The front PTO shaft on my Deutz-Dx-6.05 is about 33" above ground. A typical snow-blower input shaft is 18" above ground for a difference of 15" which over the distance beween them creates an angle of about 23 degrees. A PTO shaft with only two joints lives only 700 hours at this angle and even that is conditional on the tractor and the blower being true parallel (never happens in real life). Some blowers handle this problem by using a drop box to lower the input shaft height, a $3000 option on new blowers which next to no used blower has. Another solution would be a PTO shaft with 3 or more joints but this is where "I" run into a problem: I have NEVER seen such a shaft being used with any snow-blower. My limited joint theory allows me only to suspect that a double-joint on the tractor end and a single one on the blower end would be something to investigate. Wouldn't such a shaft tend to flail about a lot? The only time I ever saw one was on my '62 ragtop Lincoln but if I remember correctly that shaft was prevented from moving about ...it's been a looooong time
Put a CV joint on one end or the other.
Those were called {double cardan joints}. Used by many, common on 70's GM 4x4 front driveshaft, Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac & cheby all used the cardan.
If you're dealing with 23 degrees at both ends build a shaft with CV joints on both ends. Some of our off-road toys use axles made this way and they outlive many times more horsepower.
The first time I ever heard the term cardan was when the front wheel drives showed up, until then we just called them universal joints, single or double.
That's the kind of info I was hoping for. Haven't seen any made for 3-point snow blowers It's probably a good idea to use them anyway, regardless of angle.
Mechanical terminology back then was secret-.
If we're going to call everything after the name of its inventor then we should also say biro pen instead of ballpoint pen. Personally I think intellectual property should be limited to 3 years; if some inventor doesn't want to share his flash-in-the-pan freely then maybe he should just keep it to himself. It was some Sumerian who invented the wheel but we don't call it the Gilgamesh-Square )))
There were multiple different designs of the double Cardan joints with the most stable having a center alignment pin and bearing internally between the 2 joints. When what was called full time 4 wheel drive was started with the use of 203 transfer cases they became the most prominent in order to reduce vibration and increase strength on Dodge trucks due to multiple misalignments. Double Cardan joints allowed only slightly steeper angles no matter which design.
A proper name for most items--it's a pos, I rebuilt lots of DC's using a acronym to save ink.
Whatever we call them, why doesn't a document like this https://assets.northerntool.com/products/101/documents/manuals/101745-2.pdf even 'mention' the possibility of dual joints?
Their purpose isn't necessarily increased angle tolerance, it's mostly to reduce vibration. Strictly a feel-good thing.
@towbar , here's a link for a huge range of PTO driveshafts. Bare Co has been around a long time and supply a good product IMHO Bare Co - Wide Angle CV Shafts www.bareco.com.au
I'm thinking the U-joint won't play nice with the CV joint..... Both changed over to CV joint's ? Yes.
When they first came into play reduced vibration was the goal and it worked well against offset alignments both vertical and horizontal but it was soon learned that they were much more tolerable to steeper angles which is why they then became used on 4x4s of all types. Later on came CV joints that out-do all others when needing to both reduce vibration and increase angles. On todays Jeeps the front shaft has a u-joint on one end and a CV on the other but due to rotation of the diff you can severely reduce the shaft angle at that end. So yes they can be used together as long as the u-joint angle is maintained much more minor.
Rzeppa/Tracta.
Truck driveshafts often have three joints with a carrier bearing to support. Driveshaft oscilation is a concern. If input shaft & output shaft are parallel, they cancel oscilation. Add a joint, other than CV you need a bearing & a simple Cardan joint will cause bad vibration.