A steel drive shaft is priced at shred rate and typically returns single figures. An aluminium shaft of the same length, despite weighing 10 to 20 pounds less, returns roughly three to four times more. A carbon fibre shaft is worth only its bonded metal ends. Identify before you weigh.
The one-second magnet test
Hold a magnet against the tube, halfway along, away from the joints at either end.
- It grabs firmly: steel. This is the default and covers most factory shafts.
- It does not stick at all: aluminium. Now worth checking carefully.
- It does not stick and the tube feels like textured plastic: carbon fibre. Read the section below before doing anything else.
Test the middle of the tube rather than the ends, because every shaft has steel or aluminium yokes and joints bolted on regardless of what the tube itself is made from. A magnet at the end tells you nothing.
That is the whole magnet test for aluminum on this part, and it takes about a second.
Today’s rates by material
Route or component Basis Notes Value today (USD) Measurement What the figure is based on What changes it Computed from the live rate unless marked a reference Steel shaft, one piece 25 to 45 lb The default on most vehicles; shred grade $3.75 to $6.75 Aluminium shaft, one piece 15 to 25 lb Roughly 10 to 20 lb lighter than the steel equivalent $13 to $22 Two-piece steel shaft with carrier 40 to 70 lb Longer wheelbase vehicles; centre bearing attached $6.00 to $11 Carbon fibre shaft, metal ends only 4 to 8 lb of metal The tube itself has no scrap value $3.48 to $6.96 Universal joints, separated 1 to 2 lb each Hardened steel; small but clean $0.30 to $1.20
The driveshaft scrap value pattern in that table is the point. The steel shaft is heavier and worth less. The aluminium shaft is lighter and worth several times more, because aluminium trades far above shred steel per pound.
One published aluminum driveshaft scrap price puts the material at $1.00 to $1.50 per pound, with a full shaft bringing $15 to $25, which matches the computed range above closely.
The multiple between the two moves with the metals rather than staying fixed. At today’s rates it runs around three to four times, which is worth recalculating rather than assuming.
Weight: the confirmation test
If the magnet result surprises you, weigh it. Published comparisons are consistent.
- An aluminium shaft weighs 10 to 20 pounds less than a comparable steel unit.
- On a 3.5 inch diameter shaft, aluminium saves roughly 1.5 pounds per foot of tube.
- Across a 48 inch shaft, including aluminium rather than steel ends, the total saving is about nine pounds.
So a shaft that feels noticeably light for its size is telling you the same thing the magnet did. A truck driveshaft weight well above 40 pounds, particularly a two-piece unit with a centre carrier bearing, is almost certainly steel.
U-joints: steel ends on an aluminium shaft
Every shaft has hardened steel at the ends, and on an aluminium shaft that steel is a contaminant.
Universal joints, slip yokes and, on carbon fibre shafts, the bonded end fittings are all separate from the tube. Left attached to an aluminium tube they can push the whole piece into an irony aluminium grade, which is the same downgrade the engine block page covers in detail.
U joint removal for scrap is worth the few minutes on an aluminium shaft and largely pointless on a steel one, since steel joints on a steel tube are already the same grade. The joints themselves are small, clean hardened steel and add little on their own.
Carbon fibre shafts: the odd exception
This is the trap, and it is becoming more common as performance and lightweight builds age into the scrap stream.
A carbon fibre driveshaft is built by winding carbon fibre onto a mandrel, then bonding steel or aluminium ends into the finished tube. The ends are metal. The tube is not.
For scrap purposes that means the carbon fiber driveshaft value is only what the ends weigh. The tube has no metal content, no yard grade and no buyer. It is not a downgrade, it is a zero.
Two practical notes. Carbon fibre shafts are non-repairable once damaged, so a broken one has no resale route either. And they typically weigh only one to two pounds less than an aluminium shaft, so weight alone will not distinguish them; the surface texture and the magnet result together will.
Is it worth pulling at all?
Honest answer, and it differs by material.
- Steel shaft, car already going to a crusher: no. It is shred steel either way, and removing it can reduce the rate paid on the rest of the vehicle, as the transmission page explains.
- Aluminium shaft: yes. It is one of the easier aluminium pieces on a car to reach, and the grade difference is real.
- Carbon fibre: only to recover the ends, which is rarely worth the effort on its own.
Axle shafts, which people often group with this, are solid hardened steel rather than tube and price as steel by weight. The axle shaft scrap price is therefore a weight question with no identification step attached.
Drive shaft prices around the world
Steel and aluminium settle in US dollars, so the metal in a shaft is worth the same everywhere. Currency and local buyer depth are what change.
