Square driveshafts?

[RichP]

That'll be awhile, I think Mrs Eagle has returned to the nest.

yea I notice that too. It's annoying the way wives, PAINTING, home PIA projects cut into web time....

 

[jmaxj]

How sure are you that it didn't peek when it rode on the trailer?

i put a mask over its eyes so it couldn't :laugh3:

 

[jode]

There is a reason they are round. As stated earlier...you could...but why?

The main reason is that you control the length of the slip joint. With square tube, the entire length of the overlap is a slip joint. So if you need a long travel driveshaft, you can either pony up the big bucks, or, if it for a non-DD part like a PT front D-shaft, or for a crawler-only rig, then why not use some square tubing and have a super dirt cheap long travel driveshaft?
:arrowr:

 

[GREEN XJ]

I agree, sqaure is cheaper and if it breaks it not like it would cast anything to fix it. Has anyone put some sort of end on the larger tube to hold in grease, and I plan on drilling and tapping in some grease fittings.

 

[NotMatt]

Toyota guys have been doing the square front driveshaft thing for years... it's certainly not the most ideal setup if you ever want to go more than 15-25 mph with the front hubs locked in, but it seems like they put them through some abuse and have little problems with breaking or bending... and you can't beat the price for a "long travel" shaft.

The only thing I would be worried about is U-joints at that point, but by my book it's better to break a u-joint and have to replace that then to break the whole shaft and be done wheeling unless you have a spare. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bent]

The only thing I would be worried about is U-joints at that point, but by my book it's better to break a u-joint and have to replace that then to break the whole shaft and be done wheeling unless you have a spare. Just my 2 cents.

There is always square bearings and caps w/ full squircle clips to keep the little rectangular buggers in place, The advantage of the square roller bearingsis that if they get worn you can flip 'em 90*. The square caps give you the added cost advantage of building your own yokes out of channel iron.

:wave:

 

[ashmanjeepxj]

I made a box tube "spare" rear shaft, once I used it its stayed on the rear for about a year now.. I can do about 45-55 not limited to 25MPH. Its a trailered tril rig... Ill eventually fix my good shaft..?

It has vibes at over 45MPH but my tires are equaly a problem at that speed.

It does make the chattering sound every time you leet off on the throttle, that gets anoying, also when your getting it youll hear it chattering a bit...

 

[Lawn Cher']

There is always square bearings and caps w/ full squircle clips to keep the little rectangular buggers in place, The advantage of the square roller bearingsis that if they get worn you can flip 'em 90*. The square caps give you the added cost advantage of building your own yokes out of channel iron.

:wave:

I used them on some packaging machinery once... but that machine made cardboard boxes.

 

[xuv-this]

this thread is rediculous.

I've seen tons of these on the trail, they work GREAT! They are indestructable, using 1/4wall hitch tubing you will bend/break the u-joint, yoke, or output shaft before the shaft.

the downsides is they will not balance over 20-30mph and they can be noisy (grease them a lot). If it's for a front shaft, you have selectable hubs, and you don't use 4hi, go for it. Or if it's a trailer queen and it never leaves low range, go for it front and rear.

i second that. i've seen TONS of pto shafts built like that (on ujoints). hell, my father has a 5 year old john deere 3 blade bush hog that has all square shafts on it. i know of a driveshaft shop that will balance square pto stuff. the key with higher driveshaft speeds while wheeling is that it has to be balanced good.

 

[Lawn Cher']

...it has to be balanced good.

Balanced well.

 

[xuv-this]

Balanced well.

yup somtime my grammars aint too good. (lol)aperwork

 

[Rev Den]

Wow...they really exist...and for some good reasons. Guess I am not to old to learn, I sit..humbled.

Rev

 

[xuv-this]

if anyone wishes to do some more research on square driveshaft stuff, go to ag/farm stores, stop by a used equipment lot, hell you could probably find stuff on the net, too. oh yeah, look under pto or power take off. they can handle lots of torque, but just don't plan on on running them more than a couple thousand rpm.

 

[OT]

Wow...they really exist...and for some good reasons. Guess I am not to old to learn, I sit..humbled.

Ditto.
I guess I didn't catch on until about halfway through this.

Anyway, here's a good write-up I found.
http://infohost.nmt.edu/~jscarbro/driveshaft.htm

 

[casa2010]

Not if you're using 1/4" hitch tubing. Fill it with sand and you probably wouldn't have to balance it.

That thing would weigh 50 pounds,,,