The ONLY Pantera driveshafts I have
>     ever seen fail have been those, due to defective welds.  The stock
>     halfshafts are great, and when fitted with greaseable U-joints and
>     maintained properly, will outlast the car.
>
>
>       >I took advantage of one of Scott's Christmas sales and purchased
>       two set of his CV axle kits , one for each car. You don't tell us
>       how much you now have invested in your rebuilt and balanced but
>       still 19th Century technology halfshafts MIke?
>
>     >>>Hmm, I try not to consider such things!  I think it was about $30
>     for each U-joint plus $200 for rebuilding, balancing and painting, or
>     $320 total.
>
>       >However, considering I can sell my halfshafts to stubborn folks
>       like you on eBay for over a third of the cost of my CV's I'd say I'm
>       ahead all round.
>
>     >>>HAHAHA!!!  FWIW just about everybody I know who has CV joint
>     driveshafts has suffered failures.  I have shipped a lot of replacement
>     boots to Euro guys who leapt aboard the CV train and now regret it.
>     Others have had custom driveshafts made over there, and the seals (not
>     the boots) failed and sprayed grease all over the place, etc.
>     I therefore remain unconvinced as to their overall superiority for most
>     applications.
>
>       >For serious owners who are also after the weight saving then
>       changing the ZF stub axles to CV stubs along with custom length CV
>       axles that don't then require the adapter would be the costly way to
>       go. To do the outboard side you'll need to find some aftermarket
>       axles with a CV end, which I don't believe are readily available.
>
>     >>>That would be a spendy proposition indeed!
>
>
>       >The more interesting, but less discussed part of your post is the
>       brake upgrade; a big brake kit that you can use and improve braking
>       whilst retaining 15" wheels has to be an attraction for many, so
>       hopefully all your woes and support from Scott will translate into
>       him being able to offer a complete bolt on kit.
>
>     >>>I certainly hope so.  FWIW I had just such a kit already on the car,
>     purchased from Dennis Quella 20 years ago.  The problem was that the
>     front/rear bias wasn't well thought out and I had far too much front
>     brake due to improperly sized pistons on the rear calipers.  Scott
>     agreed to experiment with me, and we moved my old front calipers to the
>     rear and put new ones on the front.  The thought was that I might
>     perhaps wind up with too much rear brake bias, which could then easily
>     be stepped down with an adjustable proportioning valve.  Due to the
>     'knee' in the pressure reduction curve, you really don't want one of
>     those on the front circuit, I've learned here.
>     I took it for a test drive today on the way home from work, and as we
>     feared, I've wound up with too much rear bias now.  Fortunately I
>     picked a very safe area (wide freeway offramp with no obstacles).  Even
>     though I was psychologically prepared for the rears to lock up first,
>     the car slewed sideways and even after I let off the brakes, it
>     continued to slide, and I wound up leaving the pavement!  Fortunately I
>     had planned well as the dirt shoulder was smooth and I gathered it all
>     up again.  I repeated the experiment in an abandoned industrial park
>     with streets as wide as they are long, with the same results.  Now onto
>     the Summit website to shop for a prop valve to install in the rear
>     circuit.
>     Details, details....
>     Mike
>
>
> !DSPAM:54112d5b12438153625052!
>
>
>
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-- 
Real life:   Thomas Törnblom             Email:    thomas at hax.se
Snail mail:  Banvallsvägen 14            Phone:    +46 18 32 31 18
              S - 754 40 Uppsala, Sweden  Cellular: +46 76 209 8320
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