driveshaft shortening

-
burdar

burdar

Owen's Dad
Joined
Aug 15, 2013
Messages
1,401
Reaction score
472
Location
Iowa
I've had driveshafts shortened before but it's been 20 years. IIRC it was around $100 back then. I just got a quote from a local powertrain shop and they want $200 plus joints.(non greasable Spicer) That's new driveshaft territory. If I go new, is the tapered end a requirement for clearance?(pinion snubber?) I see some shops offer custom length shafts but their shafts aren't tapered.
 
Everything is more expensive these days as I am finding out on the latest project. Driveline shops are just cutting down standard lengths of tube so every drive shaft is made to order. I doubt a tapered tube is available from the regular driveline shops but who knows.
 
Are there clearance issues with a non tapered shaft? It seems like the pinion snubber would be the closest obstruction.
 
That’s what our old school guy charges to shorten and recondition plus joints. A new one is in the 400+ range
 
Some online outfits list a Mopar shaft at $270 plus shipping so you are right around the same cost of shortening a stock shaft. No taper though.
 
Mine from the 904 to 727 (4") shorter was 80 bucks. With Non brute Force u joints.... BUT That was over 10 years ago
 
It's easy to SHORTEN a driveshaft. Only shorten it in the back and only on a driveshaft that has enough non-tapered area to work with. First mark it so you can weld it back together with the same orientation. Cut it off to the length you want right thru the back weld, then tap the rear yoke onto it, Install it into the car with the rearend on stands; not the body. Mount a dial indicator up to it and gently turn the tires to turn the driveshaft; careful that you don't jar against the indicator. Tack weld it in three places; 120 degrees apart. Double check with indicator, then remove and weld. Weld any balance weights back on where they were. You marked their location didn't you? As long as you weld it centered; even if it comes out unbalanced; which it probably won't, you can take it in and have it balanced pretty cheaply. I've done quite a few this way and have had zero balance problems.
 
In the old days we wrapped some electrical tape around the shaft and cut it with a hacksaw. Orientation was with a jiffy marker. A few tax welds then buzzed it up with an arc welder. Never a problem. We even lengthened 1. Kim
 
You can cut it with a cut off wheel in a miter saw too. Easy peasy. I even have an OLD LARGE tubing cutter I use as well.
 
Use a rotating pipe cutter. Guaranteed straight cut and then grind the welds and tap the yoke end out. Tap it into the new cut and tack at 90s and then got to town with the welder. My last cut job was $70 and i watched him do it. Took him about 20 minutes: Measure. Put it on a lathe and cut the bead welds off the yoke end, remove yoke. Chop sawed the naked pipe to my distance, cleaned the inside. Tapped the yoke in and ran it on the dial indicator. Tacked it and checked it again. Tapped a little correction and then fully beadwelded it while turning it still in the lathe. Took it out and put in some sort of balancer, spun it and welded a big washer on it, spun it again. Hit it with a grinder and painted it while spinning it with a spray can like a candy cane. Slapped a sticker on it and I was out the door. That was a long *** time ago but totally doable with decent shop tools and some sense.
 
Electrical tape can be a little iffy to get it really straight. Use a breakfast cereal box. Carefully cut the flaps off and slice it open; wrap it around the shaft with the straight cut edge where the cut will be; it automatically straightens itself square. Tack in three evenly spaced places so you can make corrections by cutting only one weld. Four welds and you have to cut three to correct.
 
burdar said:
I've had driveshafts shortened before but it's been 20 years. IIRC it was around $100 back then. I just got a quote from a local powertrain shop and they want $200 plus joints.(non greasable Spicer) That's new driveshaft territory. If I go new, is the tapered end a requirement for clearance?(pinion snubber?) I see some shops offer custom length shafts but their shafts aren't tapered.
Click to expand...
Not having the taper is not a problem.
Everything I have ever seen says that taper adds strength to thinner wall tubes.
This can be done with thicker wall tube.
I twisted my OE shaft in half and had a new one built recently and it was right at $400 with greaseable joints.
Shop guarantees it to 600hp.
Last time I had one balanced they had to cut one of the yokes loose and reposition it.
That and a rebalance was $100.
 
I had another look at the shaft I was going to have shortened. It has a good amount of pitting in it. I'm thinking it might be better to just have another shaft made. The same shop that quoted me the $200 for the shortening just priced me out a new custom length shaft. Their price was right at $490. That doesn't include a new slip yoke since I have one already.

I did find a company out of Wisconsin that advertises on E-bay. They list a new custom length Mopar shaft for $259 plus $50 shipping. That does not include a slip yoke but does include greasable u-joints and is supposed to be balanced. Thoughts?
 
burdar said:
I had another look at the shaft I was going to have shortened. It has a good amount of pitting in it. I'm thinking it might be better to just have another shaft made. The same shop that quoted me the $200 for the shortening just priced me out a new custom length shaft. Their price was right at $490. That doesn't include a new slip yoke since I have one already.

I did find a company out of Wisconsin that advertises on E-bay. They list a new custom length Mopar shaft for $259 plus $50 shipping. That does not include a slip yoke but does include greasable u-joints and is supposed to be balanced. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Sounds like a deal, can you post the eBay link?
 
It shows $85 shipping to me in WA which puts it at $375 with $32 tax. That’s over $100 cheaper than your local shop.

Barring the $115 savings, it might be less of a hassle to go local in the event of a warranty claim.

Thanks for the link, I am soon to be in need of a custom DS for my Swinger project. I need to see what the local shop charges.

Jared
 
Just got a new slip yoke for a 904. That only took a month. Everyone is back ordered. Look for the parts you need first before you get into too deep. Just a suggestion

20221121_131146.jpg
 
I already have a slip yoke but I get your point. I had to wait 6+ months for Legendary door panels. When I order wheels I expect them to be 6 months out at least.
 
MidnightSwinger said:
It shows $85 shipping to me in WA which puts it at $375 with $32 tax. That’s over $100 cheaper than your local shop.

Barring the $115 savings, it might be less of a hassle to go local in the event of a warranty claim.

Thanks for the link, I am soon to be in need of a custom DS for my Swinger project. I need to see what the local shop charges.

Jared
Click to expand...

There is a guy that is over by me that custom builds drivelines. We’ve had him do a couple of 3.5 inch driveshafts and his work is impeccable.

I found him because the local shop went TU and then I found out he was doing most of their custom stuff anyway.

PM if you want his info. You could tell him what you want and then when it’s done drive over and pick it up. That would give you a chance to look around the Valley to see what it’s like.

We are very close to the mountains for whatever you want to do there and we get 4 seasons a year. Right now it’s colder than a witches thorax but it’s winter right??

We get snow but most of the time it snows a bit and then the sun comes out.

It’s worth checking out. Plus the driveline guy is that good.
 
Rat Bastid said:
There is a guy that is over by me that custom builds drivelines. We’ve had him do a couple of 3.5 inch driveshafts and his work is impeccable.

I found him because the local shop went TU and then I found out he was doing most of their custom stuff anyway.

PM if you want his info. You could tell him what you want and then when it’s done drive over and pick it up. That would give you a chance to look around the Valley to see what it’s like.

We are very close to the mountains for whatever you want to do there and we get 4 seasons a year. Right now it’s colder than a witches thorax but it’s winter right??

We get snow but most of the time it snows a bit and then the sun comes out.

It’s worth checking out. Plus the driveline guy is that good.
Click to expand...
Thanks RB, that actually sounds like a great idea. I’ll PM you about it when it gets closer to go time for me. Most likely spring time after the new baby is here.

Jared
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top