Scratch Built in need of Transaxle ideas

[Bart Roberts]

It's a simple one cable to engage P-N-R-D Once in drive you are just controlling a solenoid bank and the lock up torque converter. The LS in this build was just over stock so in the 325-350hp range. It started life as a 300hp truck engine. We didn't dyno or anything. The stock 300m was in the 250-260hp range. Longevity has everything to do with how you drive it, weight of the finished car and traction. Heavy build weight, a lot of traction, and drag racing starts will surely spell disaster. Full throttle after you're moving along versus a stand-still drag racing kind of start is very different on a drivetrain. To my knowledge I may be the only one that tried it successfully. A guy on the forum built the adaptor for me.

 

[Sean Higgins]

very cool. thanks for the info!

 

[Neil]

It's a simple one cable to engage P-N-R-D Once in drive you are just controlling a solenoid bank and the lock up torque converter. The LS in this build was just over stock so in the 325-350hp range. It started life as a 300hp truck engine. We didn't dyno or anything. The stock 300m was in the 250-260hp range. Longevity has everything to do with how you drive it, weight of the finished car and traction. Heavy build weight, a lot of traction, and drag racing starts will surely spell disaster. Full throttle after you're moving along versus a stand-still drag racing kind of start is very different on a drivetrain. To my knowledge I may be the only one that tried it successfully. A guy on the forum built the adaptor for me.

An LS will be considerably heavier than the Chrysler V-6.

 

[Brian]

Wheelspin is your saving grace.

If you have a drivetrain from a heavy 3600 lb car, and you put it in a 2400 lb car, you have essentially cut the stress in the drivetrain 33%. Instaed of the wheels spinning at 3600 ft-lbs at the tire, they spin at 2400. Maybe more since these will be sticky high performance tires rather than grocery getter 60K mile tires.

Unless you get assy, with sticky stuff on a drag strip and neutral drop it.

 

[Sean Higgins]

Wheelspin is your saving grace.

If you have a drivetrain from a heavy 3600 lb car, and you put it in a 2400 lb car, you have essentially cut the stress in the drivetrain 33%. Instaed of the wheels spinning at 3600 ft-lbs at the tire, they spin at 2400. Maybe more since these will be sticky high performance tires rather than grocery getter 60K mile tires.

Unless you get assy, with sticky stuff on a drag strip and neutral drop it.

That is a very good point I had not considered. That gives me a bit more courage to go this sort of direction.

 

[Brian]

When I designed the IRS in my Cobra 14 years ago, everyone was still using the Thunderbird Pumpkin, and some were starting to use the Mustang Cobra unit.

Thunderbird parts were becoming scarce expensive as the factory 5 guys were buying them up, and the Mustang units were hammered. At the time, people were pulling them and installing live axles for drag racing.

I looked around and found the Ford Explorers were starting to get plentiful and cheap, but being a mom's grocery getter, not abused.

Better yet, the explorer unit as well as being much cheaper and redily available, it was a 31 spline 8.8 instead of 28, and aluminum housing.

Win win

 

[Sean Higgins]

When I designed the IRS in my Cobra 14 years ago, everyone was still using the Thunderbird Pumpkin, and some were starting to use the Mustang Cobra unit.

Thunderbird parts were becoming scarce expensive as the factory 5 guys were buying them up, and the Mustang units were hammered. At the time, people were pulling them and installing live axles for drag racing.

I looked around and found the Ford Explorers were starting to get plentiful and cheap, but being a mom's grocery getter, not abused.

Better yet, the explorer unit as well as being much cheaper and redily available, it was a 31 spline 8.8 instead of 28, and aluminum housing.

Win win

So which year explorer were you looking into? From what I can see, they use a traditional transmission / diff etc. Im needing to find a transaxle that will fit longitudinally behind an engine.

 

[Brian]

I'm sorry, this was in my Cobra, not really applicable to your project. Just telling a story to look outside of the box everyone else lives in and you can often find a better solution.

 

[Sean Higgins]

I'm sorry, this was in my Cobra, not really applicable to your project. Just telling a story to look outside of the box everyone else lives in and you can often find a better solution.

Ah, I see. Yeah, thanks. I agree. I've found a few options out there that may work well for my situation that aren't the 'typical' approach...My budget is sort of forcing my hand to think out the box lol

 

[Sean Higgins]

So, how much weaker are the 02-04 Audi A4 quattro automatic transmissions? I know they're technically CVT, but I mean, are they really THAT much weaker?

 

[PhillipM]

I've been looking at the Mclaren units lately, but I haven't found an off the shelf controller yet.

 

[Sean Higgins]

I've been looking at the Mclaren units lately, but I haven't found an off the shelf controller yet.

pricey, but i'm sure they could handle a fair bit of torque. I wonder if the turbosquid has any data to run one.

 

[Tom Sharpe]

Back to the 3.5L V6 Chrysler... It looks like you can use the whole package, engine and transmission and controller. If it's only 250 HP, live with it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/334532649395

 

[Keith]

Google search "Hilly Lotus Esprit" Audi 4.2 V8/01X transaxle and get a hip replacement.

 

[Erik K]

yeah for longitudinal and an auto box the Dodge looks great. For a longitudinal manual on a budget it's tougher.

Nobody has mentioned Subaru, why? Longitudinal, auto or manual, easy to convert to 2WD as done in the F5 919. I don't know how much power they can handle but some of the WRX kids are making a lot...