Here are some very basic rules to be used a guidelines:
....
8. joint series cannot be mixed in any driveline
10. carefully assembled and welded drivelines do not require balancing which is a production consideration. Tolerances must be tightly held however.
These are all general information items and not meant to be specific to any particular vehicle. Most driveline rebuilders know their business and will not take advantage of a potential customer so don't jump to conclusions about them unless you have ALL the facts. That's good advice for virtually everything on the internet IMHO.
Thanks Dave, some good rules of thumb(s?).
Only two I am curious about are 8 and 10.
#8, I had never heard that the joint sizes/series could not be mismatched. I have done it with no ill effects (yet), and in considering how the joints operate and behave I can't think what would cause a problem. What am I missing?
#10, Even if carefully assembled you should still have your shafts checked for dynamic balance at the highest RPM you will be turning it, and correct the balance if needed. It may be really close but it can't hurt to check, and may save some time and money in the long run.
Dave has provided the short answers, for the long ones check the manuals in the driveline Tech Tip, they fill in the blanks and remove most of the guess work. Also find a
good driveline builder, and pay for their good work and advice, it's their business...
Grigg
