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Critical Speed Information

IMPORTANT CRITICAL SPEED INFORMATION: A properly balanced driveshaft can experience severe vibrations if its normal operating speed is above its "safe operating speed ". Make sure you read, understand and follow the following recommendations: 1. Check the "SAFE OPERATING SPEED (RPM)" window on the following screen. Make sure your driveshaft cannot exceed that RPM. (Remember, in a vehicle or machine with an overdrive transmission, the driveshaft will rotate faster than the engine when the transmission is in overdrive). A driveshaft that has the potential of operating above this "safe operating speed" could fail and could be thrown from under the vehicle or machine, which could cause serious injury or death to persons nearby. 2. The twice per revolution vibration characteristics of a cardan U-joint, operating at an angle, can produce a minor vibration if normal operating speed of the driveshaft is near 1/2 of its true critical speed. If your driveshaft is operating at or near the "1/2 OF TRUE CRITICAL SPEED ________" figure on the following screen, and you believe you are experiencing this type of vibration, we suggest you try one or all of the following: A. Re-check the balance and runout of the driveshaft, because unbalance is the major factor in 1/2 critical virbations. Reducing unbalance may cure this type of vibration problem. B. Disconnect one end of the driveshaft, rotate the driveshaft 180 degrees and re-install it. C. Reduce the u-joint operating angles of the driveshaft. (Remember to keep them equal as you change them). D. Disconnect the driveshaft and remove the end yoke from the transmission or axle. Rotate the end yoke approximately 90 degrees and re-install it (torque the nut to specifications). Re-install the driveshaft. E. Redesign the driveshaft(s) in the vehicle. Change to multiple driveshafts or change the length and/or tube diameter(s) of existing driveshafts to move the 1/2 critical speed of the assembly well out of the normal operating RPM of the vehicle. In short, you never want the 1/2 critical speed of the driveshaft to occur within the 50 to 70 MPH range of the vehicle. 3. An UNBALANCED driveshaft can experience a critical speed failure, in your balancer, at an RPM that is lower than the "SAFE OPERATING SPEED (RPM)" figure shown on the following screen. Warning Before spinning an UNBALANCED driveshaft in your balancer, check the "MAX. UNBALANCED DRIVESHAFT RPM____" window, on the following screen. Exceeding this RPM could cause failure in your balancer, which could damage your balancer and could cause serious injury or death to anyone operating your balancer or to anyone near your balancer. If the final balancing speed of this driveshaft is GREATER than the "MAX. UNBALANCED DRIVESHAFT RPM, _______", we recommend pre-balancing the driveshaft at THE "MAX. UNBALANCED DRIVESHAFT RPM______ before attempting to spin it to the final balance speed.