Quote:
Originally Posted by VeloxEric
I was always under the assumption this was for NVH and costs but it could be for safety as well? I honestly have no idea.
No manufacturer of a one piece driveshaft will be testing a driveshaft in a head-on collision fashion, it's far too expensive. So I cannot comment beyond my speculation, which is below. But being a speculation, it is an opinion and from past experiences... not data.
The carbon tube would likely break in a compression loading scenario. I don't see a carbon tube surviving a crash if the engine gets pushed backward in the chassis. Carbon has great strength to weight but it does not buckle and remain intact like steel does when loaded past its yield strength.
Personally, what I see happening if this were to happen, would be the carbon tube disintegrating. Honestly, this would be much safer than a steel or aluminum shaft going downward into the concrete or upward into the cabin. Regardless, I believe the engine would be pushed backward "as designed" from the manufacturer. That's to say the manufacturers even design an engine to move rearward in a head-on collision... I have no idea what failure modes they assume, account for, and try to improve upon...
Regardless, do whatever you feel comfortable with and feel safe doing. I don't have the exact answer for you, beyond what I state above from my experiences with carbon and failure modes.
Thanks,
Eric
You should be fine  .
Thanks,
Eric |
Id like to put a little insight into the crash scenario and factory driveshaft design. I work in the collision industry. My dad and i run a body shop, and frankly put, if you are in a hard enough collision to worry about the driveshaft puncturing the occupant area, thats going to be the least of your worries. The other damage caused by that violent of an impact would have either long since killed you, ejected you, or if your lucky survived but in critical condition.
The front structure of our cars and other modern cars are designed to deflect an impact outward and around the occupant area. For the engine/transmission to have moved far back enough for the driveshaft to deflect from its mount point, puncture the occupant area and cause bodily damage is a substantial amount and would be measured in feet, not inches. My guess is the engine would come through the firewall before the driveshaft would reach a point to cause harm to the occupants.
Now with all that being said im genuinely excited about this. I fully intend to stay NA with my car and any and all reductions in rotating mass tickle my fancy. I love the attention to detail and clarity you provide about your products.