Roverfire said:
Which is a better choice Tom Woods or Great Basin? GB had a HD one and also a re-manufactured one.
I'm running GBR.
The parts they use are very well chosen. Every shaft has it's differences, just as every assembler has their preferences.
Neither company manufacturers the critical parts in the system. They choose an arrangement, the parts, and put together a shaft that they think will be effective for the application and it's general use.
You might see some fancy branded universal joints here and there with fancy warranties, but plain old universal joints have been perfectly fine for decades, and have survived more abuse than most Land Rovers will ever see when properly maintained and chosen well for the application.
PCS Phosphate uses heavy vehicles in extremely adverse conditions. They have found that sealed universal joints last much longer than properly maintained serviceable joints. Rover owners have found that the catalytic converters cook those sealed joints on the front drive shaft. Each has it's place.
It's not all joints, however. Those joints have to be mounted somewhere, and there are just as many choices in that area. Some like one thing, some like another. Assemblers have their preferences here, as well.
Likewise, there is no best tube diameter or wall thickness for a shaft. Again, each has it's place. I prefer a narrower tube with a thicker wall. Some prefer a larger tube with a thinner wall. Some like aluminum, some like carbon fiber, some like plain old steel.
Weight isn't really much of a factor here, unless you really worry about it. You are trying to spin half the planet with a blender motor already... Of course, when I'm trying to grease the center ball and end up dropping the damned shaft on my forehead,
every damned time, it would be nice to have something lighter.
Both GBR and Tom Woods offer good shafts for your Land Rover. You might have a preference for one combination of parts and tubing over another.
This all comes down to who you want to pay, Lucky 8 or GBR. Unless you want something different than commonly offered, you are fine either way. Don't forget local boys, either. The shop down the street is sometimes shockingly good.
Flip a coin, or pay whichever company you like more.
Cheers,
Kennith
