AWD Motorsports Aluminum Drive Shaft
Jul 15, 2009, 12:12 PM
#1
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
AWD Motorsports Aluminum Drive Shaft
This really is a fabulous piece! And there really isn't enough information out there about it, so I thought I would contribute a little something from a car that sees daily driving. Most people would probably wonder what the true benefit of a 'race car' part is on a d/d. My thoughts were pretty simple. Weight. The rotating kind. This is apparent every time the car is moving. Slop, this is apparent every time you try to get the car moving in a hurry.
Now the car I drive is a far cry from a 700-1000hp evo. But so are most of the evo's on here. There are many in the 400-500hp range, and many more in the 300-400hp range. This review is for you guys in between.
The big HP guys still running the original suspension/drivetrain layout already know the benefits of knocking 16lbs off the driveshaft, eliminating a mount, and straightening the line between the transfer case and rear end will improve consistency out of the hole, and eliminate some of the lag between CB's and the crap that can cause.
But I really think there are benefits in something like this for the guys in between. The d/s is noticeable from the first time you pull out from a stop. Even more noticeable the first time you nail it from a rolling punch. Power comes on flat without the rear end chug as 3 pieces of spinning metal come into sync. I used to think it was just the lockup profiles on the ACD t/c that did that. It's not. It's all the slop in the factory drive train... both mounts and shaft joints.
I have poly rear end / mustache bar bushings and already had beatrush d/s bushings before I got the alu d/s from Mike. I was already attempting to knock this slop out of the car. The bushings killed the thunk in the back end, but there was still some lag which again, I always associated with the ACD. I was wrong. Very wrong. (Well not too wrong I did go after for this d/s with some of that in mind.
) This put an end to it once and for good. The car accelerates flat out without any of the disconnected / connected feeling from the back end.
I can see this being a benefit for anyone who road course or autoX races. It makes the car a little more predictable every time you stab the throttle when the car is already rolling. The weight difference is noticeable too. Coming from a car that was already pretty dialed in, and had been driven that way for months. The first time you pull out from a stop you are going to notice the change in weight. It takes less revs to get the car going, and pulls out cleaner. The nice thing is this is permanent. It happens every time the car is moving, so whether you are getting groceries, going head's up from a stop light, or at the track. Getting that fat ol' evo booty haulin' just got a little easier.
The next thing you'll notice if you are brave enough to dip into the throttle and keep it there in the higher gears, is increased acceleration. At WOT speeds in 5th gear there is a noticeable change in the rate of gain. It takes less throttle to get moving, and when it's pinned... there is less weight to spin taking some of the AWD losses away. With a turbo that will pull through redline, the car feels more powerful, even though it isn't.
Again, these are things any evo can benefit from. And with what Mike is charging for these I think it makes a mod that is normally priced out of the average enthusiasts hands, into something worth considering and attainable.
Fitment was perfect. Finish is perfect. They come polished and cleared, and I gave mine an extra dose of a heavy clear coat because of the horrible road salt and weather in PA. But in the warmer / and more friendly states... you should be plenty good to just bolt it on and go.
There is zero noise. Zero vibration. They come with indexing marks to align the shafts as they have been balanced before you will ever see it. And I have an RS and solid d/s mounts so it there were vibration I would feel it. I have 2000+ miles on this in the last couple weeks I have been driving with it on. Zero problems. This can be installed by the average guy as well. I didn't even drop my 3" exhaust. (I will note it even fits with the bullet muffler in place of the test pipe or cat, so there should be ZERO exhaust / drive shaft fitment issues.) While I would certainly tell you that you will have an easier time using a lift. You can do this on the ground with jack stands. For that I recommend jacking up the drivers side of the car only. HIGH. And that should give you all the access you need to crawl under and get the old one out and the new one in.
*remember... it's a 2 piece. You will need to bolt the rear on, slide the front in the t/c and align the marks on the d/s. This can take a few try's at getting it on the right set of teeth in the t/c. Then you lift the middle joint together and bolt that together. It can be a little tough, but nothing you cannot do by yourself. I'm not a big guy, and I had no problems doing it myself.*
I'd also like to thank Mike for keeping up on this. He is an easy guy to deal with, as he does what he says he is going to do. If he says it's there and you'll have it in 3 days. You will. It's my experience Mike treats everyone that way customer and vendor alike.
