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zf output shafts and Half shafts

I icoleMember
Hi I am looking for input on a few things about my.
1) What is the best transmission to wheel option for 550-600HP.
2) Half shaft or CV joint kit who makes the strongest/most reliable?
3) How hard is it to change an output shaft on the zf trans? Does the whole trans have to be taken apart?

The reason I ask. Follows
I broke my half shaft, so I will need to replace it. Supposedly my dad also broke a half shaft while he owned the car. After some internet shopping it appears these come in pairs for around $950. This was more than I had hoped to spend, but I guess it is what it is. However IF I spend that much I want the right half shafts. My engine makes about 550 HP, so I need something tough. My other issue is that I was trying to get the half shaft off where the car broke, so that I could push it into a nearby driveway where my friend lives. I was trying to rotate the shaft to gain access to the last bolt of the 4, and was prying the half shaft, and I broke the output shaft flange, more than half of the hole is still on the flange, but I need to fix or replace it. I might be able to weld it back on. There is enough left on the flange, that the torque would be transferred to the part that did not break.
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joulesjoules"Racing is Life, anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen
The stock half shafts are reputed to be good to 800HP. Lots of people changed to Spicer half shafts and you will often hear they are better, but that is mostly a myth carried over from a time when the stock u-joints were so costly it was cheaper to buy the Spicer shafts. IMHO there isn't much between the two, now stock style u-joints are cheap and readily available.

CV joints are a more modern and better alternative, but not a necessity. If you do change to CV's and as you need to replace one output shaft anyway you could consider also switching to CV flange output shafts.

The cheapest bolt in alternative for CV shafts are the ones from SACOPerformance http://www.sacoperformance.com/products.php?cat=51 They will bolt straight up to you existing flanges.

There are usually used half shafts on the market for around $150 a pair. Where did your existing half shaft break?

Julian
zr1panterazr1panteraForum Sponsor - SACC Restorations
One more option is:

http://pantera.saccrestoration...-cv-half-shafts.html

Several boot options are available. When SACO upgrades the boots it is only on 1 side of each axle (ie: 2 boots instead of 4). This upgrade is an additional $80.00.

I am partnering with SACO and offering their axles but will be offering them with 4 high speed boots instead of 2 for the same upgrade price. Or if you are not concerned with the boot style and have plenty of clearance for the exhaust, standard boots will work fine.
I icoleMember
quote:
Originally posted by ItalFord:
The output shaft can be be removed by removing the bottom cover and then removing the ring gear. Take a look at the ZF book that all the vendors have. It will give you a starting point. BTW I also have a set of used half shafts I am not using. I converted to CV joints. As far as which is the strongest I dont know.

Can this be done in the car or do I have to pull the trans?
joulesjoules"Racing is Life, anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen
Thanks for the photos, your u-joint failed not your half shaft.

No disrespect to Ron's offer of a set used half shafts at a good price, but personally I'd rebuild even a used set with new u-joints, so might as well just rebuild the ones you have. The vendors have the u-joints available.

Julian
davidnunndavidnunnMember
I agree with Julian. As long as your half-shafts aren't damaged, just put them back together with new U-joints. Be aware of the fact they're balanced assemblies, so make sure you put them back together exactly the same way they came apart. If you have any doubts, just take them to a driveline shop to have them rebuilt or send them to a Pantera vendor.

Powertrain Industries (www.powertrainidustries.com) has Pantera U-joints with grease zerks; part number: 4151-32. If I recall, they are the same as '70's Toyota 2WD pickup truck driveshaft U-joints but with thinner snap-rings to fit the Pantera half-shafts.
davidnunndavidnunnMember
I'm not an expert on such things, but I'd suggest that it's not possible to weld the broken piece back onto the output shaft flange, properly, with the shaft still mounted to the transaxle. Taking this one step further, if you're going to the effort of removing the output shaft from the transaxle, why not just replace it with a good used one? Then you never have to worry about it. This is also a good time to take a good hard look at the transaxle in general. Does it shift smoothly into each gear, are there any leaks, is your ring gear safety wired, etc.? If it has any of these issues, don't put off taking care of them now because it could cost significantly more to fix them later.
bosswrenchbosswrenchMember
David is correct- all you'll do if you try to band-aid the ZF while its in place is wreck more very expensive parts. If someone was to try welding in place, there's a seal 1/2" away from that broken flange, a paper gasket under the plate and the asphalt undercoating on the inner fender panels is flammable. This does not even address the gas tank a few feet away... And it will be close to impossible to surface the resulting weld flat enough to not vibrate your fillings loose unless it's redrilled and machined flat.
PULL THE ZF- it's not difficult and then the problem can be resolved. To practically remove the inner stub-axle with the broken bolt-hole, the ZF must be removed- you'll spend 4X as long doing it in the car, and that's only if you've ever worked on one before. Special tools are required as well as a ZF manual. Finally, all OEM replacement parts, seals and gaskets for a ZF are supplied by exactly one (1.0) place: RBT Transmissions in CA. All other shops that work on ZFs get their stuff from Lloyd, or clean up used parts for resale. There are zero short-cuts and no cheap (new) parts. Sorry....
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