S550 Honey Badger GT350 Build Build Thread Profile - S550 Mustangs

[Fabman]

we decided against it because of speed rating. I was told 4in was only good to 140mph and that we'd have to go bigger for my ask of 170. Steel was too prone for harmonics. So staying with CF and going to make some heat management and exhaust changes

Mark Williams is what I am using.
Drag racing aluminum driveshafts made for the ultimate abuse of clutch dumping high HP drag cars running insane ET and MPH. Complete with billet yolks.
I have had several aluminum dive shafts from different companies and in different OD's and this is the only one that has taken the abuse and came balanced perfectly.
Real U Joints, not CV joints or adapter flanges. The rear yolk replaces the flange and comes apart like a normal car. (this one is for my Magnum XL but they will make whatever you want)
Just an idea.

 

[Dave_W]

Mark Williams also makes a GT500 replacement driveshaft using 7075 instead of 6061. It is not cheap, but they also have less expensive options & materials.

MWS-500 - Mustang GT 500 Driveshaft

Mark Williams Enterprises is an industry leading manufacturer of drag race axles, drive shafts, brakes, modular rears, rear end housings, thirdmembers, and chassis components.

www.markwilliams.com

An article that talks about the MW 7075 driveshafts

Q&A: Talking 7075 Alloy Driveshafts With Mark Williams - Dragzine

We talk driveshafts with one of the industry leaders, Mark Williams Enterprises, about the light weight, superb strength, and other characteristics of their 707 Alloy driveshafts that are used in everything from powerful street cars to Pro Mods.

www.dragzine.com

 

[honeybadger]

Mark Williams also makes a GT500 replacement driveshaft using 7075 instead of 6061. It is not cheap, but they also have less expensive options & materials.

MWS-500 - Mustang GT 500 Driveshaft

Mark Williams Enterprises is an industry leading manufacturer of drag race axles, drive shafts, brakes, modular rears, rear end housings, thirdmembers, and chassis components.

www.markwilliams.com

An article that talks about the MW 7075 driveshafts

Q&A: Talking 7075 Alloy Driveshafts With Mark Williams - Dragzine

We talk driveshafts with one of the industry leaders, Mark Williams Enterprises, about the light weight, superb strength, and other characteristics of their 707 Alloy driveshafts that are used in everything from powerful street cars to Pro Mods.

www.dragzine.com

Mark Williams is what I am using.
Drag racing aluminum driveshafts made for the ultimate abuse of clutch dumping high HP drag cars running insane ET and MPH. Complete with billet yolks.
I have had several aluminum dive shafts from different companies and in different OD's and this is the only one that has taken the abuse and came balanced perfectly.
Real U Joints, not CV joints or adapter flanges. The rear yolk replaces the flange and comes apart like a normal car. (this one is for my Magnum XL but they will make whatever you want)
Just an idea.



View attachment 102903View attachment 102905View attachment 102906View attachment 102904

Nice - those look great. I didn't see on the web page - do you guys know what speed they're good up to and what the OD of the shaft is? that was the limiting factor for me - I wanted 3.5" OD and needed Daytona Speedway speed ratings (170+). My Carbon shaft is set for 180, so it can sit at 180 all day long without fatiguing.

 

[Fabman]

Nice - those look great. I didn't see on the web page - do you guys know what speed they're good up to and what the OD of the shaft is? that was the limiting factor for me - I wanted 3.5" OD and needed Daytona Speedway speed ratings (170+). My Carbon shaft is set for 180, so it can sit at 180 all day long without fatiguing.

Its a 3 1/2" dia. shaft.
It does have an SFI Approved number on it, not sure if that is helpful or not.

 

[Fabman]

This is all I got:

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sfifoundation.com/wp-content/pdfs/specs/Spec_43.1_082517.pdf

Meeting SFI 43.1 Driveshaft Specs

Mark Williams Enterprises is an industry leading manufacturer of drag race axles, drive shafts, brakes, modular rears, rear end housings, thirdmembers, and chassis components.

www.markwilliams.com

Maybe a phone call to the MFG. would help.

 

[honeybadger]

Question for our resident fabricator @Fabman and any other proficient welders. Would love some advice on tackling these little "hooks" for my slip on connectors. material is CP1 grade titanium 1mm thick


When I welded the last ones, they melted with the tiniest bit of heat. Any tricks to tacking them and then welding a bead that doesn't melt it?

