UPDATE
We have had several emails regarding concerns about the way we balance our shafts as well as parts availability in future. After a discussion with our lead engineer, I would like to address these concerns:
- To date, we have invested 7 figures into our carbon driveshaft project (parts & machines), mainly due to commitments to our oem contracts. Although we may stop offering the BMW driveshafts directly to the end-user (we "possibly" may still offer them at MSRP on our website, but we will not be running anymore GB's), we will still offer them to our vendors (private label) due to our commitment to expanding our product range.
This includes:
- BMW E46 M3
- BMW 1M
- BMW E9X (335i and M3)
- BMW F3X (335i)
- BMW F8X
- BMW Z4
- Ford Mustang
- Subaru WRX/STi
- Toyota GT86
- Toyota Supra
so to answer your question(s), we will still have a continuing supply of parts available for warranty purposes. That you do not need to worried about.
With regards to the balancing weights:
- Our new v3 driveshaft uses a UD carbon structure which consists of around 20 layers of carbon fabric (versus the monofilament weave of v1/v2). The reason for choosing UD is because it is both structurally stronger and more impact resistant. The downside of UD is that it is extremely difficult to balance correctly (the v1/v2 were much easier to balance), especially when balancing at 8K+ rpm, hence the requirement of extra weights on the exterior surface
- The balancing and vibrational machines that we use are state-of-the-art and can tell us the precise position of any imbalances. Sometimes, this imbalance can be located around the centre of the tube (more often than not, it is). This is why some shafts may have them, some may not. Every shaft is individually balanced (several times to ensure consistency) and will differ from each other
- Whilst the end weights can use rivets due to having metal (aluminium) on the underside from the flanges to keep the structural integrity, this is not possible on the tube proper as adding rivets will compromise the structural integrity
- We use a special high strength glue (imported from Germany) to bond the weight onto the tube. We have run a significant number of operational tests (including on unbalanced driveshafts that vibrate intensely) to ensure that the weights do not fall off
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us
