Drive shaft facts?

[BigCars4Ever]

Well all this recent talk about AMMX drive shafts got me to look under my car and I'm more confused than ever. I have what should be a stock aluminum drive shaft with the harmonic balancer. The bands appear to be pink-green-green.

Does anyone know what all of the color bands are and what they mean? Or did Ford just mark these things at will with no rhyme or reason?

[Pat]

I asked that question of Steve Babcock, project manager of the Marauder. and he said the bands are for manufacturing and assembly Identification purposes and are color coded based on a number of variants.

You can view his full response on MCM site, Q&A for Steve Babcock forum.

So, for us the consumer, they hold no special meaning.

Regards,

[chader]

so can somone recap all this?
MM... comes with
CVPI .....comes with
and the after market Deltech? is?


I am sure I can go back and read the thread but I start to get side tracked and confuse myself.

[Georges93LX]

This was posted up in the for sale section.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56131

[BigCars4Ever]

That's the reason for this post. I think that the assumption that the color bands are the identifier of AMMX is inaccurate because I have seen too many different color combinations listed between here and CVN.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I am going by a factory TSB and also having looked at different stock application shafts myself.

http://www.p71interceptor.com/rearsprings/tsb99181.pdf

Pink/Green or Pink/Green/Blue is MMC

Stock marauder shaft should be pink/blue/orange

The colors fade over time and are hard to tell sometimes but the green stripe on the MMC shaft and the orange stripe on the regular aluminum shaft don't seem to fade so it makes it pretty easy to tell which is which.

If you have a balancer on it, its gotta be a non P71 shaft, none of the P71 shafts used a balancer on their MMC or non MMC shafts. I have both P71 MMC and plain aluminum shafts in the basement and also a couple stock Marauder shafts.
This is straight from Ford, I'm not making it up

I don't know what the guys over at cash-for-clunkers central posted re: the color bands, but the info I have read on this board has always consistently pointed out the pink/green and pink/green/blue color bands being MMC, I never saw anyone post otherwise from the threads I have dug through.

[RacerX]

Mine is Pink/Green with no harmonic balancer. Like I said in the other thread though, the police probably upgraded since it was used as a cruiser. Also noticed my baby runs smooth as silk at 125mph! She had room to go, but, that's already too fast for any public place.

[Dragcity]

Well, mine is Pink/Green/Green and I don't know about the balancer. Aluminum shaft for sure. What's the "Balancer" look like???

There are steel disks at each end of the shaft, but each is no larger than the shaft's diameter.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Looks like you pink/green/green guys are 04s. I know the 03 plain aluminum Marauder shafts for sure are pink/blue/orange and so are the cruiser aluminum shafts I have gotten my hands on and looked at pics of on ebay. Never looked at an 04 stock D/S. Maybe someone else can confirm. But if it has a balancer on it like so

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/techarticles/images/tr018f.jpg


its definitely not a P71 shaft of any sort which would include the MMC shaft.

[Dragcity]

I cannot see a pic, just a red X in a white box in a grey box.....

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I tried from 2 different computers and I can see the pic, not sure whats up? Here it is re hosted from my photo account

http://mistersteve.smugmug.com/photos/625237931_GYCuP-O.jpg

[chader]

my car is an 03, has pink/green/green stripes, and I asume the balancer but never looked for it?

[RacerX]

My wife says "nice shaft!" J/K! :D Now we can see the pic!

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I can see where you pink/green/green guys are confused as I can't find any info on that shaft. It's safe to say its not a P71 shaft if its stock on your car and it has a balancer. It's probably an alternate stock shaft, weird. Can anyone pull a part # off the pink/green/green driveshaft? I can compare it to part #s on the pink/blue/orange shafts I have

[Dragcity]

In that pic, the disk it wayyyyyy bigger, like I said, mine has disks that are no larger than the diameter of the shaft itself.

Where's the part number stamnped? I can go look...