 

[Fabman]

Question for our resident fabricator @Fabman and any other proficient welders. Would love some advice on tackling these little "hooks" for my slip on connectors. material is CP1 grade titanium 1mm thick
View attachment 102927

When I welded the last ones, they melted with the tiniest bit of heat. Any tricks to tacking them and then welding a bead that doesn't melt it?
View attachment 102920View attachment 102919

Use a smaller tungsten. 1/16" maximum. Make sure it is ground to a sharp point and not contaminated. One touch to the material and it must be re ground. No exceptions. (You stick it, you lick it)
Use Smaller welding rod, like .035 or .045. Clip the end of the rod at an angle each time so you are starting with a small taper that starts and wets in nice.
Keep the rod clean and dry. Don't touch it with bare skin or dirty gloves. Acetone the rod with a clean rag and/or scotch brite before use. Ti has to be super clean.
Use a non contaminated stainless steel tooth brush on everything before it gets welded. Mark each brush with the alloy you are welding and don't share the brush with any other alloys.
If you are not using a gas lens, buy one for every size tungsten you plan to use. 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8" most commonly.
Gas flow should be around 15-18 cft/Hr. Keep a very short arc distance and a minimum stick out.
Concentrate your heat more towards the pipe and let the sympathetic heat transfer to the hoopie things. Practice this.
You will figure out a good tungsten angle that will get the right amount of heat to both pieces without destroying one or the other.


You are welding too cold, which takes longer so the travel speed is low, which in turn ends up making the parts hotter.
Practice a good travel speed on some scrap until you can wet the rod in nice without turning the parts blue.
Hold the cup over the weld when its done until the after flow shuts off. The right amount of after flow is when you pull the tungsten away and the part doesn't turn blue.
I like 8 seconds but do what works for you. It takes practice, Ti is one of the hardest alloys to learn. You will get there. I have faith.




I use a #7 cup on almost everything until I get to a 1/8" tungsten. Then I use a #8 cup.
This pic shows way too much stick out, but I wanted you to see what the point should look like.
Use 2% Thoriated for everything but Aluminum which should be Pure Tungsten....unless you have a newer inverter welder that uses 2% on everything.
A classic transformer welder will use pure tungsten on A/C for Aluminum and 2% on DCEN for everything else.

I keep my daily use brushes on top of the welder like this (left) but my special alloy brushes (right) are stored in a drawer with a super clean set of new gloves that touch nothing but special alloys.




Last and probably most importantly (if I haven't told you this already) Your heat should be set so that you are welding towards the bottom of the pedal.
If you are welding with the pedal at 50% or less stop that sh!t right now. Turn the machine down so that you are using almost the whole pedal. You will have MUCH better heat control this way.
This is the least recognized and probably one of the most important tips I can give you. There is a reason that machine has a knob on it. Its a coarse adjustment. The pedal is the fine adjustment.
I'm sure this is more than you wanted to hear but hey, you asked.

 

[Fabman]

Apologies if you've seen this before. Its stainless but the method is the same.

 

[Dave_W]

do you guys know what speed they're good up to and what the OD of the shaft is? that was the limiting factor for me - I wanted 3.5" OD and needed Daytona Speedway speed ratings (170+).

One of their tech articles says their balancer goes up to 10,000 rpm, but you're going to be limited by the "critical speed" of the driveshaft.

If you can figure out the driveshaft rpm at that speed, and the length, take a look at the "critical speed" chart on this page for their different type of driveshafts.

Driveshaft Tech

Mark Williams Enterprises is an industry leading manufacturer of drag race axles, drive shafts, brakes, modular rears, rear end housings, thirdmembers, and chassis components.

markwilliams.com

This sheet has the same chart with slightly different numbers, though it's from 2012. It also has an interesting chart on rpm vs max. u-joint angle.

https://markwilliams.com/servicebull/sb0049.pdf

Not sure how much "jerk" (change in accerleration) load actually gets generated from very sticky tires bouncing & gripping over rumble strips on full acceleration. Complete guess, but you're probably okay with the standard 1350 u-joints vs the 1480 high-strngth ones. You may want to look at their billet u-joint caps ( P/N 39112 for a 1350 u-joint) for extra strength. @Fabman do you know if you got 1350 or 1480 u-joints?

I think a call to their toll-free tech line is the easiest way to find what would work best.

 

[Fabman]

One of their tech articles says their balancer goes up to 10,000 rpm, but you're going to be limited by the "critical speed" of the driveshaft.

If you can figure out the driveshaft rpm at that speed, and the length, take a look at the "critical speed" chart on this page for their different type of driveshafts.

