Powermax drive shafts

[Phil W]

Some time in its early life my +2 130/5 has had the orignal halfshafts and doughnuts replaced by solid items with CV joints. I've been told these were from a company called 'Power max'. Has anyone heard of them? I also could do with new gaiters for the CV joints but haven't been able to find anything similar at any of my local motor factors so if any advice would be appreciated.

[peterako]

Hi Phil,

How are you?

Sue Miller does 'Mick Miller CV Drive shafts'.

Have them in my +2, easily enogh installed and make a big
change. One is that you don't have to worry about Donuts
breaking. On the other hand it coudl highlight other things.
Like, in my case, worn UJ's....But overall a good improvement.

Sue's email (sorry haven't got the phone handy):

Susan Miller [[email protected]]

Once I started buying +2 parts from her I have never looked
elsewhere....price and service.

Best of luck.

Peter

[Craig Elliott]

Hi

I always thought that Powermax was a make/type of piston (but could be wrong). My +2 has sliding spline drive shafts made in the early 80's by (I think) Performance Unlimited - see photos. Could someone have confused the two?

I don't know what gaiter is used on these, other than mine only has them on the outer UJ. Just in case it is any use there are some mysterious references to UJs in the workshop manual that came with the car that refer to a QH part number QL102, and that they may be the same as the propshaft UJs. Not sure if this is correct as I've never checked but may be of use if you ever have to replace them (check they are correct before you buy though).

Regards

C

[types26/36]

I always thought that Powermax was a make/type of piston (but could be wrong).

No you are not wrong, Powermax is/was a stronger piston (forged I think) it was not a brand on its own and is/was made by by Hepolite usually used on compitition engines.
"Power Max" could very well be a maker of driveshafts but I have never heard of them.

[types26/36]

I don't know what gaiter is used on these, other than mine only has them on the outer UJ.

Craig,
Just had a look at your pics and I think the only reason it has one boot (gaiter) would be to protect the disc from grease in case someone got over enthusiastic with a grease gun, U.J.'s do not need a boot unlike C.V.joints

[cliveyboy]

Craig
The company "Performance Unlimited" did make drive shafts like yours in the 70/80s. Very similar to Tony Thompsons modern day ones.

Clive

[denicholls2]

As I read, he doesn't want to buy new units and has CV's, not dual-UJ's as in the picture. (although a dual UJ amounts to a single CV except for issues like locking at full droop.)

[Craig Elliott]

Oops hadn't registered the bit about CV joints rather than UJs- probably not confusing Powermax with Performance Unlimited then.

I did twig that he wasn't after new joints though, just included the info incase it was of use to anyone else...

FWIW I'd agree with T26/36/74's thoughts on the use of the gaiters in my case - they only seem to stop grease splatter on the rear disk rather than keeping dirt out. As a chip-in on the great elan driveshaft debate, they seem to have lasted well and don't seem to have caused too many problems in the upstream drive train.

(Doh suspect I may have just caused imminent failure of diff, propshaft, gearbox, clutch etc......)

C

[Phil W]

I'll try and get photos to put up! Delay in getting her back on the road after gearbox rebuild as now the reversing light switch has failed!

No documentation cmae with the car when Ibought it in 1985 but the seller could have got Performance Unlimited mixed up with Powermax when I asked about the modification to the drive shafts.