The Project Pad

ok so im down to coming up with a shorten driveshaft, i need soething about 5" shorter. i was looking for advice on motorgeek and couldn't figure out where everyone went so i thought id make a post here
so please share your ideas how to shorten the stock metal one..
i was hoping it was sleaved on the ends and i could just use a lathe to get the raw sleaved end out then cut shaft down and slide the sleaved inner end into the shortened shaft. but they seem to be press fit to eachother at the ends of the shaft. so i thought maybe make a sleave to fit inside diameter so it stays straight when i weld back together.


this is the first time i have attempted shortening a shaft so im not really sure whats the best way to do it.

here are some pics of my build. the last things i still need to make are the 16an coolant lines and a driveshaft.

my buddy welded this at his work for me so fwd might be an option LOL

If the ends are just press fit in, then just pop them out, shorten the tube and put them back in. We do things like that on a regular basis at my job(machinest). If they are spot welded in as well as a press fit, drill out the welds first. I havent taken the time to look at the drive shaft in my B3, so not entirely sure what all is involved to get the ends out.

this was my first plan that an end out, cut it down and press it back in and weld to the shorten drive shaft tube.

they almost look like its tube to tube press fit. not tube to cv or center end

I got everything done. I need to bleed brakes once more. change the oil again. and get alignment. I would love to get the driveshaft shortened this weekend.. I have NEVER been to Carlisle, I have bought tickits, and food, and camping 3 times and had either something come up with work, family, or the car and never made it the 3 years I paid and registered to go.. BUT THIS YEAR ITS ON... FIRST TIME EVER, the old lady and kids are going away that weekend with down to her grandmothers, so I am totally free to go.

since there are no sleaved ends on the cq shaft, which would have been my easiest and was my plan of attack for shortening this. I didn't get much sleep last night and after laying in bed these are the only options I can come up withl.. leme know what u think please or if you have any input on another route to tackle this. so I can go to Carlisle Quattro style for the first time ever..

(1.) cut the shaft and Remove ~5". then machine a 3" sleave that slides into each end of the cut shaft tube and weld back together.

(2.) cut the cv end off where meets the shaft tube itself. the spot I think looks like a press fitting. The first pic below. THEN machine the ends outside diameter to fit inside of the shortened cut shaft tube. and WELD

(3.) longshot but maybe if anyone has info on oem audi shaft lengths, if I can find one that is 4-7" shorter then a stock cq length I might be able to make it work. I can still move the motor about 1.5" front and back with the slotted motor mounts I have, and/or move the rear to fit the ds if I found 1 that's close,
If memory serves me correct I thought I Read awhile ago that v8 auto shaft was close to the range shorter I am looking for.. but I also thought they had a long nose rear as well.
I plan to keep the stock cq rear. it can hold what I need it too. its one of the smallest lighest audi rears and I have a few spaires on the shelf.


Thanks in advance for any tips or advice.. I appreciate the help. without you guys, I wouldn't have the car I do now, I would have spent a lot more time and money just doing the trial and error route, which I certainly prefer not to Fucck with especially being a spinning drive shaft

Inside and outside pics. They look the same at each end front and back, both inside and out.
Is this pressed together or ?

--- In Option (2.) i thought to machine this cut end so the outside diameter would just tightly fit inside the cut drive shaft tube itself.

do you havea v8 driveshaft? have you thrown it up there and check potential spacer thickness?

No I don't have a v8 shaft.

In my opinion, I would go with option #1. But you may want to go with 4"-5" long sleeve. you need to make sure the 2 pieces stay as perfectly straight as possible, so the longer the internal sleeve, the easier that will be. I think this will be the easiest/fastest/strongest route to take. Just make sure that you have a good "V" between the 2 pieces, and spot weld the sleeve into the shafts. Also, mark the shaft before you cut it, with will when you put it back together. The closer to the original orientation the less they will have to balance out.

I have fixed a few pump shafts this way, so I know it works, and should hold up.

Honestly, bring it to a driveline shop. Let them shorten and rebalance it. It will be the easiest and wisest way. It shouldnt be more than $100 anyways, well over here in Idaho at least

AngryTaco wrote:Honestly, bring it to a driveline shop. Let them shorten and rebalance it. It will be the easiest and wisest way. It shouldnt be more than $100 anyways, well over here in Idaho at least

I was thinking that, but he seemed pretty set on doing it himself. Nothing more than what most DS shops are going to do. They will just have a setup available to do it. Also, with most shops, he may be looking at a 2 week wait time. Thats just how it is.