Market Equivalent range Local market note United States $0.30 to 21.75 Deepest buyer pool. Even within the US, state to state runs $50 to $60 per ton apart. United Kingdom £0.21 to 15.45 Strong processing capacity. Battery and PGM material reported 20 to 40 percent above thin markets. Canada C$0.40 to 29.18 Similar structure to the US; thinner in the prairies and the north. Australia A$0.40 to 28.67 Good coastal capacity, long hauls inland. Distance is the main discount. Germany €0.26 to 19.10 Dense processing and strict documentation. Good grades pay well; paperwork matters. India ₹26.10 to 1,892 Large volume, but black mass export restrictions have compressed local payables. Bangladesh ৳32.45 to 2,353 Ferrous depth is good. Specialist converter, PGM and battery buyers are scarce. United Arab Emirates AED1.05 to 75.88 Re-export hub with real processing depth. Among the better-paying markets outside the West. Saudi Arabia SAR1.05 to 75.85 Growing capacity; specialist PGM and battery buyers still limited. Turkey ₺15.12 to 1,096 Major ferrous importer, so steel grades hold up better than non-ferrous here. South Africa R4.07 to 295.01 Reported below UAE and UK on battery material; processing infrastructure is the constraint. China CN¥1.98 to 143.22 Aggressive bidder on imported battery material; 2026 recycling rules moved payables down.
Treat these as the metal-value anchor rather than a local quote. The propeller shaft scrap price question is identical in markets that use that term, since it is the same component under a different name.
Questions people actually ask
“My magnet stuck to the end but not the middle. Which is it?”
Aluminium tube with steel ends, which is the normal construction for an aluminium shaft. Always test the middle of the tube. The ends will grab a magnet on almost any shaft.
“It is really light but the magnet does nothing and it looks woven.”
Carbon fibre. Only the bonded metal ends have scrap value. The tube is worth nothing at any yard.
“Is a driveshaft worth scrapping on its own?”
An aluminium one usually is, since it is quick to drop and the grade is worth having. A steel one generally is not, because it is shred rate either way and pulling it can lower the rate on the rest of the car.
Common mistakes
- Testing the magnet on the yoke rather than the tube, which gives a steel result on almost every shaft.
- Leaving universal joints and slip yokes attached to an aluminium tube, which can drop the whole piece to an irony grade.
- Assuming heavier means more valuable, when the lighter aluminium shaft is worth several times the heavier steel one.
- Mistaking a carbon fibre tube for aluminium because neither is magnetic. Check the surface texture too.
- Pulling a steel shaft from a car destined for a crusher, which gains nothing and can cost you on the vehicle rate.
- Grouping axle shafts with drive shafts. Axles are solid steel and priced by weight with no material question.
Figures on this page are indicative buyer ranges, not offers to buy. Metal rows are computed from the site’s tracked daily benchmarks, so the multiple between steel and aluminium moves as the metals move. Weights are typical published figures and vary by vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the drive shaft scrap price today?
It depends entirely on material. A steel shaft is paid at shred rate and typically returns single figures despite its weight. An aluminium shaft of the same length returns roughly three to four times more at current rates, with published figures putting aluminium shafts at $1.00 to $1.50 per pound and $15 to $25 for a full shaft.
How do I tell an aluminium driveshaft from a steel one?
Hold a magnet against the middle of the tube, away from the joints. Steel grabs firmly, aluminium does not stick at all. Always test the tube rather than the ends, because every shaft has steel or aluminium yokes and joints regardless of what the tube is made from.
How much lighter is an aluminium driveshaft?
Typically 10 to 20 pounds less than a comparable steel unit. On a 3.5 inch diameter shaft aluminium saves roughly 1.5 pounds per foot of tube, and across a 48 inch shaft with aluminium ends the total saving is about nine pounds.
What is a carbon fibre driveshaft worth as scrap?
Only what its bonded metal ends weigh. Carbon fibre shafts are built by winding fibre onto a mandrel and bonding steel or aluminium ends into the finished tube. The tube itself has no metal content, no yard grade and no buyer.
Should I remove the U-joints before scrapping a driveshaft?
On an aluminium shaft yes, because hardened steel joints and yokes left attached can push the whole piece into an irony aluminium grade. On a steel shaft it is largely pointless, since the joints and the tube are the same grade anyway.
Is a driveshaft worth scrapping on its own?
An aluminium one usually is, since it is quick to drop and the grade difference is meaningful. A steel one generally is not, because it prices at shred rate either way and removing dense drivetrain parts can lower the per-weight rate paid on the rest of the vehicle.
What is the propeller shaft scrap price?
The same as a drive shaft, since propeller shaft is simply the term used in some markets for the same component. Identify the tube material first, then price it as steel or aluminium by weight.
Does a truck driveshaft weigh more than a car one?
Usually yes, and two-piece units with a centre carrier bearing are heavier again. A shaft well above 40 pounds is almost certainly steel, since aluminium units of the same length would be 10 to 20 pounds lighter.
What is the axle shaft scrap price compared to a driveshaft?
Axle shafts are solid hardened steel rather than tube, so they price as steel by weight with no material identification step. They are heavy for their size, which helps the total, but there is no aluminium possibility to check for.
Why is the lighter aluminium shaft worth more than the heavier steel one?
Because aluminium trades far above shred steel per pound, and the gap is wide enough to overcome the weight difference several times over. The exact multiple moves with the metals rather than staying fixed, so it is worth recalculating rather than assuming a figure.