I'm back into modding my 96 Z and was looking at getting an aluminum driveshaft for it as i go to the salvage yard Friday.....my question is...is when i'm at about 70 or so i have vibration from underneath my seat and it's always been there and from doing searches it sounds as if my driveshaft is out of balance (old steel crap) just wondering what years had them.....if it had to be LS1 or V6's also would work......and does it matter if it was an automatic or M6?



also for those who have got one out of I take it an LS1 car are all of them aluminum and does that help smooth it out at those speeds....what kind of price is a far price for one also?

thanks

 

All LS1 cars had the aluminum driveshaft, and M6 Vs A4 doesn't matter, it's the same shaft.

I will warn you that for 99% of the people it works wonderfully, the other 1% it doesn't fix the issue (For me it didn't).

 

That means that the issue originally probably had nothing to do with the driveshaft then. I agree the vibration problem is often pointed towards the common problem the driveshaft, when it could be any number of things. Also to reiterate. All 98' and up LS1's had Alum. DS's and A4 or M6 doesn't matter. Also I believe pre LS1 1LE cars also came with an Aluminum DS and I think it's supposed to be stronger than the LS1 shaft. A good price would be from about $120-150 bucks for an LS1. Expect someone to probably want a little more for the 1LE.

 

I paid $100 for mine. I got it from a wrecked 02 WS6 and it definitly smoothed out the vibrations I had at higher speeds.


Mike

 

the 1LE shaft from any car, either 3rd or 4th gen, will work. they are all the same.

V6 cars have 2 piece shafts which suck.
and not all LS1 cars came with aluminum (i once thought so too). i've been corrected by several owners who say LS1 cars that came with the 2.73 gears were steel.

i think it was either Psychocabbage or CapnPete who corrected me.

 

The 4th gen 1LE cars did not come with an aluminum driveshaft. The one folks call the "1LE DS" is the driveshaft from the 3rd gen 1LE car.

Dave

 

alright thanks guys.....so it has to be an LS1 car which shouldn't be a problem to find at this salvage yard......and i'm glad to hear that it doesn't matter if it's an M6 or A4 b/c mostly what he has is A4's.......can you physically look at it say from bending down under the car and tell if it's aluminum or not.....b/c i'd hate to have him lift it up and it not be aluminum

i know your thinking well it should already be off but where i'm from they just let you roam around the yard and find what you want then they take a tractor say for the driveshaft and lift the car in the air and i take it off myself...cheaper that way around here

yeah i'm pretty sure it will solve the problem...b/c i'm 99% sure it's the shaft

see if heard before the yolk on an A4 is shorter than on the M6's so i wasn't sure they'd interchange or not

 

LS1 cars with 2.73 gears DO NOT have an aluminum shaft......Trust me because i want one.

 

so i'm gonna have to basically look for an M6 LS1 pretty much....shew more work

 

1LE Aluminum
dr shaft are 2 3/4" Dia
LS1 Aluminum
dr shaft are 3" Dia

Both will fit a manual or auto.

 

LS1, A4 with 3:23 is aluminum in 2001. At least mine is.
Terry

 

Yepper, and you'll be able to tell it's aluminum just by looking at it. I still run my original 2.73 steel driveshaft w/no problems.

 

Aluminum shafts are very easy to distinquish. A steel one will most likely be rust in color, or if anything black. An Alum. will be silver aka "aluminum" colored. There is no mistaking the two. Also you can use an A4 DS just make sure the LS1 car it came with had 3.23 gears and not 2.73. Just crawl under the car and look at the shaft. Or look in the glove box for the RPO code.

 

Dont forget that your steel shaft is much stronger then an LS1 sluminum shaft.

 

what RPO code distingushes b/t 2.73 vs 3.23's for 98 and newer...is there a diff. code for each year after 98 or should the code be the same


yeah I know it's stronger but for now i'm not dragging my car...just got married ha j/k....but want the vibration gone


and then later on i plan on putting a new 12 bolt rear in and then i'll replace it with a stronger one


but if you guys could give me that rpo code that'd help when i go...btw is it only in the glove box???