Driveshaft lengths (bare driveshaft lengths) ** wanted **

I'm just building a bespoke front end for my MK1 GTI. I'm using longer shafts so have been measuring them whilst doing it so here and some dimensions and observations. The shafts I have at the moments are, I assume, MK1 GTI shafts (difficult to be sure as the car has a long competition history so who knows what I on it). These measurements are quoted overall end to end +/- 1mm.

Extisting short shaft 442mm, push on outer CV
Extisting long shaft (spare) 658mm, push on outer CV

New short shaft (Mk3 diesel 1600) 465mm
New long shaft (B3 Passat 2.0 auto) 688mm

I used a mixture as the Auto short shaft (visually) looked shorter than the MK1 shaft so went for the diesel shaft as I knew it would have a 90mm inner CV that I might be able to salvage as a spare.

Now the interesting bit is that if you take those dims you would assume you would get assembled shafts (with identical inner and outer CV's) that are 23mm and 30mm longer overall, not true! I was checking it as it's critical to the dimensions of the various tubes and brackets I'm fabricating for the suspension itself.

If you them measure the dimensions between the machined faces that the CV's seat against you end up with assembled shafts that are actually 22mm and 25mm longer. It appears that the overall length of the shaft varies even between similar types, the critical dimension must be the figure between the two mounting flanges at is the only dimension that is critical. 3mm difference is fine as that can be taken up in the inner CV joint but 7mm was a bit too much for my liking.

Anyway though I would but this on here just in case it hadn't been highlighted before.

 

This confirms what I pointed out earlier Tony.

 

I was sure someone would have mentioned it but I reasoned that if i'd read the whole thread again I'd probably have got distracted and then forget to write the dims in . As you can tell Danster I sorted out some shafts

 

Interesting info, and the actual measurements of total length on this thread are indeed a compromise, where the backstop flange would be perfect, but it's still hopefully a very useful guide.

Read this earlier and couldn't quite get my head around it as I thought you were referring to CV length diffs.

If we were to do all this again (we should try and improve it!) let's start with Tony's numbers.

 

just been looking through again and noticed i had give the 88 16v and raddo the wrong way round
its been corrected anyhow,but to confirm my mistake (have the shafts in front of me now) the 88 16v is the 666 and the 5 stud raddo one is 682

 

heres a mk4 one for the list,mk4 1.9 GTDI 110bhp model W reg 5 stud,the short shaft is 456mm
it was replaced as it had snapped in half.the c.v joints are identical to a vr6 raddo too,and looking at the table the length is same too,so have a feeling the mk4 long shaft would be 682mm but thats a guess not confirmation

 

02M gearbox?

 

isnt 02M 6 speed? where do you look for the code ill find out next time the cars here

 

If it is 6-speed, it will be 02M

 

no its not 6 speed

 

Ok, probably 02J then. Can you get the code to be sure? It's facing upwards on the box case when you look in the bonnet, towards the front.

 

will do Chris

 

Ok, some shafts to hand now. Turned out to be a selection of mostly Mk2.

Circlip groove distance apart measurements now in purple.

If anyone has bare shafts to hand, these are the two measurement points to take from now on:

1) Total length
2) Circlip centreline to circlip centreline (the grooves are ~ 2mm wide).

 

1988 16v mk2 short total 432....355 backstops
corrado vr6 5 stud (not sure on year) long shaft 682....605 backstops
mk4 1.9 GTTDI 110bhp model W reg 5 stud short total 456....379 backstops (gear box code tbc)

 

Thanks Neil, info updated.

I will hold fire on the Mk4 until you have the code.

Interestingly, the Mk2 Golf short shaft is confirmed as the same length as a 100mm Mk1 Golf / Scirocco. Rubjonny highlighted this earlier in the thread here & here

 

Mk2 short shaft? Which one are you referring to?

The 90 and 100mm CV inners are different widths.
Shaft lengths measured need to take this in to account at both ends as there are thicker plastic conical spacers on some shafts too.
Circlip groove is where it is at.

 

Mk2 Golf - in list above. 433/355.

90/100 - known!

I was going to ask you yesterday about this. The actual inner CV reference appears to be the point at which the splines run out on the shaft. I had to go and get a spare inner CV to see what it looked like inside, and there were some flatted splines towards the outer (machined), but they are splined throughout. That's as far as they go, even if juggling washers around. So surely the inner CV ref point?

Outer CV: circlip, I agree.

My shafts are in the kitchen parts depot at the minute, so let's decide what's needed and measure up again.

 

If looking at all these shaft lengths from a hybrid or wide track conversion point of view, I think the circlips grooves at both ends are a consistent reference point.
You can just fit 100mm inner CVs on to shafts that were designed for 90mm CVs by leaving off one of the shim washers.

Some shafts also have a longer distance from the circlip groove to the end of the shaft by a couple of mm, others use a thicker conical plastic spacer behind the outer CV, this all leads to confusion when different folk measure shafts.

The circlip grooves are a constant though.

 

Dirty weekend at Chateux Danster anyone?

 

Ok, take two



Info now updated again for circlip to circlip positions & backstop info binned.

Neil, would you mind measuring up again? The circlip grooves are ~ 2mm wide, so measure from centre.