driveshaft length

[STROKETHISF350]

They do a great job where I'm from I'm a certified welder and have done anything from sheet metal custom tig work all the way up to custom excavator buckets ect and I can actually say I appreciate the work they do I'm sure other places do have some hack artists tho

[LReiff]

If you make a driveshaft with welded tube why bother balancing it?

[STROKETHISF350]

To reduce/eliminate vibrations

[Supershafts]

Originally Posted by 1pieceatatime.

Probably better off doing them yourself in your back yard and welding them together with a coat hangar and a torch.

Lol i have actually seen that more times than i care too, i always gotta ask them did you lose your teeth

Granted fleetpride is like walmart for truck parts so the service at each location will vary greatly. The way the one we have in town here hacks things together and over charges is great for business where i work.

What I can't understand is how they get that big

[Supershafts]

Originally Posted by LReiff

If you make a driveshaft with welded tube why bother balancing it?

So you keep your teeth in your mouth, and so you don't send those harmonics thru your trans and diff and wreck them.

[1pieceatatime.]

Originally Posted by STROKETHISF350

They do a great job where I'm from I'm a certified welder and have done anything from sheet metal custom tig work all the way up to custom excavator buckets ect and I can actually say I appreciate the work they do I'm sure other places do have some hack artists tho

They have a machine that welds em. If you saw how poor the penetration is you would be bumming. Im confident this goes for all fleet prides. Never mind the fact that i seldom see anything that have had there Peepee skinners in actually put together with less than .015" run out.

Originally Posted by LReiff

If you make a driveshaft with welded tube why bother balancing it?

Probably 95% of driveline tubing is rolled and welded tube........

[USARMY12V]

Since this seems to be a gathering of people with driveshaft know-how, has anyone that's done a QCLB 47RE DLD to DHD swap with a D70 rear axle ever recorded driveshaft length? I have a two piece driveshaft and it means I'm probably going to have to get it cut seeing as the DHD is marginally longer than the DLD. I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off to switch to single piece rear now...

[kleann]

Originally Posted by USARMY12V

Since this seems to be a gathering of people with driveshaft know-how, has anyone that's done a QCLB 47RE DLD to DHD swap with a D70 rear axle ever recorded driveshaft length? I have a two piece driveshaft and it means I'm probably going to have to get it cut seeing as the DHD is marginally longer than the DLD. I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off to switch to single piece rear now...

If you're sled pulling, yes. If not sled pulling I'd just keep the 2 piece.

[USARMY12V]

Originally Posted by kleann

If you're sled pulling, yes. If not sled pulling I'd just keep the 2 piece.

I will be in time, but even then only 2.5 so nothing outrageous. It is a street truck though. I'm interested to find out if I need to cut my driveshaft down as I know there are 3500 auto DHD two piece shafts as well. Seems retarded Dodge would use at least three different lengths.

[LReiff]

Originally Posted by 1pieceatatime.

They have a machine that welds em. If you saw how poor the penetration is you would be bumming. Im confident this goes for all fleet prides. Never mind the fact that i seldom see anything that have had there Peepee skinners in actually put together with less than .015" run out.



Probably 95% of driveline tubing is rolled and welded tube........

And 100% of those shaft have huge weights to balance them. The shaft on my truck made from DOM tube has only a small spot of weld to get it in balance.

[Supershafts]

Originally Posted by LReiff

And 100% of those shaft have huge weights to balance them. The shaft on my truck made from DOM tube has only a small spot of weld to get it in balance.

That also depends on the person making the shaft, i can set up a seamed tube to not need weight when building it.

Sometimes if they don't keep the run out low and just slap it together to specs they'll need more weight also.

Dom doesn't mean it balances better, the weld yokes and slips are still part of the shaft and also play a role

Originally Posted by USARMY12V

Since this seems to be a gathering of people with driveshaft know-how, has anyone that's done a QCLB 47RE DLD to DHD swap with a D70 rear axle ever recorded driveshaft length? I have a two piece driveshaft and it means I'm probably going to have to get it cut seeing as the DHD is marginally longer than the DLD. I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off to switch to single piece rear now...

Losing the 2pc will get you better acceleration and better mileage, simply from losing all that driveline weight, you'll also lose any hanger bearing issues.

I never record lengths everything can be different, i always have everyone measure as needed, and that is the best way, seen to many variations from car to car and truck to truck
.

[kleann]

Originally Posted by USARMY12V

I will be in time, but even then only 2.5 so nothing outrageous. It is a street truck though. I'm interested to find out if I need to cut my driveshaft down as I know there are 3500 auto DHD two piece shafts as well. Seems retarded Dodge would use at least three different lengths.

I'd just keep the 2 piece, if you have much power, you're gonna need to upgrade to a dana 80 and then you may have to adjust the driveshaft once again. If anything I'd upgrade the front driveshaft, I've seen lower powered trucks break the front before the the rear two peice. That's with stock height and 33's though.

