Indexing

[absintheisfun]

Anyone ever heard of indexing the drive line? My mechanic buddy told me it was important when you start making significant power. I have never heard of it, but then again my knowledge is in 50 year old carbed power.

So who knows what indexing is?

 

[Captain Morgan]

Re: Indexing

the only time Ive heard "indexing" used in terms of driveline components is when you remove items, like a driveshaft or propshaft, you would mark its orientation with the flange or spline it was mated to, that way you could install it in the exact same position it was originally installed in.

other than that, I have no clue. :lol:

 

[MRKING]

Re: Indexing

isnt that what people do with their spark plugs? line them all up the same ?

 

[Captain Morgan]

Re: Indexing

isnt that what people do with their spark plugs? line them all up the same ?

yeah, but spark plugs arent part of your drive line :tup:

 

[MRKING]

Re: Indexing

So your saying i only helped him as much as you did .:rotf:

:lol:

 

[Captain Morgan]

Re: Indexing

So your saying i only helped him as much as you did .:rotf:

:lol:

far less.

mine was at least on topic :tup:

 

[i8av8]

Re: Indexing

So your saying i only helped him as much as you did .:rotf:

:lol:

that was funny mrking, but captain morgan made a very good point:tup::2cents:

 

[absintheisfun]

Re: Indexing

What he told me was that from the factory, all cars have the driveline off center a few 1,000ths of an inch...this deviance from 00.00 on center is enough to strain and potentially wreck a transmission once power levels go higher than stock.

Basically it is lining up the engine, trans and driveshaft so that it is dead horizontal center of the rearend. Do you really think that a 1,000th of an inch would create that much strain considering the constant movement of the axle?

Like I said, this was a new one to me but I am far from "all knowing" when it comes to cars.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Indexing

I believe what yur talking about is making sure, first, that the yokes on each end of any piece of of drive shaft are directly inline with each other AND that the angles through which each joint operates is the same. What some will do is adjust the rear pinion angles so that under hard acceleration the angles match.

What will happen is if either of these things are off you will get a vibration that can be hard to locate.

See this link for a good explanation:

http://www.classicchevy5speed.com/files/Universal_Joint_Alignment_Proc_111606.pdf

As you look at the above remember it doesn't matter if the pinion angle is below the driveshaft as they show or pointed "above." It only matters that the two angles are the same.

 

[SikVSix]

Re: Indexing

What he told me was that from the factory, all cars have the driveline off center a few 1,000ths of an inch...this deviance from 00.00 on center is enough to strain and potentially wreck a transmission once power levels go higher than stock.

Basically it is lining up the engine, trans and driveshaft so that it is dead horizontal center of the rearend. Do you really think that a 1,000th of an inch would create that much strain considering the constant movement of the axle?

Like I said, this was a new one to me but I am far from "all knowing" when it comes to cars.

I think another part of this is adjusting the bellhousing pins if the crank isn't perfectly in line with the centerline of the trans.