Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Holley
Obviously the big advantage to the Aluminum shafts is the weight savings. However, to put it in perspective... A 3/8" hex shaft of 4" length weighs ~0.137lbs when made in steel, and ~0.048lbs when made of aluminum. A total weight savings of ~0.089lbs. Like I said it is measurable, however even replacing 6 of these steel shafts with aluminum gives us a total weight savings of 1/2 a pound.
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This was one of my main thoughts. For the added strength and relatively low weight penalty, why not just use 4140?
Follow up question, again as it relates to West Coast Drives: is it typical to just use snap rings or e-clips on the end of the shafts to hold everything together? It seems that there could be relatively significant side loads at times of heavy turning or impact. Has anyone ever seen a snap ring/e-clip give way?