Felony Perfect Pass Carbon Fiber Titanium Driveshafts WORK!

[NYFelony]

Hey guys just wanted to post my feedback so far on these shafts. After I got those garbage titanium china ones off Ebay the car was out of control due to a warped shaft

I saw these Perfect Pass ones on Amazon and the quality is incredible it actually reminds me of a real carbon driveshaft used in a race car and I have installed many over the years in my shop for customers.

the fit was perfect the tiny mod to the rear brace was easy with a Dremel. The removal of the center bearing brace is way better and the trueness of the shafts and gears is so much nicer.

i took the car out today and it handles incredible it also puts way more grip and power down to the ground. Maybe the lighter weight and reduced vibrations work hand in hand

the car sounds different as well so much smoother. I also got 4mph higher top speed in the usual parking lot I run it in

the only crazy thing that happend today was my V2 SMC Graphite batteries got so hot they balloned like crazy and are pretty much junk now. I am thinking it might have something to do with how much faster and grippier the Felony was today with these new carbon shafts or just the batteries were on their way out. The performance run on our lunch break was SICK!

I am sold on these Perfect Pass shafts yes they are $130 but i do not think there are better options in this category. Now I wish they will make axle shafts using the same design and materials. I also wish there was a way to remove all the slop in the Arrma toe arms and hubs

 

[SrC]

Hey guys just wanted to post my feedback so far on these shafts. After I got those garbage titanium china ones off Ebay the car was out of control due to a warped shaft

I saw these Perfect Pass ones on Amazon and the quality is incredible it actually reminds me of a real carbon driveshaft used in a race car and I have installed many over the years in my shop for customers.

the fit was perfect the tiny mod to the rear brace was easy with a Dremel. The removal of the center bearing brace is way better and the trueness of the shafts and gears is so much nicer.

i took the car out today and it handles incredible it also puts way more grip and power down to the ground. Maybe the lighter weight and reduced vibrations work hand in hand

the car sounds different as well so much smoother. I also got 4mph higher top speed in the usual parking lot I run it in

the only crazy thing that happend today was my V2 SMC Graphite batteries got so hot they balloned like crazy and are pretty much junk now. I am thinking it might have something to do with how much faster and grippier the Felony was today with these new carbon shafts or just the batteries were on their way out. The performance run on our lunch break was SICK!

I am sold on these Perfect Pass shafts yes they are $130 but i do not think there are better options in this category. Now I wish they will make axle shafts using the same design and materials. I also wish there was a way to remove all the slop in the Arrma toe arms and hubs

Can you send us a picture??
Raz doesn't fool around. His stuff is always on point. Meets his high standards.
I'd like to see your setup there. The slop that bothers me most is at the Axles. I shim the outer BB's at the hubs. Still need a slight tick of play there however

Edited.
I use Teflon Tape wrapped into the Balls/Ends. This gets rid of a lot of that inherent Factory slop. Easy enough fix for me. Been doing this since my Track days as rods and ends wear and get sloppy.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Agreed the carbon shafts are very nice and do absorb some of the vibrations in the driveline.
For the drive shafts you can install the front CVDs in the rear also to remove some slop there.

For the toe links there are some mugen parts that help significantly. I don't recall the part numbers sadly.
I recall that @BashingBrian had a great build thread on removing slop found here https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/bashingbrians-infraction-build-sort-of.14088/.

 

[Diem Turner]

Can you send us a picture??
Raz doesn't fool around. His stuff is always on point. Meets his high standards.
I'd like to see your setup there. The slop that bothers me most is at the Axles. I shim the outer BB's at the hubs. Still need a slight tick of play there however

Edited.
I use Teflon Tape wrapped into the Balls/Ends. This gets rid of a lot of that inherent Factory slop. Easy enough fix for me. Been doing this since my Track days as rods and ends wear and get sloppy.

