Empi IRS axles

[Udo]

Anybody used them for dragracing Do they work ?

Udo

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

Are you meaning IRS? Are you talking about the stock replacement complete halfshafts, or just the torsional racing half shaft axles?

[Tomi]

I had the 15 5/8" ones in my car with Löbro 100mm cv's. I don't know how they should work but at least they did not break, the car was 900kg and did 10.81. After taking the car to long term storage I put the same axles to my Datsun with ca 600hp and CV's begun to break. Axles are still OK.

[Udo]

Yes that is what i mean , sorry for the wrong spelling . We found out if you go into the 11's with the originals they can break with the 100 cv's

Udo

[Bernard Newbury]

Yes that is what i mean , sorry for the wrong spelling . We found out if you go into the 11's with the originals they can break with the 100 cv's

Udo

Udo, I went through a time a few years ago when I would break a set of axels every meeting.

[Tufty65]

I've used 17 1/2 ones on my bus with hard launches and they never failed,

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

Empi has an entire driveline division that makes halfshafts for more than just VW's. I don't know of any manufacture that makes an OEM replacement halfshaft that is equal to, or better than the factory part it's replacing. If you've made it deep into the 12's without issue on the stock replacement ones designed for 60hp, I'd consider that above average. There were some off-roaders that seem as if they could break a crowbar in a sandbox that were not having any issues breaking the Empi 100mm "race" cv's with the chromoly cages, and the Empi performance torsional axles.

It's like everything else in the hobby, there are varying levels of quality/price with parts. The Empi HD swing axles are a good bang for the buck. Much stronger than stock, and could take a good amount of abuse with a NA car, or mild turbo. If you were pushing the limits, you needed to step up to the next level, most of which were double the cost.

[Udo]

No , it is only a car that goes into the 11's and will stay there . So it sounds as they should work .
Thanks for the info

Udo

[nicolas]

up to what horsepower or ET's do type1 IRS axles hold up and how far can you go with type2 axles?

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

Type 1, and 2 joints usually fail before the axle that connects them. I know a few that are using OEM VW axles from a Thing with the Thing joints past 200hp into the 11's. I've broken Type 1 Lobro CV joints with 115 hp at the wheels. I seem to recall Richie using 100mm 944 Porsche joints on the floorpan car when it started to dip into the 9's. Maybe he can weigh in on this. A set of the 944, or Thing joints and an Empi axle will hold up to quite a bit. If your in question, bite the bullet for some 300m axles, and 930 CV's. What is your E.T. goal? Keep in mind each improvement you make effects something else. Improving something most likely will move the weak link to something else, ultimately ending at the ring & pinion with a Type 1 transaxle.

[Fiatdude]

I ran the type 2 CV's and 11.5" axles on the Fiat with no problems

I have Empi 930 CV's and axles on the ghia with no problems so far

[richie]

 I seem to recall Richie using 100mm 944 Porsche joints on the floorpan car when it started to dip into the 9's. Maybe he can weigh in on this.

Geoff you are correct, I went best of 9.70s with them, just normal aftermarket Lobro[think that's the brand, was 16 years ago I bought them] 944 cvs, and type 1 white aftermarket no name axles, finally broke a cage in one cv at SCC so went to 930s, those axles and cvs[ broken one replaced] are still in use today in a friends 67

[Bruce]

Richie, how would you rate the 100mm Bus CV compared to the 944/Type 181/Type 4 CV?

[richie]

Richie, how would you rate the 100mm Bus CV compared to the 944/Type 181/Type 4 CV?

The only ones I ever used were the 944 version , I have seen plenty of lighter less powerful cars break the bus version[ Bay and vanagon cvs] so would only use the 944 ones, new or used

cheers Richie

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

I was once told the larger balls of a Bus CV were able to distribute the load over a greater surface area, and were considered better. It was only after the off-road customer base I used to deal with needed the Thing CV's with the smaller balls for the greater deflection angle did I find out they were the stronger of the two. The off-roaders went through many more Bus CV's than the Thing ones. I have seen a center section, or two crack in a broken CV, but most of the time only the cage breaks. The Thing/944 CV's have a thicker cage due to the fact the balls are smaller than a standard Bus CV. Unfortunately not to many make any type of performance chromoly cage for a Thing/944 joint. Maybe they are simply not needed.