Driveshafts and CV joints

[Simon_P]

I Hope that the following may help anyone with Driveshaft related problems:

Outboard joint
- Bell is based on a Rover joint but specifically machined for the Elan = Unique
- Internals will be common but that is probably not much help
- No longer made

Outboard boot
- As Ford Cosworth - Special design - Special rubber - Hens teeth - Special price - No.... really special price!
- There will be standard boots that fit - Start with Rover

Shafts
- Unique to car
- Link shaft bearing will most likely be to a standard dimension, but may have special seals.

Inboard joints
- Tulips unique to car
- Tripod standard - you might consider that handy but it is to an old design
- As a note the tripod/shaft spline design is not a tight fit.

Inboard boot
- Standard design. It or an updated equivalent is still in production and common as muck


Simon

[johnbenk]

Hi

These are off a vauxhall cavalier (see thread LEC) on drive shaft boots
by "SHAFTEE" £6.00 each from a Company called easyparts.

[Simon_P]

There will be lots of cars that have equivalent boots, as the diameter of the joint and shaft dictate if it fits or not - these are generally standardised.

If this boot is for the outboard joint then it will do. But, I suspect it would be of a different design and different rubber compound.

If it looks the same please let me know.

Simon

[TheBard]

Outer CV Joint Boot, confirmed fit (as it is on my car now) inner connection is not as snug as outer, but a good full seal can be attained with the clips provided.

Manufacturer: Shaftec Automotive Components
Address: Unit 2, 4-5 Cato Street, Nechells, Birmingham, B7 4TS
Telephone: 0121 333 3555

Part #: BK57SB
Description: Constant Velocity Boot kit (Including clips and grease)
Referenced applications: Vauxhall Cavalier, Audi

Note this is the manufacturer, not a sales company, they do not accept telephone orders, do not take credit card, etc...

However, if you phone up, have a bit of a chat, and ask them if you can drive over and pick it up "for cash" then the kit will cost you about two pounds.

[Ekapol]

Good news for Fed Elan. Duraboot has their distributor in California.

Duraboot:
Nitoma Inc (USA)
Tel: 562 946 8827
email: nitoma@aol.com
Contact: Fred Kubo

Geoffrey Miller (UK)
Tel: +44-1257-266060
Fax: +44-1257-261034
Mobile: +44-774-898-3504

geoff@bailcast.com
www.bailcast.com

Yes, all of Vauxhall Cavalier use DBC100 for both outer & inner joint.

DBC100 / $10.50
(come with boots, 3 different length of metal straps, grease)

FC1 / $8.00
(Corn to use installation)

Above is the price, Corn doesn't come with boots kit. You will also need Corn spray as for lubricant.

CSP1 / $8.00
(Corn spray for lubricant)

[Doug]

Corn spray as for lubricant.

sounds like one of Stef's posts . . . .

[Ekapol]

Talked to Fred @ Nitoma/Duraboot. Their boot seem to have a lot of give for stretching over -- sounds familiar.

You have to flip it inside out, slip it on the cone -- that also sounds familiar.

Apply lubricant, slide it over the cone flip the right side out. Some lubricant on the cone would help too. The lubricant is compatible with the rubber and the grease so you don't have to worry about it. -- That sounds really familiar now

I think we all can manage that.

[tigerdog]

It's a VERY tight fit and one of the Dorman boots tore trying to go on, however the job was made much easier by cutting off the large end of the cone tool so the boot only had to stretch enough to go over the Lotus joint, not the much larger end of the tool. If I ever have to do this again, I'm going to buy the Duraboot/Nitoma air tool for the job. If my mechanic had charged me for the amount of time he struggled with the darned boot/cone, it would have paid for itself. As it was, I fixed the computer on his rolling road (a little quid pro quo.)

[Ekapol]

Does anyone know any cross-reference vehicles for our inner CV Boot?

Thank you.

[tweetdriver63]

I realize this thread has been asleep for a few years, but can anybody tell me if our driveshafts are the same as the Isuzu Impulse? (fingers crossed)

[Simon_P]

No. They are specially made for the elan, but some of the component parts are standard design.