I put GPM hubs on the rear of my Infraction for some bodies and they completely remove hub slop. They just tightened everything up. They do, however, add 6mm which isn't practical for every application. I guess what I'm getting at is that the stock hubs are an area with a good deal of room for improvement and something worth looking into.

 

[NYFelony]

Here are some photos of my Felony and these shafts. My car has the Spectrum 160 ESC after I blew up so many of the 150 units. Stock motor, upgraded 45kg servo. Toyo 888 tires, Pinions I run 18, 20 and 23, Upgraded Motor fan which is a direct fit and works amazing I might post another thread on this to share which one I used. Perfect Pass Shafts and the aluminum side skirts which help a lot in a crash these are my 3rd set as i broke two sets from hitting a curb at full speed. Since the servo install my steering is having a tough time returning to center and i can not figure out why so i bought a complete steering assembly from JennysRC to see if maybe something is bent. Still wish all of the slop in the hubs and links could be more precise considering how fast and heavy this machine is. I am converting to a Limitless body soon when the parts arrive and I am going back to the white Hoons for some reason the last two sets of the Toyos have been horrible for traction. Got few new SMC Racing packs OTW as well.

 

[Dan B.]

Hey guys just wanted to post my feedback so far on these shafts. After I got those garbage titanium china ones off Ebay the car was out of control due to a warped shaft

I saw these Perfect Pass ones on Amazon and the quality is incredible it actually reminds me of a real carbon driveshaft used in a race car and I have installed many over the years in my shop for customers.

the fit was perfect the tiny mod to the rear brace was easy with a Dremel. The removal of the center bearing brace is way better and the trueness of the shafts and gears is so much nicer.

i took the car out today and it handles incredible it also puts way more grip and power down to the ground. Maybe the lighter weight and reduced vibrations work hand in hand

the car sounds different as well so much smoother. I also got 4mph higher top speed in the usual parking lot I run it in

the only crazy thing that happend today was my V2 SMC Graphite batteries got so hot they balloned like crazy and are pretty much junk now. I am thinking it might have something to do with how much faster and grippier the Felony was today with these new carbon shafts or just the batteries were on their way out. The performance run on our lunch break was SICK!

I am sold on these Perfect Pass shafts yes they are $130 but i do not think there are better options in this category. Now I wish they will make axle shafts using the same design and materials. I also wish there was a way to remove all the slop in the Arrma toe arms and hubs

Yo, are you a paid spokesperson? JK, but physics wise, any lower inertia component that spins rapidly is far more difficult to balance than one of larger inertia (much lower frequency in a very highly spinning component) and thus much more prone to failure. I would submit that if the drive cups in each case were well set up with no wobble then the slightly higher mass titanium shafts would do the job with less vibration/oscillation and almost certainly be much stronger.
I’ve resisted the urge to go with carbon drive shafts (center) for that reason. If I’m wrong here (it’s happened before) I would appreciate supported feedback.
And I’m certainly not saying that Raz doesn’t do good stuff, because he obviously does and his results show it. I just can’t buy in to carbon center shafts because…physics. I’m using Scorched titanium shafts in the build I’m doing now. Convince me otherwise?

 

[NYFelony]

Yo, are you a paid spokesperson? JK, but physics wise, any lower inertia component that spins rapidly is far more difficult to balance than one of larger inertia (much lower frequency in a very highly spinning component) and thus much more prone to failure. I would submit that if the drive cups in each case were well set up with no wobble then the slightly higher mass titanium shafts would do the job with less vibration/oscillation and almost certainly be much stronger.
I’ve resisted the urge to go with carbon drive shafts (center) for that reason. If I’m wrong here (it’s happened before) I would appreciate supported feedback.
And I’m certainly not saying that Raz doesn’t do good stuff, because he obviously does and his results show it. I just can’t buy in to carbon center shafts because…physics. I’m using Scorched titanium shafts in the build I’m doing now. Convince me otherwise?

