Hendrix diff bushings and one-piece driveshaft

[larry_g]

I'm on my second attempt at installing a one-piece driveshaft. My last experience kinda sucked but I blame it on having bought a used one. I ended up chasing a vibration that wouldn't go away no matter what I did, so I went back to the stocker for a while.

However, the new Gulf Coast driveshaft that doesn't use adapter plates was worth giving it another shot. Although for that kind of money you'd think they could include the correct bolts.

I've already gotten the pinion angle difference to less than half a degree and ran a laser level to make sure the diff and trans centerlines are inline with each other.

The problem I'm facing is that the Hendrix offset differential bushings have the driveshaft so high in the tunnel it looks like it's going to rub and I haven't even tried to get the fuel tank shield back in yet either.

I had to use a little persuasion to get some more clearance to the parking brake cable bracket but I'm not seeing a good solution to gain clearance where the cable and NPP vacuum line bend around the fuel tank on the driver's side.

Have any of you had this issue and what was your solution?



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[Joe.G]

I can not answer your question as I do not have the Off set bushings installed yet. What shaft did you have before? Please post back about the difference with the Gulf Coast as I am dealing with a vibration issue as well with theirs.



How did you adjust the pinion Angle? Was it off from factory?


Thanks

[larry_g]

Originally Posted by Joe.G

I can not answer your question as I do not have the Off set bushings installed yet. What shaft did you have before? Please post back about the difference with the Gulf Coast as I am dealing with a vibration issue as well with theirs.



How did you adjust the pinion Angle? Was it off from factory?


Thanks

Hey Joe. I had bought a used GForce drive shaft that had the vibration issue. Those shafts used aluminum adapter plates similar to how the stocker uses guibos whereas the Gulf Coast driveshaft bolts directly to the flanges.

My car has always had some quirky vibrations and multiple solid or stiffer mounts haven't helped that but this thing sounded and felt like it was going to come apart at speed.

I had the shaft balance checked locally and it was fine. One thing I had noticed about it was that the U joints on either end were not aligned with each other so I assumed that was the root cause of the vibration and gave up on it. I considered it a lesson learned that some things shouldn't be bought used.

I have Detroit Speed engine mounts and had them in the lowest position, which effectively raises the angle of the transmission output shaft. I ended up putting both spacers back on each of the mounts to lift the engine back to stock height and get the pinion angles closer.

I have a real lift now which makes access much easier but I'm really trying to do this install once.

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[Joe.G]

I just got my replacement ( 2 ND ) Gulf coast shaft I have not installed it yet, car felt like it was coming apart with first. Stock shaft is smooth.

[larry_g]

Has anyone had to switch to the BMR differential bushings to gain driveshaft clearance over the Hendrix offset bushings?

I'm looking at the delrin BK026 as an option.

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[15SLVSS]

I just got my Hendrix bushings in as well as Gforce axels. I am waiting on getting the BMR lower control arms to do the work. I’m assuming I can use the factory drive shaft with the bushings but was questioning it since the offset is a change. Any advice before I move on with the work. I’m hoping all of this will stop the wheel hop to increase my 60 ft as well as adding tires.

[larry_g]

Originally Posted by 15SLVSS

I just got my Hendrix bushings in as well as Gforce axels. I am waiting on getting the BMR lower control arms to do the work. I’m assuming I can use the factory drive shaft with the bushings but was questioning it since the offset is a change. Any advice before I move on with the work. I’m hoping all of this will stop the wheel hop to increase my 60 ft as well as adding tires.

No problems with the stock driveshaft and offset bushings at all. Plenty of people have them with a one-piece driveshaft too, I'm just trying to find out what works best.


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[bstromback2002]

I had the Hendrix bushing with the gulfcoast drive shaft and gave up on trying to keep the parking brake cables from rubbing. I’d get them up out of the way so they didn’t rub and sure enough 100 miles later they slowly worked there way back to rubbing.


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[larry_g]

Originally Posted by bstromback2002

I had the Hendrix bushing with the gulfcoast drive shaft and gave up on trying to keep the parking brake cables from rubbing. I’d get them up out of the way so they didn’t rub and sure enough 100 miles later they slowly worked there way back to rubbing.


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I ended up trimming and reshaping the shield so it's not touching while sitting still. I painted the shield black so it will be really easy to see if (where) it's touching later under load. Unfortunately it's going to be a while before I can actually test it because I have other projects on the car that need to be finished before it's drivable again.

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[Joe.G]

Please post back and also let me know if there is any vibration. Thanks

[Eastbaycamaro]

I am dealing with vibration problems as well. I got the gulf coast 3.5 aluminum shaft. I sent it back and had it rebalance on their new balancing maching with seems to help a bit but I still get vibration starting at about 90 mph to about 110 then it seems to be ok at about 115-130. Right now I am running a steel 3.0 shaft and used a hose clamp to reduce the vibes best I could. It’s a lot better than the gulf coast shaft but car still vibrates around the same speed. I am running the Dana S60 with bmr toe rods, trailing arms and cradle bushings, and g force axles. I am starting to think that it maybe the axles because when I had 4:10s in the stock diff I had some vibrations when I installed the g force axle shafts. I sent the shafts back to them and they said it was ok, before I installed it on my new set up.

[Joe.G]

East bay see my thread, I am having issues with their shaft as well at the same sppeda, mine doesn't seem to go away though after it starts. You must have sent yours back recently if it was their new machine, mine was balanced bon the old and the new no change. They sent me a new shaft which I have not installed yet. We have talked a lot and they never brought up that someone was having the same issue as me.

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607616

[Eastbaycamaro]

Wow they sent you a new shaft. I am going to call them when I get a chance to see what they say. And yes I was reading your thread good read. I am thinking about going to CF but I use the car as a daily driver so not to sure how it’s going to work with the heat and road debris.

[Joe.G]

I have not tried the new shaft yet so who knows if that's the issue or not.