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: Seems like nothing but more complexity and headache for no real gain in anything ... anyone have an idea why they did it. I know trucks have them, but I'm not real sure why. First, driveshaft angles are important. The designers are limited to about four degrees in one bend. The down angle of our cars from the end of the tranny to the lip of the differential is about 4 1/2 degrees, making it marginal to use a one piece unit. If you are able to measure both sections of the driveshaft (which I did once....), you will find out that the down angle on the front shaft is about 2 1/2 degrees, and the rear shaft is just over 2 degrees. The center support bearing is there also to take some abuse from the drivetrain. The rubber mount is able to withstand some of the shock you put on the driveshaft when you launch the car. Nissan's engineers wanted to give us a smooth ride. The torque from a TT is also absorbed by the sliding section at the rear of the driveshaft, which permits driveshaft movement without excessive vibrations on launch and when driving. That said, some people have very good luck with one piece driveshafts. Some don't. Most of the difference is whether the aftermarket driveshaft uses the sliding section at the rear, and whether the entire thing is balanced properly. If your two piece unit is straight (and excessive torque CAN twist it), then you should be able to get it balanced, and have the two or three U-joints replaced when or if necessary. I've done two that way, and each one worked fine. Hope this helps! Tom Bell
IZCC 2802
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