CV Drive shafts

[Tim Hunt]

Decent quality greaseable UJs are getting harder to find and it is pretty impossible to get at the nipple on the outer (sliding) axle shaft UJ in situ anyway. I am fed up with changing UJs at fairly frequent intervals and am considering CV type drive shafts on the basis that these are a better engineered design and will be maintenance free. Has anyone any experience of the Limora drive shaft and hub assembly for the IRS TRs? Are they actually made in Germany and hence well made or imported from the Far East as so much stuff these days  :(

Tim

[Hogie]

Hi Tim,
         who does you UJ's, mine last easily 5-10 years +. To do both sides (4 uj's) takes about a day.

How many UJ's could you buy for one CV drive shaft?

Roger

[Nick Jones]

Tim,

You need to get hold of the proper Hardy Spicer / GKN UJs in their heavy duty form  (there are at least two grades of every size, sometimes more).  Probably best off speaking to a propshaft specialist or even industrial bearing supplier.  They are certainly still available.

A decent CV conversion, possibly including a modern hub bearing and stronger hub flange should be a fit and forget solution - but at very significant cost.  I don't know whether the Limora conversion would qualify.

There is a man who comes to most of the parts shows who does various CV shaft and hub conversions for TRs Stags and saloons.  He also does power steering conversions.  No experience of his products but it may be worth contacting him.  Website details below (only shows PAS stuff).

http://www.powersteeringforclassiccars.co.uk/info.htm

Also quite a bit of info on the TR Register forum on CV shafts though mostly in the TR5/6 sections.

Cheers

Nick

[TRTOM2498]

Hi Tim,

I have CV type on my TR6, with uprated hubs (think Saab Turbo).

They came from Ricahrd Goode Parts in the USA:-

http://www.goodparts.com/shop/index.php?categoryID=20

Very well engineered, on par with the Cosworth shafts and Quaife hubs Dennis Vessey designed. The cosworth shafts use UJs, but you will not break them, even Joe Henderson could not break them with 252BHP, when he owned it in his blisteringly quick TR6.



Mine have been fitted at least 3 years, and put through their paces on track and mountain passes, without complaint.  I would say, fit and forget.

Even with 193bhp and 200lbs ft, I have not broken them.


Cheers

[Hogie]

Just to highjack this thread for a mo. I often see UJ spiggots with serious grooving in at a slight angle.
Clearly the grooves are made by the needle rollers.
My question !!!   Why do they use needle rollers compared to a solid bush?

Is it purely to allow for better lubrication.

Roger

[junkuser]

"Why do they use needle rollers compared to a solid bush?"
  Possibly cost Roger. Related to production volumes.

I made perforated steel bushes for the axle universals on my Spit4 as I figured they could not dramatically fail as can needle roller ones.  (Multiple small drillings to act as grease reservoirs)

As noted the small, un-caged needle rollers tend to run out of parallel with the axis of the spider.  
I feel this is due to the uneven loading throughout length of the rollers due to deflection of the spider when under load.

Another problem with needle roller universals on the drive shafts is that they do not run at sufficient deflection to spread the load/wear and the lubricant over sufficient area.

Decided not to use bronze bushes from experience with a Riley 9. They used a bronze bushed universal at the front end of the propeller shaft and I was stranded, bringing the car home from purchase, when the bushes crumbled.  There had been no detectable noises prior to the failure.

The steel bushes have developed no noises and the spiders in these were from the universals removed for replacement, with grooving from the rollers already well developed. (More grease reservoirs) Old caps also.