Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
- Matthew Dresser
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:27 pm
- Location: Cirencester, UK
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
Hi,
I'm (still) doing a conversion of an old Fiat 126, now using an Outlander rear motor. I need to connect the outlander rear driveshafts to the Fiat hubs. I could do the old cut and shut job on the driveshafts, but was wondering if anyone has found an engineering place that would take an existing driveshaft and turn one end down to a specified diameter and cut splines onto it? Thus avoiding dodgy welded driveshafts? I presume the DVLA or MOT places are not very fond of welded driveshafts either, right?
I'm (still) doing a conversion of an old Fiat 126, now using an Outlander rear motor. I need to connect the outlander rear driveshafts to the Fiat hubs. I could do the old cut and shut job on the driveshafts, but was wondering if anyone has found an engineering place that would take an existing driveshaft and turn one end down to a specified diameter and cut splines onto it? Thus avoiding dodgy welded driveshafts? I presume the DVLA or MOT places are not very fond of welded driveshafts either, right?
Follow my ev conversion story here: https://www.matthewdresser.com/ev/conversion
- crasbe
- Posts: 243
- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 5:18 pm
- Location: Germany
- Has thanked: 44 times
- Been thanked: 107 times
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
A couple of people (Johannes for his Audi A2 for example) ordered their custom driveshafts from Motomax in Poland: http://www.motomax.pl/en/home-page/
But it might be a good idea to do the welded driveshafts first to get the length right.
But it might be a good idea to do the welded driveshafts first to get the length right.
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
Ooh, definitely liking this. My plan was to get my measurements by installing the drive cups into the transmission and hubs, take a length measurement, and mark the new location on the shaft. Then, I hope to be able to bring it to a local driveshaft shop and say 're-cut these splines here, please'.
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
Dave mac props (Coventry) made me a custom prop shaft, nice service.Matthew Dresser wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 11:29 am Hi,
I'm (still) doing a conversion of an old Fiat 126, now using an Outlander rear motor. I need to connect the outlander rear driveshafts to the Fiat hubs. I could do the old cut and shut job on the driveshafts, but was wondering if anyone has found an engineering place that would take an existing driveshaft and turn one end down to a specified diameter and cut splines onto it? Thus avoiding dodgy welded driveshafts? I presume the DVLA or MOT places are not very fond of welded driveshafts either, right?
I believe they can also make custom driveshafts.
https://davemacprops.co.uk/services/
- Bratitude
- Posts: 786
- Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2020 7:35 pm
- Location: Canada
- Has thanked: 60 times
- Been thanked: 176 times
- Contact:
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
i have drive shaft adapter stubs for the outlander gearbox coming in june, being fiat it should be a 90mm or 100mm drive shaft. so the stock axles will bolt right up
https://bratindustries.net/ leaf motor couplers, adapter plates, custom drive train components
-
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2023 4:46 pm
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
I'm currently Leaf swapping a '74 X1/9, I'm cutting both leaf and fiat axles in half and I've made some adapter sleeves that I'll weld in and then balance as best I can manage on my lathe. Not sure I'd trust this technique on a more powerful drivetrain given that the welding will damage the temper in the axles, but its a 2000 lb car I'm not too concerned.
- EV_Builder
- Posts: 1199
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:50 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
- Has thanked: 16 times
- Been thanked: 33 times
- Contact:
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
They cut the splines to original fitment.crasbe wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:06 pm Their custom driveshafts from Motomax in Poland: http://www.motomax.pl/en/home-page/
You just send a tack welded correct axle and they make a new one.
Converting an Porsche Panamera
see http://www.wdrautomatisering.nl for bespoke BMS modules.
see http://www.wdrautomatisering.nl for bespoke BMS modules.
-
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:40 pm
- Has thanked: 296 times
- Been thanked: 178 times
- EV_Builder
- Posts: 1199
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:50 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
- Has thanked: 16 times
- Been thanked: 33 times
- Contact:
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
If the spline isn't very over dimensioned sooner or later it will start to develop play. Atleast thats my experience with DIY splines.MattsAwesomeStuff wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 11:48 am Machine shop? Pfft. Hacksaw and some spare time.
So great job but be careful where applied
Converting an Porsche Panamera
see http://www.wdrautomatisering.nl for bespoke BMS modules.
see http://www.wdrautomatisering.nl for bespoke BMS modules.
-
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:40 pm
- Has thanked: 296 times
- Been thanked: 178 times
Re: Cutting new splines onto a driveshaft
I made that 7 years ago, but, it's seen all of 30 minutes use ever. It was for my motorbike, and then my source of free batteries dried up and I didn't have enough to do both the bike and a future car project, so I never put batteries into it or rode it. It's been on the back burner while I work on my car.EV_Builder wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 9:55 pmIf the spline isn't very over dimensioned sooner or later it will start to develop play. Atleast thats my experience with DIY splines. So great job but be careful where applied
And, knowing more now about how important alignment is on those things, I bet it wasn't good enough, not centered, etc. My backup plan is to re-use the bike's original transmission output, and just weld the stub coming off the motor shaft right to the transmission output shaft. So, if it ever fails, it's a quick weld job to have proper splines. I was just bored one weekend visiting family and took that along to play with between meals.
I'll revisit sometime in the future and see how it goes.