So have confidence. I think this is a solid piece everyone can enjoy!
Now the car I drive is a far cry from a 700-1000hp evo. But so are most of the evo's on here. There are many in the 400-500hp range, and many more in the 300-400hp range. This review is for you guys in between.
The big HP guys still running the original suspension/drivetrain layout already know the benefits of knocking 16lbs off the driveshaft, eliminating a mount, and straightening the line between the transfer case and rear end will improve consistency out of the hole, and eliminate some of the lag between CB's and the crap that can cause.
But I really think there are benefits in something like this for the guys in between. The d/s is noticeable from the first time you pull out from a stop. Even more noticeable the first time you nail it from a rolling punch. Power comes on flat without the rear end chug as 3 pieces of spinning metal come into sync. I used to think it was just the lockup profiles on the ACD t/c that did that. It's not. It's all the slop in the factory drive train... both mounts and shaft joints.
I have poly rear end / mustache bar bushings and already had beatrush d/s bushings before I got the alu d/s from Mike. I was already attempting to knock this slop out of the car. The bushings killed the thunk in the back end, but there was still some lag which again, I always associated with the ACD. I was wrong. Very wrong. (Well not too wrong I did go after for this d/s with some of that in mind.
) This put an end to it once and for good. The car accelerates flat out without any of the disconnected / connected feeling from the back end. I can see this being a benefit for anyone who road course or autoX races. It makes the car a little more predictable every time you stab the throttle when the car is already rolling. The weight difference is noticeable too. Coming from a car that was already pretty dialed in, and had been driven that way for months. The first time you pull out from a stop you are going to notice the change in weight. It takes less revs to get the car going, and pulls out cleaner. The nice thing is this is permanent. It happens every time the car is moving, so whether you are getting groceries, going head's up from a stop light, or at the track. Getting that fat ol' evo booty haulin' just got a little easier.
The next thing you'll notice if you are brave enough to dip into the throttle and keep it there in the higher gears, is increased acceleration. At WOT speeds in 5th gear there is a noticeable change in the rate of gain. It takes less throttle to get moving, and when it's pinned... there is less weight to spin taking some of the AWD losses away. With a turbo that will pull through redline, the car feels more powerful, even though it isn't.
Again, these are things any evo can benefit from. And with what Mike is charging for these I think it makes a mod that is normally priced out of the average enthusiasts hands, into something worth considering and attainable.
Fitment was perfect. Finish is perfect. They come polished and cleared, and I gave mine an extra dose of a heavy clear coat because of the horrible road salt and weather in PA. But in the warmer / and more friendly states... you should be plenty good to just bolt it on and go.
There is zero noise. Zero vibration. They come with indexing marks to align the shafts as they have been balanced before you will ever see it. And I have an RS and solid d/s mounts so it there were vibration I would feel it. I have 2000+ miles on this in the last couple weeks I have been driving with it on. Zero problems. This can be installed by the average guy as well. I didn't even drop my 3" exhaust. (I will note it even fits with the bullet muffler in place of the test pipe or cat, so there should be ZERO exhaust / drive shaft fitment issues.) While I would certainly tell you that you will have an easier time using a lift. You can do this on the ground with jack stands. For that I recommend jacking up the drivers side of the car only. HIGH. And that should give you all the access you need to crawl under and get the old one out and the new one in.
*remember... it's a 2 piece. You will need to bolt the rear on, slide the front in the t/c and align the marks on the d/s. This can take a few try's at getting it on the right set of teeth in the t/c. Then you lift the middle joint together and bolt that together. It can be a little tough, but nothing you cannot do by yourself. I'm not a big guy, and I had no problems doing it myself.*
I'd also like to thank Mike for keeping up on this. He is an easy guy to deal with, as he does what he says he is going to do. If he says it's there and you'll have it in 3 days. You will. It's my experience Mike treats everyone that way customer and vendor alike.
