Axle-Exchange One-piece Aluminum Driveshaft ~ impressions

[slates74]

Thank you to Mark and Mike of the Axle Exchange for including me in the development of the new one-piece aluminum driveshafts for BRZ and FRS's, it was a pleasure being a part of the process and bringing these to the market.
The install went extremely smooth and the difference is absolutely noticeable. The car accelerates much more smoothly while revving more quickly and the chassis in general feels more taught during on/off throttle transitions. The OEM Driveshaft weighs in at about 25lbs and the one piece aluminum came in at just about 12lbs.
Intro pricing will be $425 and these driveshafts can be purchased at the Axle Exchange in Fairfield, NJ or by contacting Mark at the shop at 973-808-2800. Pics will be up shortly at axle-exchange.com



Excellent customer service and an awesome product!

Manufacturing:


Next to my OEM driveshaft:


Installed:


And a shot of my BRZ in case you see me at a meet and have any questions!

[Captain Insano]

Does this fit fine without any hammering out of the tunnel? On past Subaru models the aluminum driveshafts (which typically are thicker than CF) will need some hammering in certain key areas so they don't rub.

[slates74]

Yup this was literally a 30 minute install, we jack the car up from the rear so that the front end was pointing down, unbolted the old driveshaft/carrier bearing, installed the new driveshaft and we were good to go. No hammering/modifying needed. I took the car out for about an hour after that without any issues at all. Very happy with the results.

[Grip Ronin]

oh nj? yes im feeling this upgrade,reasonable price. you go to edgewater thrusdays? id like to talk to u about it

[Squishy]

What are the U-joints and shaft rated for power wise?

[37]

Intriguing.

Any NVH issues with the aluminum?

Did you take note of the yoke construction? If so were they machined, cast, or forged?

[GTB/ZR-1]

Great weight savings!

[8686]

@slates74 Is there any vibration on high speeds?

[GT86drifter]

hows the noise level?

[suaveflooder]

NICE. interested in more info

[slates74]

Just got back in from another drive, very happy with the results of this mod.

No notable increase in NVH and no vibration issues at any speed. Feels as smooth as stock, if not smoother. Shifts feel more positive when engaging into each gear. The only notable change in sound is that the typical noise you hear from the trans at low speed even with the stock shaft, is slightly more audible, likely because of the hollow construction of the driveshaft and the one piece design that removes all of the connecting points of the stock two piece driveshaft. I only noticed it the first time I drove the car and really can't tell the difference now.

I can honestly say I can feel a difference in the way the car accelerates, especially now that I went out for a night drive and I'm not battling heat soak in the 90 degree+ weather.
Is it like adding forced induction to the car? Of course not, but it feels similar to the difference of driving with the AC off verse on in most cars. A very worthwhile and good bang for the buck in my opinion.

I'm not sure of the yoke construction but I'll be sure to ask for you guys when I drive down to pick up my stock anchor, I mean axle . I do know that they have MANY high hp mustangs and camaro's running their driveshafts, including a 1400hp mustang that's setup as a street car and have no issues with any of the components of the driveshaft breaking.

I feel this mod, in addition to the forged BBS wheels on my car that weigh roughly 18lbs a piece, do a great job of freeing up some rotational mass and allowing the car to rev more quickly and put more power to the ground. I'd love to do a 1/4 mile run in the car on a nice cool night and see what it does with these two simple mods since my car is completely stock in terms of I/H/E and tune. I think these mods plus 4.55 or similar gears could potentially put me in the high 13 to low 14 second 1/4 mile range but that's just a guess.

For anyone interested in calling the Axle Exchange, speak with Mark and tell him Sean referred you and he'll get you in on the $425 intro price!

Grip Ronin:
I haven't made it to Edgewater in a few weeks because everytime I do I get pulled over for no front plate but I can give it a shot if the weather looks nice one night soon.

[JimmyMac]

UUUgggghhhhhhh, more stuff on my wish list!! You bastard!!

[OrbitalEllipses]

Inquiring minds want to the know the OD of the shaft.

[JimmyMac]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Inquiring minds want to the know the OD of the shaft.

I think their website says 3".