I hope that you got it together. It can be confusing to readers when you mauy leave out details or don't understand what is being said. one shouldn't have to drop the rear axle to get a ujoint in if everything is properly there.
ou state that you took the eng and trans out. did you put the same thing back in to start with so that one knows that everything is the same lenght.if you are taking out the motor and trans you should drop the d/shaft before you do so; just makes it simpler as it has to come out anyway
you should have a slip yoke on the front of the d/shaft. you push that all the way in. next you install the rear ujoint. you should have to pull the d/shaft back in order to install the rear joint at this point.( there should be about 3/4-1" freeplay with the front yoke[spline]) In other word when the driveshaft i all bolted together and installed there should be that much, 3/4-1" free space for that front yoke to move forward into the back of the trans. then bolt in the centr support carrier and bearing and you should be able to go. if you do not remove the centre support you are restricted in forward movemnt in order to get that ujoint into the rear flange.
I think that you did mention that you said that there was a centre brg so that anyone that read it and responded should have automatcally known that you had a 2 piece d/shaft.
you may have changed trans and this may have an effect on the length of d/shaft
people cannot really offer advice unless you give the info to what you have done as they start speculating as to what you have done and then it really gets confusing. most of the time it appears that the blind are leading the blind.
ron
