Anyone tried this guys driveshaft loops?

["Turbo-T"]

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Looks like an RJC piece but says they're made in house...oh and no hardware included

 

[TurboBob]

RJC is selling the Metco unit, Metco is well known for top notch stuff.


The Metco unit is made from really good steel, powder coated and includes the required attachment hardware.

Note that the eBay thing is supplied in "Natural Finish" which means the picture is not accurate, you will get some bare steel part.

It is a better idea to buy stuff from the Buick specific vendors so they keep developing stuff for these old cars....


just my .02

Bob

 

[Royal-T-Ltd]

RJC is selling the Metco unit, Metco is well known for top notch stuff.


The Metco unit is made from really good steel, powder coated and includes the required attachment hardware.

Note that the eBay thing is supplied in "Natural Finish" which means the picture is not accurate, you will get some bare steel part.

It is a better idea to buy stuff from the Buick specific vendors so they keep developing stuff for these old cars....


just my .02

Bob

yep^^^^ what he said... if you figure cost to powdercoat and for GOOD hardware.... than add the supporting vendor factor.... there really isnt any comparison or question.... just my two cents

 

[novaderrik]

it bolts to the stock holes, right?
if so, then why would it need to come with hardware?
and a can of Krylon only costs a few bucks and will look good for a long time.

 

["Turbo-T"]

You have a point, just that some of us support a whole household on one paycheck so cash is tight....also but I was just curious. As for the hardware thing, because I would think the thickness of that over the factory piece it would require longer bolts.

I'll end up getting a Metco loop though.

 

[turbofabricator]

You will NEED longer bolts to bolt it up correctly. Also, you SHOULD use 3/8" bolts instead of the tiny 8mm x 1.25 stock thread size. I just tap the existing inserts to 3/8" and bolt it up to keep the NHRA guys happy. It "really" should be bolted to the cross member. I know a guy that had his RIPPED from the belly of the car using the stock bolts. Pretty ugly carnage ensued. He admits to using the short stock bolts though. (if I remember correctly) They probably only had a couple of threads engaged, and just pulled them right out. He stock bolts are REAL short for the stamped steel strap.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Wow. I did have a Kirbans loop once that came with bolts that fit the floor brace...but really they're not good enough to withstand if the driveshaft u joint decides to break?

 

[turbofabricator]

I "believe" that NHRA requires four 3/8" bolts to hold the safety loop to the chassis. I could be mistaken, though. Not sure the cheapo sheetmetal is capable of holding the thrashing driveshaft in there at 140+mph. My friend that lost his turned the safety loop into a pretzel at under 90mph. Broke the drivshaft in two pieces, came though the floor under the rear seat, too. Pretty ugly carnage. This happened 10 or so years ago. He no longer has a Buick.
I personally don't even feel good about using 3/8" bolts in the factory sheetmetal supports spot welded to the belly pan. Might be best to weld brackets to the cross member and bolt it there. Probably over-kill though.

 

[RKHiPerformance]

I'm aware of more than one driveshaft failure in which the damage was contained by the Metco loop. One occurred recently on a dyno pull and the loop did its job.
The Metco loop includes four high-quality fasteners sized to provide maximum thread engagement into the floor of the car. The ring is seamless DOM steel and is 2" wide.
I have a Metco loop on my car. I trust it.