ha ha i wish but I come from a 35 year machining and fabrication world for automotive racing and aftermarket product manufacturing and these carbon shafts are super well made. we install carbon driveshafts on high power race cars and the improvements they make for NVH, power transfer and launch off the line on a real car is substantial so in theory even on an RC if the shafts are engineered properly the benefits are obvious. according to Raz video his shafts are a bit lighter than stock. On modern new cars for example lets take a car I was working on earlier a new Camaro Zl1 1LE. the original driveshaft is two piece steel with a rubber coupler in the middle to offset driveline angle but with a car with 700hp it kills power transfer, a single piece carbon drive shaft from QA1 made a HUGE different in power delivery and launch and smoother at high speeds with less vibration coming into the floor. Kinda neat to see guys going to great lengths to offer this stuff for RC market blows my mind really. I have been using carbon shafts on my race and muscle cars since 2009 when possible especially when modified they work outstanding.

 

[Dan B.]

OK, I agree but I do think the most substantial difference you probably made was to eliminate the center bearing carriers and set up the shafts well. I can’t speak for the Chinese titanium shafts you tried, but I have to think that well balanced and machined titanium shafts would out perform carbon shafts of the same quality/balancing in this scale. The reason titanium driveshafts aren‘t viable on a 1/1 is because of the scale of the component. You can’t really have solid driveshafts there, and titanium tube of that scale doesn’t exist for a variety of reasons. The mass would be crazy in a solid driveshaft in a real car, regardless of materials used. We can get away with solid titanium (or steel, or carbon rod) because we’re of a much lesser scale and are rotating much less mass. And it’s important to note that even in our scale the speed of the rotation is equal to or greater than a 1/1 car.
And yes, I totally agree how mind blowing it is that there is this level of development of individual components in this hobby. That’s totally what sucked me in so deeply, also having come from a high level Motorsports background.
Carbon-tube, perfectly balanced driveshafts on a real fire-breathing drag car can certainly give me a chubby, but I think that taking advantage of solid titanium (quality) driveshafts have my vote in our scale.

 

[Diem Turner]

OK, I agree but I do think the most substantial difference you probably made was to eliminate the center bearing carriers and set up the shafts well. I can’t speak for the Chinese titanium shafts you tried, but I have to think that well balanced and machined titanium shafts would out perform carbon shafts of the same quality/balancing in this scale. The reason titanium driveshafts aren‘t viable on a 1/1 is because of the scale of the component. You can’t really have solid driveshafts there, and titanium tube of that scale doesn’t exist for a variety of reasons. The mass would be crazy in a solid driveshaft in a real car, regardless of materials used. We can get away with solid titanium (or steel, or carbon rod) because we’re of a much lesser scale and are rotating much less mass. And it’s important to note that even in our scale the speed of the rotation is equal to or greater than a 1/1 car.
And yes, I totally agree how mind blowing it is that there is this level of development of individual components in this hobby. That’s totally what sucked me in so deeply, also having come from a high level Motorsports background.
Carbon-tube, perfectly balanced driveshafts on a real fire-breathing drag car can certainly give me a chubby, but I think that taking advantage of solid titanium (quality) driveshafts have my vote in our scale.

This is actually an experiment I've been thinking about doing to see how they compare head to head. I have a set of the PP V2 CF shafts and a set of Island Hobby Nut Ti shafts. On that note, I'd be curious as to both of your suggestions how best to conduct such an experiment. What would be the best way to compare them so that I wind up with metrics that could be compared to one another in some objective fashion? Speed running? Drag pulls? Both? Any input from you two (or anyone else for that matter) would be greatly appreciated so that we can all gain the maximum value information from this test.

 

[Dan B.]

This is actually an experiment I've been thinking about doing to see how they compare head to head. I have a set of the PP V2 CF shafts and a set of Island Hobby Nut Ti shafts. On that note, I'd be curious as to both of your suggestions how best to conduct such an experiment. What would be the best way to compare them so that I wind up with metrics that could be compared to one another in some objective fashion? Speed running? Drag pulls? Both? Any input from you two (or anyone else for that matter) would be greatly appreciated so that we can all gain the maximum value information from this test.