[USARMY12V]

Originally Posted by kleann

I'd just keep the 2 piece, if you have much power, you're gonna need to upgrade to a dana 80 and then you may have to adjust the driveshaft once again. If anything I'd upgrade the front driveshaft, I've seen lower powered trucks break the front before the the rear two peice. That's with stock height and 33's though.

I'm actually on my second front driveshaft :S my front u joint also just exploded on me and caused my transfer case to essentially split in half. Thus why I'm wondering about new length. It's always something once you put any power to them. I even generally keep out of the throttle, never more than 20psi, yet one spirited dig on the snowy roads in 4WD grenades it. I swear. Economically, I'll probably just cut the two piece for now and since its easiest.

[Supershafts]

Originally Posted by USARMY12V

I'm actually on my second front driveshaft :S my front u joint also just exploded on me and caused my transfer case to essentially split in half. Thus why I'm wondering about new length. It's always something once you put any power to them. I even generally keep out of the throttle, never more than 20psi, yet one spirited dig on the snowy roads in 4WD grenades it. I swear. Economically, I'll probably just cut the two piece for now and since its easiest.

What truck did you break the front shaft ?

Be specific about where and what broke please.

I have seen the centering flange yoke break and from what i can assess except for one Member on here, it went into bind, and im a damn speed freak and many times a day im droppin to 4x to not spin and beat someone off the light .... so i am very curious about these front shaft breaks.

Unfortunately though a company i used to use cornay that made a strong CV head seems to not answer or return calls ever and that member may still be kinda fuked.
.

[USARMY12V]

Originally Posted by Supershafts

What truck did you break the front shaft ?

Be specific about where and what broke please.

I have seen the centering flange yoke break and from what i can assess except for one Member on here, it went into bind, and im a damn speed freak and many times a day im droppin to 4x to not spin and beat someone off the light .... so i am very curious about these front shaft breaks.

Unfortunately though a company i used to use cornay that made a strong CV head seems to not answer or return calls ever and that member may still be kinda fuked.
.

The previous owner broke the front shaft before I got it which was about two years ago now. Replaced it. About a week ago, we got snow, so I used 4x4 as the roads were iced over by night. I picked up my aunt in town, stopped by Food Lion, pulling out I get it up to 35 mph give or take in 4HI, starts to vibrate so I slow down, I could tell it was coming from the front end, but before I can stop at about 25mph there's a load bang, then the noise of the driveshaft smacking around. Come to find out my transfer case also ended up snapping. I guess the front driveshaft wedged and broke it. 1998 12V QCLB 47RE 241DLD 3.55 truck. 275/75 tires. No lift or even leveling kit. Just bad u joint I guess.

[Supershafts]

The diff end broke at the joint? or the yoke ? was it squeaking at all, maybe the joint was seized and it just let go. It kind of sounds like it as the vibe would get more pronounced as the joint is spinning faster

[USARMY12V]

When I last used 4x4 it had an odd vibration but I only used it for like 15 minutes so I didn't think anything of it. Then this time it got bad and the u joint at the differential broke then I assume it led to transfer case failure.

[USARMY12V]

Also, I had two bad front hubs. It seemed the issue went away when I changed them. Apparently I was mistaken haha but I knew I needed to change to DHD at some point anyways I guess.

[1pieceatatime.]

Originally Posted by LReiff

And 100% of those shaft have huge weights to balance them. The shaft on my truck made from DOM tube has only a small spot of weld to get it in balance.

Originally Posted by Supershafts

That also depends on the person making the shaft, i can set up a seamed tube to not need weight when building it.

Sometimes if they don't keep the run out low and just slap it together to specs they'll need more weight also.

Dom doesn't mean it balances better, the weld yokes and slips are still part of the shaft and also play a role



Losing the 2pc will get you better acceleration and better mileage, simply from losing all that driveline weight, you'll also lose any hanger bearing issues.

I never record lengths everything can be different, i always have everyone measure as needed, and that is the best way, seen to many variations from car to car and truck to truck
.

Point made thank you.

Originally Posted by Supershafts

What truck did you break the front shaft ?

Be specific about where and what broke please.

I have seen the centering flange yoke break and from what i can assess except for one Member on here, it went into bind, and im a damn speed freak and many times a day im droppin to 4x to not spin and beat someone off the light .... so i am very curious about these front shaft breaks.

Unfortunately though a company i used to use cornay that made a strong CV head seems to not answer or return calls ever and that member may still be kinda fuked.
.

I rebuild a TON of the double cardan shafts for dodges and fords. 5-6 a month on average.

90% of the failures are due to bad joints. Run the spicer forged joints, make sure the joints and centering kit are fresh and tight and these things live for a long time and take quite a bit of abuse.

[Supershafts]

I agree, other than what one of the members here has experienced with his front shaft i haven't had any break like that, nor mine break, im not making as much hp/tq as some of the members here (may be pushing an additional 100, not enough) and im not one that drives easy and many times im dropping into 4x to not spin, many people will tell you about me that my driving is more of racing to my destinations.
.