[tweetdriver63]

My boots are shot and the shop says it's best to just go ahead and replace the whole driveshaft(s), since they're generally pretty inexpensive and it doesn't add much labor. I see the left-hand driveshaft at SJ, but not the right. The price they show is just over 160 GBP, which is about $240 US, plus the shipping. Even without the shipping, that's about five times the price of the Isuzu driveshafts, which look identical in all the illustrations/pictures I've found. Do you know what, specifically, is different?

Maybe I should just replace the boots?

[dapinky]

Chris,

The boots are easy/cheap to do - but I can see the wisdom of your mechanic in saying to change the whole lot - it is quite labo(u)r intensive to get to the job - it's a bit like the waterpump being changed whilst the belt is being done - once you're that far into the strip-down, it's easy to do the lot....

...of course, that only applies if the driveshafts are cheap and availlable!

The actual CV joints are standard items, attached to the specific-length shafts - so even if the whole joint is shot, they should be repairable by a competent re-conditioner.

Failing that, then the Impulse shaft will have the same fitting on the inboard end, as it used the same gearbox, but the lengths and outer end fittings are different, as it used a different hub.

[Simon_P]

The actual CV joints are standard items, attached to the specific-length shafts

To clarify that - The internal parts of the CV joints were standard in the UK 20 years ago. The outer joint may have come from a standard forging (in the UK) but will have been machined to the specifics of the elan - See my original post above.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Chris: The RH driveshaft has been obsolete for several years and stock on the LH are very low. The outer boots are the same as a US 1989 Ford Escort and the inned boots are from the US 1990 subaru wagon.

There is a company in Charlotte, NC that will rebuild your shafts for around $100.00 each using quality parts and for around $160.00 each, they will rebuild them using uprated internal parts. Several of the autocross guys are using those with great success. Axles Unlimited: 4901 Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28208 USA 704-399-1003.

The manager at Axles Unlimited said they can make any replacement parts they discover when doiing their magic. They have several CNC machines and they do a majority of the rebuilds for other companies in the US.

[tweetdriver63]

Chris: The RH driveshaft has been obsolete for several years and stock on the LH are very low. The outer boots are the same as a US 1989 Ford Escort and the inned boots are from the US 1990 subaru wagon.

There is a company in Charlotte, NC that will rebuild your shafts for around $100.00 each using quality parts and for around $160.00 each, they will rebuild them using uprated internal parts. Several of the autocross guys are using those with great success. Axles Unlimited: 4901 Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28208 USA 704-399-1003.

The manager at Axles Unlimited said they can make any replacement parts they discover when doiing their magic. They have several CNC machines and they do a majority of the rebuilds for other companies in the US.

Aren't the inner boots, at least, the same as the Impulse?

[Brit-Car-Nut]

The Impulse and GEO used a lighter duty CV joint, so I don't think they are the same. It is easier to find Subaru and Ford parts than Isuzu anyway.

[lotusguymichael]

Is the Subaru boot an inner, or outer, that fits the Elan inner joint? Is there an OEM part number for it? The OEM for the 1989 Ford Escort is, "part # E1FZ-3A331-A". This is the one that fits our Elan outer joint as I understand it. I am trying to cross reference part numbers to locate suitable boots in silicone. Also is there an accurate measurement of the Elan bell ends and axle on the forum some where?
The measurements I made from my axle are roughly;
Outer CV bell, 3-5/8"(83.5mm)
Inner CV bell, 3-1/32"(77mm)
and Axle, 1-1/16"(27mm)

The unextended length of the boots from bell end to axle end that I measured, are roughly;
Outer CV boot, 3-1/4"(83mm)
Inner CV boot, 3-3/4"(96mm)

This link has been helpful so far in getting an idea of what might fit the outside CV joint.
http://www.pok.com.tw/New/en/QSearchProdcutList_1.php



Michael

[Brit-Car-Nut]

It is my understanding that the outer is the Subaru Wagon and inner is the Ford Escort.

The inboard boot kit A100R6005S is replaced by A111D6011S which is £16.55. The outboard boot kit is still A100R6004S which is £23.62.

[Readit]

Has anyone had a drive shaft reconditioned and if so at what cost. I have three spare drive shafts which I would not trust as serviceable. The question is should I keep them or skip them?