Coupler Cover ?

[PSweeney]

Hi Rooman, please can I have you opinion on coupler covers ?  What gauge material and how to make it neat.   Should it be a full 360 degree cover and what material should be used ?  I'd normally make something like this from 1/8" steel buit feel this would be overkill with a coupler as the risk of them coming apart and having parts flayling about like a UJ are very low. 

I was thinking maybe rolling  1/16" sheet into a horseshoe shape, flanging the sides to 90 degrees and dimpling for dzus fittings to a raised steel floorpan.  Would this be acceptable ?

[ss4]

here is what I bent up by hand.  .100 aluminumn.  hand rolled U with 1" flanges and dzus to the floor.  Torch annealed before I started the shaping to avoid cracks.

[PSweeney]

thanks thats exactly what i envisioned. 

[ss4]

thanks thats exactly what i envisioned.

I think it turned out well, functional and user friendly.  Now what will the experts say?? LOL

[PSweeney]

my thinking changed on this from being containment of the coupler to simply limiting interference with it,  ie from a boot lace or firesuit, hence I considered using lighter material but still in steel.

I like the floor pan too, I'll be doing soemthing similar but on raised pedestals as i have a fair amount of rake on the motor and a 33in tyre which puts the pinion up quite high

[ss4]

that was my thought as well more of a guard than a safety shield.  I would bet 1/2" would be the sfi requirement.

[dreracecar]

For all cars with driveshafts that do not contain universal joints but pass any part of the driver’s
body: Each end of driveshaft must have a full 360-degree cover of minimum 1/16-inch steel or
1/8-inch aluminum. Rear cover must surround the coupler. Front cover must surround the
driveshaft from the back of the reverser to the end of the splicer sleeve in the area of the
driver’s legs. All covers must be securely mounted to frame, suitable crossmember, reverser, or
third member.

I dont think that Dzus buttons qualify as "securely" but your tech guy might think differently.
I prefer covering the coupler as close as I can with round tubing. hard to tell from the pic but its a .125 wall DOM steel tube bolted to 3rd member

[dreracecar]

here is what I bent up by hand.  .100 aluminumn.  hand rolled U with 1" flanges and dzus to the floor.  Torch annealed before I started the shaping to avoid cracks.

So you took T6 aluminum and changed it to "O" (dead soft)condition. Would have been better to have bent the "U" and bolted angle to it in order to keep the T6 heat treat

[PSweeney]

thats cool, I like that, I have my anti-rotation plate bolted to the pinion support too.  The spacers you have standing it off the radiused portion of the pinion support would work out well, so too would using the studs over bolts.

Have you by chance got a picture of the other end of your shifter please ?  I'm interested to see how you locate and operate the other end ?.  I'm doing the same but I've inverted the ratchet shifter and hung it from the steering crossbars up out the way of my feet.  I have links going back to a guide plate on the center section.  I couldn't think of a cleaner solution which would allow the rod to articulate and still slide through it. 

[ss4]

here is what I bent up by hand.  .100 aluminumn.  hand rolled U with 1" flanges and dzus to the floor.  Torch annealed before I started the shaping to avoid cracks.

So you took T6 aluminum and changed it to "O" (dead soft)condition. Would have been better to have bent the "U" and bolted angle to it in order to keep the T6 heat treat

Just at the 90.  I wouldn't call it dead soft.  I looked at using 1" aluminum angle but by the time it was welded the strength would be the same.    So is there a definition of "securely" or just someone subjective opinion.

[dreracecar]

Some tech people could consider them "Temporary" fasteners. and you are still too thin on the material thickness  .125"

[ss4]

go figure wrong again.

[dreracecar]

consider it practice

[ss4]

what is the spec number on this?

[dreracecar]

general rules  2:4

  copy & pasted off NHRA Heritage rules  2013-14