Originally Posted by
Kitchen Devil
I personally can't see why an alloy part can't be used. As mentioned previously, the later 4x4 shafts are totally solid as obviously this is an improvement or ford would have used the same design on the later cars.
At the end of the day, the 4x4 part works in exactly the same way and performs exactly the same function.
If you look at the 4wd one the bulge has a pin through it so the "inside" is not fixed.
It's simple physics look carefully at a 2wd one which is a lot longer, and the bush can be seen to deform this way and that as it rotates it twists , if this were solid the twist forces would be imparted elsewhere ie at the joints on the ends, if thinking of using one of the alloy pieces you might as well just cut the ends off and weld a solid piece of metal to join them be even cheaper then and a lot have welders etc.
tabetha