Driveshaft shortening

-
Action machine will do a custom steel 1 for like 230$ shipped. Well worth the time or money spent. Comes with new yoke and u joints. Measure it. Buy it. Install it. Takes like a week. Hard to beat that deal other than a local junkyard. The yoke, and u joints gotta be about half that price.
 
I would not attempt to shorten a shaft without a lathe. When I say lathe, you can MAKE one. All you need is "centers" on which you can rotate it and measure runout before you AFU, or maybe that's "FiAU
 
I have cut and shortened many driveshafts myself in my driveway. I do not cut the front; only the rear. I do not use tubing cutters because they leave a ridge. I take a piece of cardboard and wrap it around the driveshaft next to the weld and mark it all the way around; slightly into the weld; like <1/8". You want a straight cut so the tube goes back on the yoke a maximum amount. I use a Harbor Freight angle grinder and cut slightly into the weld. First mark the yoke and up the driveshaft past where you're going to shorten it; so you can line up the marks to weld it. Mark the location of any weights and weld them back on in the same place. Tap the yoke into the shortened driveshaft and install it into the car. Use a dial indicator to center the driveshaft. Do not turn the driveshaft; use the wheels; carefully and slowly. Tack weld in THREE places. You can change the angle by cutting ONE weld if you use three points, but you can't with four. After dial indicating and cutting and retacking, remove the driveshaft and weld it about a half inch at a time; starting at the tacks.
 
Im kinda weird when it comes to stuff like this. I enjoy doing stuff myself I take pride in it. So far the only thing on my car that someone else has done is the machine work. I want to try to do it just to see if I can. If it works I will know I can do it and it will be one more thing I learned to do. I'm gonna try it if nothing more that to move the car around in the yard with. Who knows it may work just fine and I saved myself 200 bucks lol
 
Couple rivets and some jb weld should do then. Lol
I really have only paid for machine work and alignments and tire changes all my life. I have done electrical, concrete, framing, carpentry, tile, roofing, tv repair, cpu repair, plumbing/ heating blacktop, etc. Love welding and fabricating anything and everything. A gen 3 swap is gonna be a big learning curve but on my list and I will probably learn it from this site because of what they all share. That's what pushes you as you get older and have to fix what you have without spending your retirement. And its awesome to actually say that you did it.
 
One major advantage to having something like this done by a shop is "Warranty and liability" and not hoping that the job was done correctly. Not everyone is a capable welder or has much fabricating experience, telling someone that it is easy is easy. Seldom is doing something that you have never done before easy the first time. There is always a learning curve and everybody's is different.
The flip side of saying " I did it " is "it was my own fault"
 
MoparLeo said:
Seldom is doing something that you have never done before easy the first time. There is always a learning curve and everybody's is different.
Click to expand...
Totally understand where you're coming from, but that being said; there needs to be a first time in order for there to be a learning curve. Don't be afraid to try something new when you feel confident enough in yourself to attempt it.
 
MoparLeo said:
One major advantage to having something like this done by a shop is "Warranty and liability" and not hoping that the job was done correctly. Not everyone is a capable welder or has much fabricating experience, telling someone that it is easy is easy. Seldom is doing something that you have never done before easy the first time. There is always a learning curve and everybody's is different.
The flip side of saying " I did it " is "it was my own fault"
Click to expand...
Yep I agree but if you never try you will never learn. I have done alot of firsts on this project now I am alot more confident in my abilities. Made alot of mistakes and had to redo alot of stuff that ended up costing more than paying someone to do it but in the long run I learned valuable lessons that you can't learn by paying someone to do it for you.
 
I already did the trial and error; that's how I came up with my method. Nobody taught me; same as nobody taught me how to rebuild automatics.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Im kinda weird when it comes to stuff like this. I enjoy doing stuff myself I take pride in it. So far the only thing on my car that someone else has done is the machine work. I want to try to do it just to see if I can. If it works I will know I can do it and it will be one more thing I learned to do. I'm gonna try it if nothing more that to move the car around in the yard with. Who knows it may work just fine and I saved myself 200 bucks lol
Click to expand...

Your local shop charges $200? That's just nuts! At that price, you could almost buy a new one!
 
mopowers said:
Your local shop charges $200? That's just nuts! At that price, you could almost buy a new one!
Click to expand...
My buddy had one shortened and it was 175 to cut weld paint and install the ujoints if I can make it work doing it myself I will run it. If it's vibrates or im unhappy with it I will pay for it. But I want to try it myself first lol
 
Paying a shop just to balance a driveshaft should be cheaper if you already shortened it yourself. If it was needed.
 
dartfreak75 said:
My buddy had one shortened and it was 175 to cut weld paint and install the ujoints if I can make it work doing it myself I will run it. If it's vibrates or im unhappy with it I will pay for it. But I want to try it myself first lol
Click to expand...

That's a ridiculous price IMO. At that price, I'd do it myself too. Keep us posted!
 
mopowers said:
That's a ridiculous price IMO. At that price, I'd do it myself too. Keep us posted!
Click to expand...
Yea im gonna try it. I like the option that MerlinsMopar posted for the new one 230 shipped doesn't sound bad. But I still want to do it myself lol you know how I am id rather fail 100 times than give up. I just like to learn and be able to say I can do it. Like when I narrowed my rearend I had never been inside one before I measured cut welded pained replaced the carrier and pinion bearing set the backlash and all that for the first time ever now I know how
 
They want $200 just to shorten it? Dang man, I had a new driveshaft built with new u-joints, balanced and all for less then that. Like others have said, make sure you phase the joints and make sure that thing is square.
 
You get to a point in your life that what was Fun and easy isn't as much fun and rewarding when you get older. I like to drive then now more than working on them when I don't have to. I was in the auto repair field for over 30 years. Was more fun 30 years ago...
 
Last edited:
I just came in to warm my hands; was out taking the starter out of a 52 Studebaker truck...I'm 71. Gonna go put it back in before midnight...just for fun...
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
I have cut and shortened many driveshafts myself in my driveway. I do not cut the front; only the rear. I do not use tubing cutters because they leave a ridge. I take a piece of cardboard and wrap it around the driveshaft next to the weld and mark it all the way around; slightly into the weld; like <1/8". You want a straight cut so the tube goes back on the yoke a maximum amount. I use a Harbor Freight angle grinder and cut slightly into the weld. First mark the yoke and up the driveshaft past where you're going to shorten it; so you can line up the marks to weld it. Mark the location of any weights and weld them back on in the same place. Tap the yoke into the shortened driveshaft and install it into the car. Use a dial indicator to center the driveshaft. Do not turn the driveshaft; use the wheels; carefully and slowly. Tack weld in THREE places. You can change the angle by cutting ONE weld if you use three points, but you can't with four. After dial indicating and cutting and retacking, remove the driveshaft and weld it about a half inch at a time; starting at the tacks.
Click to expand...

Yup. Yet one more way to skin a dog. I love cats so......LOL

I always get a kick out of the crowd that thinks this stuff is some sort of alien technology best left to the "experts". You'll never learn anything if you pay people to do everything for you. Plus, there's the huge feeling of reward of doing something successfully yourself.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
I just came in to warm my hands; was out taking the starter out of a 52 Studebaker truck...I'm 71. Gonna go put it back in before midnight...just for fun...
Click to expand...

I have a friend who passed away recently who owned one of those......as well as a few other classic cars and trucks and a PILE of really valuable die cast.......now his family is fighting over his whole estate like a bunch of vultures. Really sad. He loved his old "Stude Dude" as he called it. It's red. Still sportin the original paint and looks pretty good too. Poor Chuck. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top