
Driveshaft Basic Rules
- 1. The minimum operating angle of each individual U-joint should not be less than 0.5 degree.
- 2. The operating angles on each end of the driveshaft should be within 1 degree of each other.
- 3. The total operating angle from the engine to the rear axle should not exceed 3 degrees.
How to check driveline angle?
- Place the unit on the first slope (Slope A) and allow the reading to stabilize approximately 10 seconds.
- Push the "Alt Zero" button.
- The display will read 0.0° and the "Alt Zero" button indicator will flash. ...
- Move the unit to the next adjacent slope (Slope B). ...
How to measure drive shaft angles?
MEASURING DRIVELINES ANGLES STEP-BY-STEP. Place a spirit level protractor on the driveshaft about halfway between the transmission and the Differential. Read and record the angle shown on the protractor scale and note whether the driveshaft points up or down at the front. Record the angle as “3 degrees up” or “2 degrees down,”etc.
How to prove that a line bisects an angle?
To do so, use the following steps:
- Place the point of the compass on vertex, O, and draw an arc of a circle such that the arc intersects both sides of the angle at points D and ...
- Draw two separate arcs of equal radius using both points D and E as centers. ...
- Use a ruler to draw a straight ray from O to F. OF bisects the angle AOB.
How to measure the angle of a line?
The small arc is from Z to Y and the angle measure is 20 degrees
- Use the formula (Big Arc- Small Arc) ⁄ 2
- Plug in your numbers (120°-40°) ⁄ 2
- Solve 80° ⁄ 2 = 40° =Angle A

What angle should my transmission be?
According to Currie, the average car crafter should strive for between 1 and 3 degrees between the tailshaft of the transmission and driveshaft, and 1 to 3 degrees between the driveshaft and pinion. Furthermore, the two angles should be nearly equal (between 1 and 3 degrees), but always opposite (see crude diagram).
How do you determine the angle of a driveline?
Place a spirit level protractor on the driveshaft about halfway between the transmission and the Differential. Read and record the angle shown on the protractor scale and note whether the driveshaft points up or down at the front. Record the angle as “3 degrees up” or “2 degrees down,”etc.
What is the minimum u-joint operating angle?
1 DEGREERULE 1: UNIVERSAL JOINT OPERATING ANGLES AT EACH END OF A DRIVESHAFT SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT LEAST 1 DEGREE.
What is the best pinion angle for drag racing?
We want the two working angles to be within a half-degree of each other and as slight an angle as possible, less than three degrees is normally recommended in drag racing.
How much driveline angle is too much?
Ideally, both driveshaft-operating angles will be 1 to 3 degrees. Anything over 3 degrees at the rear axle will shorten your universal joint's life and could create vibration. If your angle is larger than 3 degrees, you must make sure not to exceed max driveshaft RPM as shown on this Spicer table.
How much CV angle is too much?
I would suggest going no further than about 15 degrees. You have to remember the cv also goes side to side when you turn so if the angle is steep it will bind real bad and slowly ruin it when turning and they will break constantly when using 4lo.
Does a driveshaft have to be straight?
Not really, it depends on what type of driveshaft you have, Some driveshafts can be slanted a lot more than others depending how long the spline and slip is, some are 6'' and some extreme off road vehicles and vehicles that have hydraulics have slip shafts that are 3 ft long.
How much slip should driveshaft have?
Any time you lift or lower your vehicle, you should have your driveshaft checked for proper clearance. How much slip travel should I have? In most applications the minimum is 3/4 inch and more than 1 inch is not necessary.
Can wrong pinion angle cause vibration?
In your case, it appears that the pinion is operating at an intersecting angle to the driveshaft. This will cause a vibration at speed. The reason adding weight with a passenger affects the vibration is that the intersecting angle has improved, but not eliminated, the problem.
How do I set my pinion angle?
Pinion angle can be adjusted by adding tapered shims between the semi-elliptic springs and the mounts on the axle housing. Pinion angle can be changed on radius rod style suspensions by adjusting their length causing the pinion to rotate up or down.
How do you set pinion depth?
When changing pinion depth, make large changes until the pattern is close to ideal. Consider 0.005” to 0.015” a large change and 0.002” to 0.004” a small change. Intentionally, make adjustments that move the pinion too far at first.
How do you set a pinion angle on a 4x4?
3:3111:29How to Set Pinion Angle - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what I want is for this pinion to basically point straight at the output shaft of this transferMoreSo what I want is for this pinion to basically point straight at the output shaft of this transfer case and to do that I'm going to use a straight edge of 72 inch straightedge.
How do you measure rear end angle?