So have confidence. I think this is a solid piece everyone can enjoy!
Jul 15, 2009, 01:04 PM
#4
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I really feel this is a benefit to anyone who enjoys their car. And while I wouldn't put it ahead of basic mods, I really think Mike did a great job making a part like this more accessible to a larger audience with his pricing. Without sacrificing quality, or customer service.
And when I say this is a d/d car, I mean it. It goes wherever I go. Winter, summer, track, back roads at 10/10th's. (and sometimes 13/10th's...) Just like most of you. I've tried to keep it a fairly balanced car, and purely enjoyable. While everyone's tastes may differ, noise, what power level is good enough, how turny is turny enough... etc. I think this was a really nice way to round out what I had started above. (bushings, mount bushings etc) To knock the slop out of the car.
The only concession with this mod is money. You don't have to give anything else up. In a world of trade off's - power vs reliability, handling vs ride quality, and where the best is usually the best because of it's proficiency in both... (which equates to an enormous price tag) this one is fairly priced, a nice solid benefit. And no negative trade offs.
I was on the fence initially too, this isn't a shiny alluring turbo, or some magic device to give you eleventy million hp's. So I kept telling myself I didn't NEED it. And I was right, I didn't NEED it. But the benefits are there whether you just go for a spirited drive down your favorite back road, or have more serious aspirations for the car. Something that takes stress and weight off my car every time my car is rolling starts to add to a bigger picture. The fact it knocked the slop out of the d/t just was icing on the cake.
So if you are on the fence. Get off of it.
And when I say this is a d/d car, I mean it. It goes wherever I go. Winter, summer, track, back roads at 10/10th's. (and sometimes 13/10th's...) Just like most of you. I've tried to keep it a fairly balanced car, and purely enjoyable. While everyone's tastes may differ, noise, what power level is good enough, how turny is turny enough... etc. I think this was a really nice way to round out what I had started above. (bushings, mount bushings etc) To knock the slop out of the car.
The only concession with this mod is money. You don't have to give anything else up. In a world of trade off's - power vs reliability, handling vs ride quality, and where the best is usually the best because of it's proficiency in both... (which equates to an enormous price tag) this one is fairly priced, a nice solid benefit. And no negative trade offs.
I was on the fence initially too, this isn't a shiny alluring turbo, or some magic device to give you eleventy million hp's. So I kept telling myself I didn't NEED it. And I was right, I didn't NEED it. But the benefits are there whether you just go for a spirited drive down your favorite back road, or have more serious aspirations for the car. Something that takes stress and weight off my car every time my car is rolling starts to add to a bigger picture. The fact it knocked the slop out of the d/t just was icing on the cake.
So if you are on the fence. Get off of it.
Trending Topics
Jul 15, 2009, 01:12 PM
#8
Evolved Member
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I actually forgot abou tdoing this mod!! With everything else I've been trying to tidy up with my car so I can be done with it, but it's definitely one that I want & will do. Good review! 
Jul 15, 2009, 01:22 PM
#11
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No problem. I meant what I said. I think you did a good job with the driveshaft, and you didn't price it out of most people's range. That's an A+ from me. I think your customer service is worth mentioning. You've always been easy to deal with. And that's why I came to you about the drive shaft when you first started working on it.
Jul 15, 2009, 02:37 PM
#15
Evolved Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
-AWD's is lighter. Similar money, I want the lighter one. I'm already spending $6XX I want the 2lbs. In fact I don't care if it's 4oz. I'm already spending the money, I want the 4oz then.
-Core / exchange. $350 core charge is not a $1299 core charge. Mike will send the new one out, you put yours back in the box, and bam, done. ZERO downtime. Without having to have $2k tied up in a drive shaft for a couple days. Again accessibility. Plus Mike STOCKS them. They go out that day if he has them. No waiting.
(Make no mistake I'm not implying ANYTHING derogatory about AMS, at all. Just so nothing is misconstrued.)
-Mike, I know him. He bought from me back in the day and I know how he runs his shop so I expected good service from him. I also happen to like him and so I went this route.
That's about it.
