FutoFab CV axles

[zKars]

6 hours ago, madkaw said:

Would you elaborate?

on the axle price, say $300? $900 new but given the recent bad press I can seem to give them away.

on the datsunrestomod axles, I bought the version that have the snapin Subby stubs that are part of their CV axles. No need for another $350-500 for the adapters needed for the futofab cv's

Edited June 10, 2019 by zKars

[Jason240z]

1 hour ago, zKars said:

on the axle price, say $300? $900 new but given the recent bad press I can seem to give them away.

on the datsunrestomod axles, I bought the version that have the snapin Subby stubs that are part of their CV axles. No need for another $350-500 for the adapters needed for the futofab cv's

how much were they? Looks like they've just put their price up?

[Dave Patten]

I don't spend a lot of time on message boards lately, but found this thread and wanted to update folks that we have responded to the issues found with the WCR CV axle design.

FutoFab CV axle kits are not just a continuation of the Wolf Creek Racing (WCR) design, they are significantly revised and improved FutoFab product. The first way to identify the change is the ORANGE axles. 

FutoFab acquired the rights to the WCR CV axle design and has made several changes and improvements to them. Our most notable change is the introduction of a second, larger and stronger axle kit for higher horsepower cars based on the Porsche 930 Turbo 108mm CV. 

 FutoFab Type 2 / 100mm CV Kit Improvements

We use the same CV size as the original WCR axles, but that is about the only similarity. The following are improvements we have made to this axle kit. 

•  The CV bolt holes are tapped directly into the adapter allowing use of LocTite. WCR used Helicoils in their adapters which can back out and cannot be used with LocTite.
• Our CV Bolts are now grade 12.9 - M8x1.25 socket head metric bolts. They are drilled to use safety wire, which we still strongly recommend doing.
• We use a torque distributing washer under the heads of the CV bolts to spread the clamping force. Each washer spans two CV bolts.
• The CV bolt lock washers are now a SCHNORR washer. They have a cone shape with one-way serrated surfaces for a greater locking force than the original lock washers. 

 Since making these changes we have had zero complaints of the CV bolts loosening.

FutoFab also changed the outer CV adapter design to help keep the bolts that attach the adapter to the companion flange tight.

•  FutoFab's outer CV adapter has slots that captivate the head of the bolts that hold the adapter to the companion flange. This allows you to check that the bolts are tight (and tighten if needed) without having to remove the outer CV from the adapter.

Noise Reduction and Improved Driver Confidence

One of the biggest complaints FutoFab received about the WCR CV Axle design was the excessive amount of rotational freeplay within their system and the clunking noise it created. While operationally solid, it did not instill confidence that the WCR CV Axle was durable.

 FutoFab addressed this by minimizing the amount of rotational freeplay to nearly zero. And as a result, axle strength increased as well.

•  We changed the CV’s to ones that have tighter internal tolerances. This decreased the CV’s internal free play to the absolute minimum. 
• Our axle bars are now made from a larger OD, heat treated 4340 chromoly steel with custom machined splines. Each axle end is custom fit to the CV spline, further minimizing rotational free play. 
• By using custom made axles we added a hard inner CV stop machined into the axle. This eliminated the inner C-clip and groove that WCR used. This change makes the FutoFab CV axle much stronger than the original design was.

 

Detailed Comparison - FutoFab Type 2 / 100mm & Porsche 930 Turbo / 108mm CV Axle Kits:

While both axle kits use the same basic design, they are unique in most every detail.

Component	Type 2 / 100mm Axle Kit	Porsche 930 Turbo / 108mm Axle Kit
CV	100mm OD with six (6) 3/4” balls	108mm OD with six (6) 7/8” balls
Adapters	6061 Aluminum, natural finish	4140 Alloy Steel, satin black powder coat
Drilled Socket Head CV Bolts	M8x1.25, Grade 12.9, black oxide	3/8-24, Grade 8, black oxide
Boots	Bellows type w/steel base	High Speed type w/steel base
Axles, custom machined	Heat treated 4340 Chromoly Steel	Heat treated 4340 Chromoly Steel
Axle Spline Count / Diameter	33 splines – 1.06” Dia.	28 splines – 1.20” Dia.
Options	-----	CV Upgrade – German made GKN / Lobro Porsche 930 replacement CV
Targeted Horsepower *	Up to 250-300HP	Up to 650HP, possibly more

 

*Targeted Horsepower - Actual use (or abuse) has more to do with durability than the horsepower a component may survive. The targeted horsepower numbers are offered above as only a guideline and in no way are to be construed as a guarantee of our CV axle kit’s capabilities. 

Picture attached is of our 930 / 108mm CV Axle Kit w/Lobro CV's

 

 

 

[Zed Head]

Do you have any pictures and/or comments from an actual application?  Some of the CV swap problems also involve the size of the CV joint.  Interfering with other parts like anti-roll bar mounts.  You mentioned the boot, but pictures and real-world stuff are usually better than descriptions.

And your comments aren't on your web site.  That would help.  Good luck.

http://www.futofab.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=211:futofab-930-cv-axle-for-datsun-z-cars-wr200-differential&catid=38:datsun-drivetrain&Itemid=122

[Diseazd]

Dave.....Thanks for the update on your FutoFab CV axles. I certainly can attest to the fact that I have had zero problems with mine. Also, installation was a breeze and now, if I ever need to remove them, it is a ten minute job (just remove the 6 allen head bolts and you are loose). I have no noise and with well over 200 horses at the wheels, I feel like the strength is a big improvement over the old u joints. I guess there must have been some issues with the old WolfCreek design, but as far as I’m concerned, you’ve improved the product to perfection. The only thing I would suggest is some of your torque specs seem too high for the bolt sizes.....I wouldn’t want to break a bolt.

Guy 

[Zed Head]

29 minutes ago, Diseazd said:

Dave.....Thanks for the update on your FutoFab CV axles. I certainly can attest to the fact that I have had zero problems with mine. Also, installation was a breeze and now, if I ever need to remove them, it is a ten minute job (just remove the 6 allen head bolts and you are loose).

Do you have the new ones or the old ones?

I'm just trying to get some information. outside of the network of people who know each other.  It will help sales I'm sure.  Post some pictures.  Give some realistic appraisals of pros and cons.  It takes me ten minutes to get my car up and properly placed on jack stands.

[Diseazd]

According to Dave, I have the new ones (orange axles). I bought them in June.....you can see they are orange on my first post (100 mm).

Edited October 31, 2019 by Diseazd