yup. I have, cut at the weld ( either end) cut out what you need , line the caps back up and tap the yoke back in , now install it and have some one turn a wheel while you watch the tube, you can make a marker to show where its out and tap that spot to true it. I started doing this in 75 when I killed drive shafts in my Chevelle. If you take your time you can get it dead on. Then weld it up. Or you could just pay someone to do it.. but then what fun would that be?
have ford 9 inch rear end to gm 350 turbo.....i have the universal......i thoght i would cut to lenght square....then trim the tube from the yoke on the lathe then reweld.....
I have shortened quite a few over the years, Recently, I changed from a 350 to a 700R4, in my El Camino and had to take out about 3". I cut it off behind the yoke, and then cut off the tube that was left on the yoke, about an inch, that left a shoulder on the yoke that just fits in side the driveshaft tube. you can then cut the tube to the proper length and push the yoke back in. and then weld it up. I have never had a problem with out of balance, you just have to be careful with what you are doing.
If you put a piston ring compressor around the shaft at the cut line & scribe a line, you can get a nice square cut with a hacksaw.
I see you guys have been there, I don't know if all you guys do it for the sake of doing your own work, but I do it because I can't afford to pay to have it done.
i cut it in the band saw....it cuts pretty square......im just concerned about the balance.....i have the yoke turned down on the lathe and a shoulder.....so it looks like im ready to weld er up..........and i have it in phase.......just the balance that bothers me
thats the main reson im doing it myself.....cost......dont get much SSI....and havnt got my bailout yet from commander in chief
if its true I bet ya it don't need balanced...but if it does ( and it won't) take it and have that done
I always use a pipe cutter to shorten them, cuts a perfectly sq edge.Also if you cut it try to cut in on the end that doesn't have any weights.You can semi balance it with 'worm" hose clamps. When you have something as small in dia. As a drive shaft the balance isn't that critical.A 1/2 oz out on the outside of a 31" tire makes a big differance!! JimV
A driveshaft only spins over 2000 rpm when the vehicle is traveling down the road. Why would it need to be straightened properly before welding and balanced? We straighten our shafts to within .003" before we fire off the welder. Then we balance to run smoothly at 3000 rpm. Think good workmanship is overrated? Have a good bunch of u-joints, spare trannys and rearends on hand if that's what you think.
Def get it straightened and balanced! My late model stuff(Nitrous, stickshift, slick) is a driveshaft eater! I have repaired numerous 2pcs myself, but everytime I try on a 1 piece, if I dont get the shaft squared and balanced, it anhilates joints! just my advice... Look for a local "Diesel repair" shop, they often to driveshaft work for CHEAP....relatively of course.
If you have tall tires and 3.08 gears it spins 2 grand at 60 mph.4.11's gets it spinning a lot more,like nearly 3000 rpm's.
Just one more thought about this subject. I've built and repaired driveshafts for a living for thirteen years, been selling, advising, and teaching driveshaft knowledge for another seven. I've repaired driveshafts modified in home garages that the guy who did it said, "It just needs to be balanced", and the job ends up costing him more money than if he had brought it to someone like me in the first place because of the parts that were damaged from lack of knowledge. I have enough tools and equipment in my own garage to cut at shaft and reweld it almost as precisely as I can at the shop, but almost doesn't get the job done correctly. If you have a machine shop at home, you might be able to do the job right, but I've seen dozens of driveshafts modified at good machine shops that ended up being hack jobs. Guys like ShelbyStang are my customers. Look up Arkansas Outlaw Racing's web site. The guy with the Willys, Michael, has depended on my shop for fifteen years for his projects. Another customer holds a records at Bonneville at over 240 mph with my workmanship spinning less that a foot away from him. So what do I know? Done with my rant, bothered me how some of you guys that know so much will give bad advice. Cutting shafts at home is ratrod shit.
Agree 100%. Not only precision machinery, but an expert hand guiding it is necessary to get the job done right. Honestly, shortening a shaft isn't exorbitantly expensive in the grand scheme of a build. another tidbit, the further off the center line your driveshaft is off balance, the more effect that will have at higher RPMs. A little bit in one direction, a few grams could equal several pounds at 3000 RPMs. Think about a 10 lb dumbell swinging from your driveshaft... Well worth the few bucks to let a pro handle it
Fyi .............. I used a 84 s-10 front in a 32, 36 inches long. Also used an astro van 4 wheel drive front on another 32 ford. Just had to get the bastard universal from gm to ford 9 inch also used on many old mopars b bodys. There are others but i forgot which ones. Maybe if someone knows where to find driveshaft lengths on the net, it would be a great article to post for tech. Still have that 32 4 door to sell on the junk frame. Anybody interested in a real 32 ford project? [email protected] THE 32 IS GONE! WENT TO THE RIGHT GUY TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
I haven't found anything that lists driveshaft length applications. I just use my memory from stuff I've worked on over the years to approximate a proper donor if a used shaft is the needed starting point. Sometimes used isn't the proper option.
I used to do them on my stock cars when I had a Ford rear in a Chevy. I used a big Rigid pipe cutter, the clean square end is essential. I'd cut the rear yoke plug out with a diamond impregnated hack saw, taking my time. I had no lathe access at the time so I used a bench grinder to clean it up. The inside of the tube I'd taper with a round file. From there it was square up the yoke plug to the tube, I'd make the plug so it took a little press to get it seated. Then do a couple of tack welds, check it again and weld it up, skipping around with short welds to minimize the heat twisting something out of whack. I've cranked them up to 7k RPMs and never had a vibration issue. Bob
Wrong. Lost count of how many we did. Never a failure. They weren't ratrods though, maybe that's why?
The Jalopy Journal