I’d say speed running, because you’re talking much longer, higher, and smoother RPM runs. In drag, it’s 100% balls out right off the line and a wicked short run. For gauging smoothness in either case though one would have to set up all diffs perfectly without the wildly wobbly Arrma drive cups, and certainly without the center drive bearing carriers of the Limitless. If you decide to indeed run a comparison keep us posted!
I’m not by any means positive, but I feel as though the Scorched titanium shafts will stand out.
And aren't the Island Hobby Nut shafts the Scorched units? I know they’re one of the only vendors stateside that stock their products.

 

[Diem Turner]

I’d say speed running, because you’re talking much longer, higher, and smoother RPM runs. In drag, it’s 100% balls out right off the line and a wicked short run. For gauging smoothness in either case though one would have to set up all diffs perfectly without the wildly wobbly Arrma drive cups, and certainly without the center drive bearing carriers of the Limitless. If you decide to indeed run a comparison keep us posted!
I’m not by any means positive, but I feel as though the Scorched titanium shafts will stand out.
And aren't the Island Hobby Nut shafts the Scorched units? I know they’re one of the only vendors stateside that stock their products.

Speed running I can do. I'm no expert so I can't guarantee that my diffs are set up "perfect". But since I'm running a spool diffs shouldn't factor in that much. I'm running a Joe Diaz spool, Scorched input cups, stock diffs but everything is new and outfitted with ceramic bearings (the entire car is fully kitted with ceramics), Scorched Ti dog bones and CVDs. So my drivetrain is pretty solid throughout. IHN does carry the Scorched stuff but it appears they make their own drive shafts now (but they do look exactly like the Scorched shafts).
And, FWIW, the diff output cups themselves aren't wobbly. I've discovered that after a while the diffs themselves begin either, sitting a bit looser in the gearbox housing OR the diff cover doesn't snug down on the diff bearings as tight as it should. I was able to remedy the wobble with a strip or two of duct tape on the curved area of the diff cover that sits on the bearing. Wobble gone.

I'll definitely do a head-to-head shootout to see what's what. Maybe I'll incorporate it into the Duke Nukem 3S speed run challenge. Could be interesting to see if they make a difference towards the end, I've just really been enjoying the smoothness of the PP CFs.

 

[Dan B.]

Speed running I can do. I'm no expert so I can't guarantee that my diffs are set up "perfect". But since I'm running a spool diffs shouldn't factor in that much. I'm running a Joe Diaz spool, Scorched input cups, stock diffs but everything is new and outfitted with ceramic bearings (the entire car is fully kitted with ceramics), Scorched Ti dog bones and CVDs. So my drivetrain is pretty solid throughout. IHN does carry the Scorched stuff but it appears they make their own drive shafts now (but they do look exactly like the Scorched shafts).
And, FWIW, the diff output cups themselves aren't wobbly. I've discovered that after a while the diffs themselves begin either, sitting a bit looser in the gearbox housing OR the diff cover doesn't snug down on the diff bearings as tight as it should. I was able to remedy the wobble with a strip or two of duct tape on the curved area of the diff cover that sits on the bearing. Wobble gone.
View attachment 228654

I'll definitely do a head-to-head shootout to see what's what. Maybe I'll incorporate it into the Duke Nukem 3S speed run challenge. Could be interesting to see if they make a difference towards the end, I've just really been enjoying the smoothness of the PP CFs.

The duct tape idea is a good one. I’m building a Typhon now that will have GP5 diffs with Tekno drive cups and Scorched center shafts with a Scorched through-shaft diff locker in the center. And that Typhon, new out of the box, had the wobbliest drive cups you ever saw, especially in the front. I’ll strive to do a really good job of setting them up. I’m considering the HR bulkhead covers as others have said it not only solved that problem, but also stiffened up the bulkheads considerably. Interesting that the entire HR bulkheads are not recommended due to the fitment issues of the diffs.