There's a shop here in Columbus that has been known to make shafts within 2 days of having them go ahead and start on it.

Damn I had no idea it would be that cheap.
I have searched around some but have had a tough time finding a shop that specializes in shafts. Also one that is capable of balancing it at a high rpm.
so I haven't made it to actually talking to a shop to get a price.

ill have to ask some of the muscle car guys in my area for any advise of a shop local

I just assumed a custom shaft would be big bucks like driveshaft shop ones are. but hopefully shortening the stock one will be cheaper..

I would never guess around $100, I was thinking it would be 4-500 just to get a stock one shortened/balanced.Then at that price u can see why i wanted to do it myself. but if i can find someone to shortend for even sub $200, its a done deal and ill be going to Carlisle

Like taco said just find someone who specializes in this and be firm on your price and when you need it. It's a pretty common thing to have done.

well goal for tomorrow is to find a shop that will do it for 100 or 2.

2 weeks to go.. there is hope.

on a positive note, I should have everything else ready this weekend and back to drivable, at least fwd anyway

That will be a fun ride home from the driveshaft shop, ripping it Quattro for the first time with this motor.

This thing is going to rip!

another late nite of searching the interwebs.

i read the 200 20v shaft is about 3" shorter then the 4k shaft, which is 1" shorter then the stock cq.

i need about 4-5" shorter .. anyone confirm this? i wonder if autozone carries a 200 20v shaft. id buy it just to measure it and see how close it is.

id really like to use a stock shaft over having one shortened just incase i need to replace it..

the other big thing is the shaft i have now that i could take somewhere to get shortened is 20+years old. so id have to rebuild it or buy a new one before having it shortened.
so the stock shaft idea just seems much more practical and i honestly would rather buy a fresh one vs trying to rebuild one

more research tomorrow and a trip to the DS shop as well as autozone

AngryTaco wrote:This thing is going to rip!

i hope so.. i have an mk4 gti vr6 with a 6262 and its just a cock tease with street tire and fwd. i cant wait to compare it to this Quattro vr6 with a 6766.

This is just so pretty. and its molly

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l40/bdcoombs16vt/IMG_1181_zpsy9hc7pcj.jpg

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boost_addict wrote:This is just so pretty. and its molly

So where did that one come from?

I found the best solution for me, from I think marc @ Vap motorsports who had a few done this way . he didn't make them but had a local race shaft shop do them this way with his provided cv and cut ends.

forget using the stock shaft tube and use molly tube. sizing the molly inner diameter to fit the stock outer diameter. use a cutoff end like in my pic above so ends slide inside molly. throw some new cv's in the mix and its a beauty. measuring is easy and if I ever want to swap to a long nose v8 rear or another down the road, it would be easy to cut the molly tube down again and put another end back on.

so now my question is whose got the hot deal for quality cv that won't break the bank.. this is a budget build don't forget.

Getting closer. tracking shows the last of my harness materials from vems will be here tomorrow and the 16an coolant lines are ready for pickup too.

if all goes to plan I could be doing break-in/tuning this coming week. and it gives me full two weeks to take the car to get the stock shaft done.

i feel semi qualified to talk about driveshaft parts.

i use a stock 4kQ driveshaft. and it holds just fine. held fine when other parts were breaking all around it in fact. and it even has a little dent/defect on it!

use your stock ends. i know i will try that to start if i were going to have one made.

your qualified, i think asked your opinion over a pm when i first pulled the 1.8t and was planning putting in a vr6.

But ya i am sold on using a stock shortened shaft at the prices stated above. that's a no brainer, and it will easily handle the power. I honestly never thought it would be that cheap.

the molly 1 piece is more of a down the road idea. id like to do it as it wouldn't cost me much for the molly tube and decent cv's @ $80 each. then just my time. i like the idea of not having to buy a center bearing or ever think about it again. so why not make one if i can get it done for 2-3 hundred

this is cool i was told the Bentley says a 200 20v shaft is 1492mm long

which makes it roughly 4.25" shorter then a 5sp cq shaft. that might bolt into my car..i have some adjustment too when i made the motor/rear mounts slotted.

a quick check online, the local u pull it has two 200's. Doesn't tell me what motor or what parts are left but for $26 on their price sheet i think its worth a drive out there this weekend.