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

that pic is a mustang shaft I am using for reference. Let me check my photo acct for a pic of an actual Marauder shaft w/ damper...

The part # will be on a white bar coded sticker somewhere in the middle of the shaft

[babbage]

The info I have on the Alcoa MMC shaft is in my Signature. (Pasted below)

MMC = Metal Matrix Composite. The Composite is a special blend of Aluminum and Steel that Alcoa manufactured into driveshafts for Ford PI's in 99 and 1/2 of 2000. The MMX shaft made by Alcoa was a BLEND of metals which was 30% STRONGER than aluminum, yet it weighed the same as an all aluminum shaft. This is why those AMMX shafts are so sought after -- this is what I remember from my research about this.

MMC police shaft is about 1/4 lb lighter than the aluminum police shaft, and a few pounds lighter than the longer aluminum shaft. MMC is only slightly lighter than 6061 aluminum. Mild steel is about twice as heavy as the MMC.

My MMC feels feather light, especially after I removed the steel yolk and universals, it's only about 6 lbs.

MMC's elasticity is nearly 1.5 times that of 6061 aluminum, this allows the MMC shaft to absorb more drive-line vibrations. The issue with shafts is that they create ultra high frequency vibrations at high rpms, and they will eventually self-destruct. It also absorbs shaft "twist" much better.

The 53" police MMC shaft's critical speed is 9093 rpm, and the aluminum shaft is 7930 rpms.

I have no idea about the high speed extended run testing of the MMC? It will out run 6061 aluminum in every aspect, and is the best alternative aside from carbon fiber for our cars. Carbon fiber is as good an improvement over the MMC as the MMC is over the 6061, and it brings the rpms up to about 12-13000 rpms at critical speed.

Note: critical speed is a max, if you reach it, your shaft can become a deadly projectile.

For those who would like to tell whether a driveshaft is MMC or not:

MMC - found on most (not all) 1999 and 2000 P71's - has pink and green stripes running around the shaft, and if you look carefully in small black print you will see the letters "MMC"

Aluminum - on all other P71's - markings vary by year but 1999/2000 ones have pink/blue/orange stripes

ust go to a yard and pull one. Don't forget your 19 sided (err 12 sided) 12mm socket.

XW7Z-4602-AA MMC Driveshaft

MMC = found on most (not all) 1999 and 2000 P71's - has pink and green stripes running around the shaft.

Aluminum = on all other P71's - markings vary by year but 1999/2000 ones have pink/blue/orange stripes.

Just a note on MMC: The modulus of elasticity is 14.1 million pounds per inch2. The density is .106 pounds an inch3. Aluminum elasticity is 10 million pounds/inch2 and .098 density.

:D

maximum Critical Speed (16 inch wheels) - Ford internal data.
--------------------------------------
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 4.10 = 116mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.55 = 132mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.27 = 145mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.08 = 154mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 4.10 = 133mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.55 = 154mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.27 = 167mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.08 = 177mph


MMC = found on most (not all) 1999 and 2000 P71's - has pink and green stripes running around the shaft. Mine from a 99 had POLICE and a small MMC printed on the shaft itself from "door to door"

Aluminum = on all other P71's - markings vary by year but 1999/2000 ones have pink/blue/orange stripes.

[Dragcity]

The number on the UPC tag on my drive shaft is: 02M2060621 Banded Pink/Green/Green on the front end that goes into the transmission. On the end that connects to the differential, there is a splotch of yellow paint.

That's all I got...

I do have 4.10's and mine has not given me any issues at and above 140. I have maintained 110 with no vibration or other ill effects.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

ok I will check my UPC tag when I get home, on both of the marauder shafts I have. If it has ANY damper at all, its gotta be the stock shaft. It sounds like yours might have a smaller damper than the 300A's - maybe there was a slight revision for NVH or something like that (which in and of itself would be interesting). The PI shafts had no damper at all, none, just a straight plain yoke on the front end, and the MMC shafts I have seen would either have only two rings - pink and green, and nothing else, or some others had pink, green, and blue rings. I actually found a few P71 aluminum shafts on ebay that were color codes that I did not recognize and passed over them.