Driveshaft Tech

Mark Williams Enterprises is an industry leading manufacturer of drag race axles, drive shafts, brakes, modular rears, rear end housings, thirdmembers, and chassis components.

markwilliams.com

This sheet has the same chart with slightly different numbers, though it's from 2012. It also has an interesting chart on rpm vs max. u-joint angle.

https://markwilliams.com/servicebull/sb0049.pdf

Not sure how much "jerk" (change in accerleration) load actually gets generated from very sticky tires bouncing & gripping over rumble strips on full acceleration. Complete guess, but you're probably okay with the standard 1350 u-joints vs the 1480 high-strngth ones. You may want to look at their billet u-joint caps ( P/N 39112 for a 1350 u-joint) for extra strength. @Fabman do you know if you got 1350 or 1480 u-joints?

I think a call to their toll-free tech line is the easiest way to find what would work best.

No idea, this was ordered for me by AED.
Is it marked on the u joint where I can see it while installed in the shaft?

 

[Dave_W]

They are different sizes.

 

[honeybadger]

Okay - so this is super informative. My driveshaft is 55in 13/16 long, which would put it at the 56" model - which would be limited to 5250 for the 3.5 and 6480 for the 4 in.



My understanding of driveshaft RPM is that if you're in your 1:1 gear, you're at whatever RPM the engine is at. For the other gears, just divide RPM by the ratio. So for me:

Gear	Max driveshaft RPM
6th (1.0 ratio)	8300 (based on engine RPM)
5th (1.13 ratio)	7345
4th (1.28 ratio)	6485

So technically, I'd be at critical speed of the tube in 3 gears fairly consistently. How much that matters and how much you can abuse those ratings, I have no idea.

For me, a big concern was the shock from the shifts - the sequential shifts super hard. I think the GT4 cars use an AL shaft, so its doable. but I liked how CF fails - explodes into fiber vs destroys stuff. But if I explode another, I'll definitely be exploring other options.

FWIW - DSS has treated me very well. the replacement only cost me $1,084!

 

[honeybadger]

Use a smaller tungsten. 1/16" maximum. Make sure it is ground to a sharp point and not contaminated. One touch to the material and it must be re ground. No exceptions. (You stick it, you lick it)
Use Smaller welding rod, like .035 or .045. Clip the end of the rod at an angle each time so you are starting with a small taper that starts and wets in nice.
Keep the rod clean and dry. Don't touch it with bare skin or dirty gloves. Acetone the rod with a clean rag and/or scotch brite before use. Ti has to be super clean.
Use a non contaminated stainless steel tooth brush on everything before it gets welded. Mark each brush with the alloy you are welding and don't share the brush with any other alloys.
If you are not using a gas lens, buy one for every size tungsten you plan to use. 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8" most commonly.
Gas flow should be around 15-18 cft/Hr. Keep a very short arc distance and a minimum stick out.
Concentrate your heat more towards the pipe and let the sympathetic heat transfer to the hoopie things. Practice this.
You will figure out a good tungsten angle that will get the right amount of heat to both pieces without destroying one or the other.


You are welding too cold, which takes longer so the travel speed is low, which in turn ends up making the parts hotter.
Practice a good travel speed on some scrap until you can wet the rod in nice without turning the parts blue.
Hold the cup over the weld when its done until the after flow shuts off. The right amount of after flow is when you pull the tungsten away and the part doesn't turn blue.
I like 8 seconds but do what works for you. It takes practice, Ti is one of the hardest alloys to learn. You will get there. I have faith.


View attachment 102929View attachment 102931

I use a #7 cup on almost everything until I get to a 1/8" tungsten. Then I use a #8 cup.
This pic shows way too much stick out, but I wanted you to see what the point should look like.
Use 2% Thoriated for everything but Aluminum which should be Pure Tungsten....unless you have a newer inverter welder that uses 2% on everything.
A classic transformer welder will use pure tungsten on A/C for Aluminum and 2% on DCEN for everything else.

I keep my daily use brushes on top of the welder like this (left) but my special alloy brushes (right) are stored in a drawer with a super clean set of new gloves that touch nothing but special alloys.


View attachment 102933View attachment 102935

Last and probably most importantly (if I haven't told you this already) Your heat should be set so that you are welding towards the bottom of the pedal.
If you are welding with the pedal at 50% or less stop that sh!t right now. Turn the machine down so that you are using almost the whole pedal. You will have MUCH better heat control this way.
This is the least recognized and probably one of the most important tips I can give you. There is a reason that machine has a knob on it. Its a coarse adjustment. The pedal is the fine adjustment.
I'm sure this is more than you wanted to hear but hey, you asked.

this is super helpful - i'm blown away you're welding stainless with a #8 cup. really goes to show how torch angle matters. If I use the #12 gas lens I have, my trailing welds turn blue/purple/etc. due to being too hot when they lose gas coverage.

great tip on cutting the rod at a taper. hadn't thought of that
time for some more practice! thanks, Sal!

