Need some input on lengthening my driveshaft

I tried typing the title a few times and can't get it to not sound perverted. I have a sbc/700r4 on an s10 frame with a 53 International pickup sitting on top. The driveshaft that came with the engine/tranny is 3.5" too short. I stopped by a few places in town this morning and am getting different ideas. Would I be better to retube the entire driveshaft, splice in a 3.5" piece in the center or find a driveshaft that is closer to fitting? The cost to re-tube is $260.00. Splicing a piece in the center is $25, but then I would need someone to balance it. Just looking to see what you guys are doing.

Thank you for your help
Grant

 

seems to me that your running all run of the mill stuff, so it shouldn't be so hard to to find a used shaft at the junk yard. did you happen to look a a stock s-10 shaft yet?

id re tube it before i spliced in a section, personally.

 

You can borrow my pipe stretcher. It should work...

 

Get a longer drive shaft at a pic n pull. My old time favorite and always fall back on is a '76 truck. But that's just because I can never think of another year.

Your absolute best option would be the drive shaft from an S-10 long bed.

 

I might be wrong (I frequently am), but didn't the long bed S-10 use a 2 piece drive shaft?

 

You have to either find a driveshaft the correct length, find one that is longer and shorten it or have yours retubed. you cannot splice a driveshaft and expect it to function correctly. I know someone will come on here and say that "me and my brudder Zeke dune it a lot of times" but it is not correct or acceptable if you expect it to work right.
Most wrecking yards have a driveshaft pile that you can sort through.

 

Find a donor or re-tube it. No extensions, too many problems.

 

Yeah,the longbed S-10 and the GMC S-15 have a 2-piece shaft with a carrier bearing,just go to the junkyard and have some fun crawling around,you"ll find something,you splice a piece in the center and it will be hard to balance.

 

I would imagine that a Camaro driveshaft would be too long. SO ...
it would be a ideal candidate for shortening. It would alrady have the 700R4 front yoke

That's what I would do.
In fact ... I found a aluminum Camaro driveshaft and shortened it for my 32 Ford ( 700R4/9 inch rear ).

 

Who are you going to?...I am using Florig in conshohocken to do mine and for all new stuff, u joints, rear yoke, new tube, front yoke for that price.

I would go new.

tok

 

Thanks for all the info. So it looks like splicing is out of the question. The stock s10 driveshaft was a 2 piece so thats not an option. I already spent a cold day rolling around in the mud at the junkyard but couldnt find anything. Does anyone know if the turbo 350 has the same yoke? That would definately expand my driveshaft choices. I did happen to find a newer suburban with a huge aluminum driveshaft, and it had a 4l60, but I bet the diam. of the pipe is too large. I have been calling around here and it looks like there is only one guy in town who can balance it so I might just have to pay up. I guess $260 isn't that bad considering the work.

 

Same yoke.

But yoke isn't your problem. Even if you got a drive shaft out of a ford a bastard joint isn't any more expensive that a stock U joint.

For the price you are quoteing you could get ahold of inland empire in Hysperia calif and get a new aluminum drive shaft.

A buck and a quarter is the going price to shorten and balance a drive shaft here. You can get a tool long drive shaft from a u pull it for 10 bucks all day long.

 

I think the 700R4 uses the larger output shaft like a T400. If the trans tailshaft is in the stock position and the dif is in the stock position and the frame hasnt been shortened, whats wrong with using the stock s-10 2 piece setup? plenty of v-8
s-10s have been built. otherwise, get a tape measure and go to looking. tip, adapter universal jounts are your friend.

 

Take in consideration what type of joint the rear end yoke needs if you are running the S-10 rear, also a 350 turbo, 700r4,and 4l60e are splined the same, but the 350 turbo uses a different joint. Like pork-n-beaner said, alot of fords have the same joint as early gm's.

 

Are you swapping a one piece in in place of a two piece? or?

I'd figure out exactly what length I needed and what U joints I needed to match up and head for the local U pull its with a tape measure.

Here's a list from O'Reilly's site that shows a lot of cars and trucks that use the same U joints as the S-10 That might give you which rigs to look under first.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...rolet&model=S10&vi=1060816&pt=01462&ppt=C0362 Obviously some of them won't work from the get go but I'd look under the trucks and full size mid 70's sedans.

There is also a pretty good selection of "combination" U joints out there that allow you to adapt from one size cross to another. They are about twice the standard joint in price but still a lot less expensive than having a drive shaft built.

 

Just get it re-tubed. Slide the yoke in the trans till it bottoms, pull it out 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and measure the center to center distance. The quote you got sounds about right, remember, the shop you're going to has to turn on the lights, pay the guy doing the work, and buy the tubing.

Actually, I'm surprised nobody suggested shortening the truck to fit the shaft you have...

Brian

 

Our local pick apart ,uses a forklift to move cars .So most of the shafts are bent
Check carefully be fore you buy.

 

Spend your money once. Get a new one done and $260 is not that bad a price.

Bob

 

Thanks for all the input. Definately helped me make my decision. I ended up just getting the new one made after I went back to the yard and exhausted all of my other resources. I never had one done before so I wasn't sure of the quote I got was in the ballpark but it sounds good to me.

 

good to hear you got a fresh drive shaft... don't ever splice one in the middle at any location..