I wouldn't take an aluminum shaft up to that speed after hearing about people breaking them

Here is a pic of one of the pink/green/blue shafts I had (damaged but I tossed this one and have since found a good replacement)

http://mistersteve.smugmug.com/photos/625481968_BbqV7-O.jpg

[252life]

maximum Critical Speed (16 inch wheels) - Ford internal data.
--------------------------------------
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 4.10 = 116mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.55 = 132mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.27 = 145mph
CVPI Amuminum Driveshaft 3.08 = 154mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 4.10 = 133mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.55 = 154mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.27 = 167mph
CVPI Metal/Matrix Driveshaft 3.08 = 177mph




On a Marauder with stock driveshaft, 3.55 and 255/55-18 tires what is the maximum safe speed?

[RacerX]

On a Marauder with stock driveshaft, 3.55 and 255/55-18 tires what is the maximum safe speed?

It depends... Is that downtown main street or open highway? :D
I think I read about vibrations starting as low as 115mph, can't remember for sure. Every shaft will vary a little.

[JimmyXR7]

. . .Also noticed my baby runs smooth as silk at 125mph! She had room to go, but, that's already too fast for any public place.

You need to drive in Montana, Wyoming, or Nevada. That is what the Z (W) rated tires and 140 MPH speedo are for. The open road!
Jim

[Mr. Man]

Looked under the MM today and our '04 has the pink/green/green also. Did anybody ever figure out what the storiy is w/ the P/G/G color code?

[offroadkarter]

Looked under the MM today and our '04 has the pink/green/green also. Did anybody ever figure out what the storiy is w/ the P/G/G color code?



Means its an aluminum shaft, which it is... all MM's are aluminum

[Mr. Man]

Means its an aluminum shaft, which it is... all MM's are aluminum

Well we know that Ryan but in the beginning of this thread someone wondered about it and Strangerinthe blacksedan was triing to figure what if anything the P/G/G ment. I was just wondering if he had any success in finding an answer.

[offroadkarter]

Well we know that Ryan but in the beginning of this thread someone wondered about it and Strangerinthe blacksedan was triing to figure what if anything the P/G/G ment. I was just wondering if he had any success in finding an answer.

The P/G/G means its an aluminum shaft, thats it and thats all :P

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

I don't have any answers, my pink/green/blue shafts were missing the part# tags. My two marauder shafts do still have tags on them, I never looked though I haven't been too active on here lately due to spending a lot of time on my Firebird

I can try to weigh the bare tube of my MMC shaft and a bare tube of my aluminum shafts. If that works, then the very convenient way for you to tell will be to strip it apart and weigh it. LOL

Steve

[Mr. Man]

The P/G/G means its an aluminum shaft, thats it and thats all :P

Come down from the ledge Ryan:cool:

[jdenning002]

With all this talk about "shafts" are you guys sure you are on the correct forum???

No, just kidding, thanks for the info, very interesting...

I just looked at the 2006 P71 I am driving around (at work) and it is PINK/ GREEN/ ORANGE.... it looks like it has a damper on the front side...

[jdenning002]

I just looked under another cruiser, (04 P71) it also has PINK/ GREEN /ORANGE w/ a damper the same diameter as the shaft...

I will check one of the new 09 or 2010 ones tomorrow...

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Okay here is what I have determined.

Pink/green/green : Marauder stock aluminum driveshaft, not MMC, has a damper
Pink/blue/orange : P71 aluminum, not MMC, has no damper
Pink/green/no third stripe: P71 MMC, no damper
Pink/green/blue: P71, MMC, no damper

Most p71s have no damper, I have no idea what a pink/green/orange shaft with a damper is. If it is OEM on a P71 for 2004 and not a tsb replacement, it is not going to be an MMC shaft