V8 rear drivetrain strength

Try as I might I was never able to break a stub axle, which is about the only thing you will, most failures are as described above; going from reverse to drive or vice versa.

I did have a an inboard uni joint go which was not very amusing, fortunately it was a low speed incident.

You might just find the cost of machining two billet stub axles might exceed the cost of grafting a jag diff in it's place; my mates nos breathing 383 couldn't break one; you'd be fine with just about anything a 3.5 could throw at it. Toughest part would probably be the handbrake. V12's had an LSD, you might find a shell minus the boat anchor up front.
 
I remember once being shown a broken output shaft from Will Gollops Rallycross Peugeot 306 .Very similar failure and no doubt caused by being on/off traction
 
Are the 1/2 shafts still available ( ie, NOS? ) Do they interchange left for right or are they 2 different parts?

GW
 
TokyoP6B wrote,...
Are the 1/2 shafts still available ( ie, NOS? ) Do they interchange left for right or are they 2 different parts?
Click to expand...

Hi Graham,

Generally speaking, 1/2 shafts are no longer available as NOS. Both sides are the same, so no difference in part numbers. From what I have read regarding universal joints, those in the half shafts are of a size not normally seen in cars. but when they are their ability to transmit serious power is not denied. If this follows through to the half shafts, then transmitting in excess of 400 HP would not be a problem for them. On the other hand the diff drive axles would certainly feel the strain. These too are pretty well no longer available.

Ron.
 
I used to drive like a teenager when I was 18 :LOL:
I hammered my '66 2000 daily, dropping the clutch everywhere and I was running oversize tyres too. I had auto V8s and was vicious when driving them, manual changes, kickdown all the time etc and all fine.
My 3500s had mountains of abuse, smoking the tyres, hitting shell grip whilst spinning etc All the ones we had that broke, were customers, who were respectable folk with autos clunking into gear every morning on full choke as soon as it fired up :roll: The manuals never get this treatment.
They are a weak point but I never managed to break one :?
 
GrimV8 said:
I used to drive like a teenager when I was 18 :LOL:
I hammered my '66 2000 daily, dropping the clutch everywhere and I was running oversize tyres too. I had auto V8s and was vicious when driving them, manual changes, kickdown all the time etc and all fine.
My 3500s had mountains of abuse, smoking the tyres, hitting shell grip whilst spinning etc All the ones we had that broke, were customers, who were respectable folk with autos clunking into gear every morning on full choke as soon as it fired up :roll: The manuals never get this treatment.
They are a weak point but I never managed to break one :?
Click to expand...

I seem to remember driving like a madman when I was 18-years old too. My everyday steed was a 1972 3500S which got ragged to extremes when I drove it; throttle controlled burnouts away from junctions; flat out top-speed testing on the M3 motorway(122mph :wink: )etc.

Nowdays that very 3500S is pottering about in my fathers careful ownership without any problems from the original propshaft, final drive, or half shafts. The gearbox is the same albeit having a rebuild shortly after I bought it. The clutch was the same unit from 20-years ago that was changed recently due to juddering, but it had not worn to excess.

I think we can say the P6 drivetrain is pretty much bullet proof 8)

Addendum: Oops :oops: I forgot. It did have a UJ replaced on the outer side of right half shaft..but, the rest are still very good, with no vibrations :)
 
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