CV Joint / Axle Shaft Mix and Match Question

a situation for those among us with CV joint and axle shaft knowledge to ponder:

i need to mate a 2000 model year corvette halfshaft with a 2006 model year audi A4 transaxle.  the A4 inboard CV and the stubs exiting the A4 transaxle are joined via 6-bolt flange.   the corvette inboard CV engages the transaxle output via female spline on the CV and male spline on transaxle.

so, the question of the hour is:  is there a CV joint that would match the corvette axle shaft dimensions *and* match the A4 6-bolt flange?

C5 halfshaft (photo credit GRM advertiser Rock Auto):

and A4 inner CV, photo courtesy Rock Auto:

Buy both and see if the Audi flanged case uses three similar sized bearings inside as the Corvette one...

You might get lucky!

Cut, weld, sleeve, and launch softly. 

Is it spider gears or clutches inside the c5 diff that engage those splines? You might be able to weld that to a flange with the audi bolt holes.

Similarly, how many and what shape are the splines on the c5 shaft and could you keyway broach matching female splines into a thick plate?

I would buy both and disassemble both- the shafts themselves will probably have yet another spline pattern on each end, and you may get lucky and find that one or both match some other stuff which can be interchanged to build something that works.

Also, can the audi wheel bearings and/ or hubs be adapted to the c5 spindles?

hoping gingerbeardman chimes in ...

step 1 will be the Robbie method

the actual solution will probably be the Duster method

It would be an absolute miracle if you found anything on the shelf that would be able to adapt those two things.  Cut and weld and sleeve.  Carry spares.  The only other option, really, would be custom machined components, and that would get spendy in a rush.

Machine the inner spline off, bolt/weld to adapter that then bolts to the transaxle output.

Or machine the outer stub axle to accept the Audi CV Joint.

Considering the number of vehicles that use that style CV joint, I'm surprised there isn't already a solution available or more information available.

https://www.gt40s.com/threads/custom-cv-axles.13148/

You might call up raxles and pick their brains.  They do know CV joints and they are a GRM advertiser.

I remembered this post from a year ago.  Has some links. 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-cv-axle-compatability-can-i-combine-2-axles-from-2-different-cars/140485/page1/

In reply to Stampie :

Holy E36 M3 that interparts link is solid gold, repeating it here in case I ever have trouble remembering it:  big berkeleying list of potentially compatible and swappable axle stuffs.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

That's why I remembered that post. Thanks to Brotus7 for posting it. 

Once again GRM comes through!  I’ll be studying the interparts catalog tomorrow

I know you used to be able to get Porsche 930 flange adaptors for certain front drive GM transmissions, I wonder if such a beast exists for Corvettes.  I heard people like to make power with them too.

930s are just a six bolt flange.  Might even be the same as that Audi tripod unit.  If not, adaptor flanges are relatively easier to make.

There's a place in Ocala that will make anything you want. 

I remember reading somewhere about a Lexus  outer CV matching the Corvette.  I think it even had a flanged inner CV, at that point, you'd o my need to drill holes in an adapter flange. I'll look around.

I'm happy to see the Interparts link floating around again, seriously is a gold mine. I downloaded the catalogs in case the site ever goes dormant.

Here's what I recall reading before:

https://www.rcnmag.com/d-i-y/exotic-axles

It's not exactly what you were looking for, but seems to be on the right trail.

Brotus7 said:

Here's what I recall reading before:

https://www.rcnmag.com/d-i-y/exotic-axles

It's not exactly what you were looking for, but seems to be on the right trail.

I owe Brotus7 at least one beverage of his choice.   That actually *is* exactly what i'm looking for!

Brotus beat me to it! Good looking out!

I was beginning to think I was the death of threads around here...

Angry Corvair, I may make your cross-referencing a little bit easier:

C4 front hubs=27 splines  (same dimensions as S10 hubs)

C5 hubs=30 splines

C6 hubs=30 splines 

C7 hubs=33 splines

As long as the axle stubs in the transaxle are the 108mm pattern, they are 930CV compatible, which allows you to use Lexus, Infiniti & BMW (big car) axles of the appropriate length. Lexus & Infiniti tend to have the 33 spline ends.

And don't forget the axle nuts! Those Vette hubs do NOT like having any weight put on them if the stub shaft isn't torqued down...simply rolling a car forward a few feet can be enough to destroy them.

Invest in the phone call and call these guys. Found them shortly after I got the axles for the Molvo. Wish I had found them earlier.

https://dutchmanaxles.com/index.php

Even if you dont use their service, they might let on if what you want to do is possible.

Pete

In reply to Gingerbeardman :

Hmmm, I’m using C5 rear hubs and I have the mating outer CV’s.  I counted the splines 3x each.  They are 30 splines.  I don’t have my Audi transaxle yet, hoping to pick up this weekend.  01X from 2007 A4 2.0T.

It's important to note that your Audi transaxle has a different CV size than the 930 CVs.  Early Boxster 5 speeds had the 930 size, but for reasons I don't understand... VAG changed to a bigger bolt circle at some point in the B5 chassis life to match the PCD used for the Boxster S 5 speed and I believe the later 6 spds too.

Summed up... I think you can still chase down CVs that match your hubs, but I'd be prepared to drill up some adapters.

In reply to Brotus7 :

I am prepared to do that

In reply to AngryCorvair :

You're right. I went back and edited my post so that others can find the info in the future. I had to go back thru my notes to verify.