If you guys call a drive shaft a propeller shaft..what do you guys call the propeller shaft on a boat?

 

anybody? irish and scottish feel free to answer too.

 

Hmm... not sure about this one. Drive shaft is the shaft from gearbox to hub on a front wheel drive vehicle - usually. Differential unit on these is usually part of the gearbox or attached directly to the gearbox casing.

Prop shaft is from in-line engine/gearbox/transfer box to front or rear mounted differential in the relevant axle - much in the same way as if you replaced the diff with a propeller the 'prop shaft' would drive it.

From a remote diff, i.e. Land Rover front or rear axle diff, to the hub the shaft there is called a 'half shaft' as it's half the width of the axle.

Dunno if that helps or not