DRIVESHAFT BALANCING MACHINE/TECHNIQUES

[swaz2]

I am looking at driveshaft balancing techniques, especialy at how it was done in the old days... 30's, 40's 50's,...

Where does all these old machine gone? when did they start to use electronic and analogue meters?

Id like to find out one of these old machine, info, pictures, and/or build my own.

I am electronic engineer and rebuild antique cars as a hoby.

thanks.

 

[sbi]

I still have my sundstum stans besides a few home made ones.
the idea is to set the shaft between the roller stands and slowly rotate the shaft till it rolls back to the heavy side down, then we use small magnets and sma; strips from magetic signs. you put them on top and find your static balance, sounds crude but it works, a good low voltage wire welder is the best way to add the weight and be careful not to burn holes in the tube.

good luck

SBI
Central Ne.,USA

 

[samshen]

what sbi said is to achieve a static balance. But for the driveshaft, which is quite long than a standard flywheel, the purpose of balancing is not only to get a static balance, but also a dynamic balance. That means, the balance should be reached at several balance place to get a torque balance to the gravity center. This can only be done with a special balacer which is popular seen in a driveshaft manufacture.
If you can't find a balancer, maybe to reach a static balance is the only thing you can do. But keep in mind, there maybe still severe vibration exsits in your driveline due to the complexor unbalance.

Sam Shen
Clutch and Driveline engineer
Drive for the future

 

[swaz2]

Well, i am looking at something more advanced. I have started to build a jig to hold the 2 piece driveshaft that i have. I am electronic engineer so i started also to build a piezo g sensor with a stroboscopic light. I think i will do something cool. It will have an analogue guage (needle).
I may post pictures soon.

thanks.

 

[Tmoose]

2 piece, like having 1 ujoint at each end, but having a spline in the middle? You need a sensor at each end.

2 piece, like having 3 u-joints ? If I had to do the shaft as a unit I'd need 3 sensors.

Or have to move the single sensor around a lot.

I've done more than a little experimenting with a dial indicator checking runout on driveshafts installed in vehicles and then installed in big name balance machine fixturing.

Without some kind of control using adjustments or compensation the balance machine environment will always have a few 0.001s eccentricity, and can have more than 0.03 inch change in centering. The effect of .03 inch change in centering on a 2500 rpm driveshaft will make you enemies.