 

[Fabman]

this is super helpful - i'm blown away you're welding stainless with a #8 cup. really goes to show how torch angle matters. If I use the #12 gas lens I have, my trailing welds turn blue/purple/etc. due to being too hot when they lose gas coverage.

great tip on cutting the rod at a taper. hadn't thought of that
time for some more practice! thanks, Sal!

If you use a #12 you will need a ton of gas flow.
A #7 cup w/3/32 or 1 1/16 tung is what I use. The #8 is for aluminum w/1/8" tung.
Sounds like you either have poor gas coverage (need more CFH) or you may have too much stick out (cup too far away from the work) or possibly just over heating the part.
Hard to tell from here.

 

[Fabman]

They are different sizes.
View attachment 103011

I have the #1350

 

[Fabman]

About this much stick out on a #7 cup w/gas lense.
If you are using a collett body setup you have to use way less stick out.
You do have a gas lense, yes?
It has the bigger body with a screen as pictured earlier?

 

[Fabman]

Collet body on the left and gas lense on the right.

 

[Fabman]

So, its heat + deposition rate = Travel speed.
The hotter you weld, the more deposition (faster dabs/bigger rod) and more travel speed needed to keep everything balanced.
You will find that everybody's default deposition rate (dabs) will be different. Its almost always a multiple of your heart rate. (fascinating, no?)
So if you are burning things up you need to either lower the heat, increase the deposition rate or up the travel speed....or all 3.
With Ti I try to get in and get out quick. Low heat, small rod, fast deposition and fast travel speed.
If you can, use a chill block behind the weld.
A chunk of steel or aluminum or brass pulled up tight against the back of the joint (when possible) will keep the heat where you want it, and quickly wisk away the excess heat, cooling the part as you go.
Look at the back of your welds...do you have burn through? Tight joints, the right heat, good travel speed etc. will minimize that.
You are looking for straw, gold or light blue welds. When you go past blue and get to grey its over. You can't fix it and more welding wont stick.
You should be purge welding Ti, but its not always practical or necessary depending on the project. But it sure helps.
You should be using a 1/16" tungsten for this project. Too big is like watering your flowers with a fire hose....too much too fast to manage.
The smaller tungsten and rod will give you more time to weld with far less overheating. Like writing with a fine point pen vs. a big fat magic marker.
Alright, enough with my on and on about welding, I'm starting to bore myself. Post More racecar stuff!

 

[GAR944]

So, its heat + deposition rate = Travel speed.
The hotter you weld, the more deposition (faster dabs/bigger rod) and more travel speed needed to keep everything balanced.
You will find that everybody's default deposition rate (dabs) will be different. Its almost always a multiple of your heart rate. (fascinating, no?)
So if you are burning things up you need to either lower the heat, increase the deposition rate or up the travel speed....or all 3.
With Ti I try to get in and get out quick. Low heat, small rod, fast deposition and fast travel speed.
If you can, use a chill block behind the weld.
A chunk of steel or aluminum or brass pulled up tight against the back of the joint (when possible) will keep the heat where you want it, and quickly wisk away the excess heat, cooling the part as you go.
Look at the back of your welds...do you have burn through? Tight joints, the right heat, good travel speed etc. will minimize that.
You are looking for straw, gold or light blue welds. When you go past blue and get to grey its over. You can't fix it and more welding wont stick.
You should be purge welding Ti, but its not always practical or necessary depending on the project. But it sure helps.
You should be using a 1/16" tungsten for this project. Too big is like watering your flowers with a fire hose....too much too fast to manage.
The smaller tungsten and rod will give you more time to weld with far less overheating. Like writing with a fine point pen vs. a big fat magic marker.
Alright, enough with my on and on about welding, I'm starting to bore myself. Post More racecar stuff!

But i'm sure there is more than one of us who appreciate the welding stuff as well. I'm with you on one of your previous comments, building it is half the fun, racing is proving your build.
Getting my triple pass radiator back today with 2 npt ports added so i can see what is happening with the bloody great oil cooler in front of it. Got the fittings for temp and pressure sensors to go on the oil cooling system as well. Both of you are a bad (in a really good way) influence.

 

[Fabman]

But i'm sure there is more than one of us who appreciate the welding stuff as well. I'm with you on one of your previous comments, building it is half the fun, racing is proving your build.
Getting my triple pass radiator back today with 2 npt ports added so i can see what is happening with the bloody great oil cooler in front of it. Got the fittings for temp and pressure sensors to go on the oil cooling system as well. Both of you are a bad (in a really good way) influence.

I do my best. lol.