Aluminum or Steel driveshafts ( Pros and Cons )
 

What do you guys and gals think? I have the option to have my rear driveshaft made out of steel or aluminum.

------------------
---------
72 SWB K10
San Diego CA

I'm not a big fan of alluminum, myself, I've never tried one, but I would think the rock chips would eventually eat the thing up and weaken it. Lightweight is nice, but you just can't beat old school.

------------------
'72 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 shortbox stepside 350/350auto on '84
ralleys and 31/10.5s

67 Cutlass convertible
330, 3spd stick

90 GMC Jimmy
350/auto
Chad Stephens
Orleans,NE

it mainly wieght and brute streght you give up with alunium, lots of the newer chevys run aluminuim but there huge SOB. wouldn't trust it off roading, give you the sence it will snap. i dont know why poeple say it stronger, we get more bust alum wheels then steel, but alum does look alot cooler

------------------
Mechanic @ California Concept
Britney: 1970 2wd K/5 Blazer (Frame up)
Jessica: 1967 2wd SWB (pops daily driver)
Helga: 1972 4x4 3/4ton LWB (my daily driver)

AIM:Alexmart1
Mountain View, Cali

Well, it's not a truck, but when GM replaced the driveshaft of my dad's 1994 Camaro Z28 (recall; most of the 6-speed cars, his included, shipped with unbalanced driveshafts) they used the 1LE aluminum driveshaft as a standard replacement. Not a single problem with the driveshaft since, and I know it made doing the clutch recently at least that much easier, heh. It's a good 7 years old and it looks perfectly fine to me, no problems with rock chips or anything.

------------------
Project 1970 - soon to be seen at http://milhouse.treylis.org:81/

Absolutely not true, any good quality Aluminum drive shaft from a high performance maker will be stronger and lighter.

And if you really want to get crazy go with Carbon Fiber driveline, Better that both.

------------------
1972 2wd Blazer, 350/700R4/3:73 posi/NOS. Power is nothing without control!

Aluminum would be stronger and lighter, but maybe not as practical. Probably cost more. But the physics are there for it to be stronger. Since it's way lighter it could be made thicker which would actually give it more strength than a steel one. Just my 2 cents

Correct!

------------------
1972 2wd Blazer, 350/700R4/3:73 posi/NOS. Power is nothing without control!