5:0012:52How to Set Pinion Angle - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we would do is we'd use our angle finder to make sure everything is right and we'd look atMoreSo what we would do is we'd use our angle finder to make sure everything is right and we'd look at the angle on the drive shaft. And once this settles down its at 2.4 degrees running downward towards
How do you find the working angle of a u-joint?
5:257:15Measuring u joint operational angles - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipReading rotate the drive yoke so it's straight up and down align it with the center part of theMoreReading rotate the drive yoke so it's straight up and down align it with the center part of the center bearing. Place the tool and the digital gauge on the u-joint bearing cap.
How Do You measure u-joint angles?
0:281:22How to Measure the Driveline & U-Joint Angle of Car - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTurn it 90 degrees so that the yoke is parallel to the drive shaft and the ink phenom etre tells usMoreTurn it 90 degrees so that the yoke is parallel to the drive shaft and the ink phenom etre tells us the angle of the u-joint.
What is an angle finder?
An angle finder is a great tool for measuring angles and for replicating the angle of an existing area. That's why it's often used by woodworkers and residential trim installers.
How to calculate operating angles?
To calculate operating angles, you must add or subtract the component angles- that is, the relationship of the operating angles between the transmission, driveshaft and the differential, on each side of the driveshaft (drive and driven ends).
Why do you need to subtract the smaller component angle from the larger component angle at each joint?
Because all of the angles are up, you need to subtract the smaller component angle from the larger component angle at each joint. The same would be true if all the component angles were down. This example is within specifications in regard to both angle alignment and operating angles.
How to measure driveshaft angles?
To measure driveshaft angles and U-joint angles, start by lifting the vehicle either on a drive on style vehicle lift, or an axle contact style . This will keep the suspension under load and allow for correct measurement. On your U-joints, the working angles may differ no more than 0.5° of each other; otherwise you will encounter speed changes ...
How many degrees of angle on U joints?
On your U-joints, the working angles may differ no more than 0.5° of each other; otherwise you will encounter speed changes that may prematurely wear out your bearings and caps.
What is the operating angle of a driveshaft?
Universal joint operating angles on each end of a driveshaft should always be equal within one degree of each other (one half degree for motor homes and shafts in front of transfer cases or auxiliary devices) For vibration-free performance, universal joint operating angles should not be larger than three degrees.
What is universal joint operating angle?
A universal joint operating angle is the angle that occurs between the driving member and driveshaft, and between the driven member and driveshaft when they are not vertically aligned.
How many degrees should a joint be?
For vibration-free performance, universal joint operating angles should not be larger than three degrees. If they are, make sure they do not exceed the maximum recommended angles.
What degree of joint life is vibration?
Any universal joint operating angle greater than 3 degrees will lower universal joint life and may cause a vibration.
How many degrees are acceptable tolerances?
Here are two angles that could be considered within acceptable tolerances. There's not too much of an angle, roughly 2 degrees on each end, but still enough of an angle to keep things running smoothly.
Does the 68 C10 have LS drivetrain?
This '68 C10 wasn't offered with an LS drivetrain, another example of a custom vehicle that was modified in a way that required modifying the driveline dynamics, and therefore, working to create new angles.
Can too much angle wear out U joints?
So, with too little of an angle you’ll wear out your u-joints, but too much of an angle you’ll wear out your u-joints and end up with some nasty vibrations. Sounds a little intimidating, right? Well, with proper planning and just a few measurements, you can make sure things are lined up and that you’re angles are within acceptable tolerances.
Can driveline angle go up or down?
The driveline angle itself can go up or down depending on the application. As long as the angles are within acceptable tolerances, you're good to go. We actually felt that Dick’s explanation made things sound simple and easy, and the more we talked to him, the more sense everything made.
How does flywheel inertia affect a vehicle?
per second.). Flywheel inertia will prevent the engine adjusting its speed 50 times per second, and the vehicle certainly can not respond so quickly. The variation is made up by taking up slack in the driveline, twisting the shaft and axles, and movement of components on their flexible mounts. Passengers in the vehicle feel a vibration at double the driveshaft speed.
Is drive shaft phasing a mystery?
Driveshaft phasing is often considered a black mystery, but a little demonstration reveals that is not so mysterious at all. Consider a typical driveline. One Piece driveshaft having a U-Joint and gearbox yoke at the front, and another U-Joint with the pinion yoke at the rear. Now we take three large degree wheels similar to ...
Is the drive shaft vibration free?
We can now see the driveshaft speed still flucuates, but the gearbox and pinion remain in phase throughout the full revolution. As the flywheel effect of the shaft is relatively small, the transmission of power is virtually vibration free, providing two criteria are met.
