driveshaft alternatives

[sigmacon]

I'm tring to find a set of gt driveshafts for my conversion, without success.
If I found a decent pair i would use them or use them as cores for a pair of rebuilts.
Since I'm not having any luck can anyone tell what other Suzuki or other vehicle shafts are the same as the GT ones. Maybe I'll have better chance of finding an alternative!

[miniswift]

Have you had any luck?
If you are using mk2 engine and gearbox, let me know.
I havea set ready made by me for mk2 setup.
My engine and gearbox is mk1 so it uses different splines and it will not fit driver side.
It is 295mm in length and made with info from here.
It will be good enough for you.... I hope.
If you want it let me know.

Cheers
Atchi

[bigfella]

Hi all,

Well we've finished our subframe and got our Mk 2 GTi engine installed.

Here's a question about drive shafts...

We noticed that the Swift drive shafts are a bit narrower than the Mini's and the CVs are smaller.

We had thought that cutting Suzuki splines on a pair of shortened "long" Mini drive shafts was the way to go but it turned out to be expensive here in Wellington...and we remembered that the Cooper S had Hardy-Spicer universals using drive flanges, of course - just like the average conventional prop-shaft..

So we're going to try making "split" drive shafts with a sleeved flange fitting in the middle, one half a Mini drive shaft to go to the hub, and the other with a Suzuki one to go to the trans.

The sleeved flange halves will be welded both ends then put back in the lathe so we can turn on a centring spigot and hole for alignment. Flanges will use 6 x M8 cap-head screws to hold them together, one flange tapped.

The real advantage is that we won't have to dismantle the front suspension to lift out the engine....

Anyone tried this before?

Cheers

Ian

[Pete_H]

I'm making mine in a couple of weeks...gonna cut swift splines on the mini driveshafts on a lathe.
The mini driveshafts are 2mm longer than they need to be and plenty thick enough.

Might be able to do some more if mine come out alright.