Rusting Driveshaft
#1
Rusting Driveshaft
Heres the storie my buddy bought a 2000xl reg cab 2.5 with a manual about 6 months before he went to iraq, He basically gave it to his dad to use while he is gone doing his thing in the army over in iraq. Well I stopped over the other night to give him my old bedcover and he was telling me how his driveshaft is rusting bad so I go under and take a look and man this thing is rusted real good, like how an exhuast system looks on say a 5yr or older car with orignal exhuast look. Hes worry its gunna break or something whats the deal here mine is a 98 and I have the aluminum one even though my truck is an ext cab. I thought all rangers had the aluminum driveshaft? Is it something he should worry about?
#4
#7
Originally Posted by outdoorsman
My rear drive shaft is aluminum but my front drive shaft (for 4x4) is all rusted (looks like surface rust). Why would Ford gove me one Aluminum one and one steel shaft? Is this normal??
#10
Originally Posted by outdoorsman
yeah that is what I was thinking. What the heck are they thinking , giving me one steel and one aluminum, that is just half assed!
#11
In recent years, every Ranger steel rear driveshaft that I have seen has been on a manual transmission truck. I don't know the reason for that but I'm sure there is one. The steel shafts are fully interchangeable with the aluminum shafts (for the same drive and wheelbase) and Ford was supplying aluminum as warranty replacements for awhile for the slip yoke bump issue, even on manuals. It takes many, many years for rust to affect a driveshaft - don't worry about it.
#12
Steel is stronger than automatic. The reasoning between the manual transmission with the steel combination is just to ensure that you don't break a driveshaft doing something stupid like dumping the clutch at a high rpm, putting a load on it.
Its tough to put a load on the driveshaft with a stock motor and an automatic trans, so they opted for the aluminum for better efficiency (lighter rotating mass).
Its tough to put a load on the driveshaft with a stock motor and an automatic trans, so they opted for the aluminum for better efficiency (lighter rotating mass).
#14
An aluminum driveshaft is quite a bit more expensive and it is usually specified to control driveshaft whip at high vehicle speeds. Pound for pound, aluminum alloy can be every bit as strong as steel. For the same weight and diameter, the walls can be made 3 times as thick and that means more rigidity. If Ford spent the money on an aluminum shaft, it is for a reason, probably high speed driveshaft vibration.
I don't know the exact reason why they are found most often on the autos but it probably has to do with preventing damage to the transmission. Ford had a recall on 4WD Aerostars (close cousin to the Ranger powertrain) that were breaking transmissions and transfer cases due to high speed driveshaft vibration. The repair was a new transfer case rear output shaft bearing and an aluminum driveshaft in place of the steelie.
http://www.internetautoguide.com/aut...gon/index.html
I don't know the exact reason why they are found most often on the autos but it probably has to do with preventing damage to the transmission. Ford had a recall on 4WD Aerostars (close cousin to the Ranger powertrain) that were breaking transmissions and transfer cases due to high speed driveshaft vibration. The repair was a new transfer case rear output shaft bearing and an aluminum driveshaft in place of the steelie.
http://www.internetautoguide.com/aut...gon/index.html
Last edited by V8 Level II; 08-12-2006 at 07:12 PM.
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