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| | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 28 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 28 | I'm shopping around for a driveshaft after a motor and trany swap. Everybody tells me to just cut mine down and weld it. This sounds like a dangerous idea for a backyarder like me. Anybody out there done one? How did it work? What were the biggest challenges? | | | | | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 | There are shops that do that for a living. The problems are that even if your weld was perfect, your alignment would have to be as well. They have jigs to do that and then balance it.
54 3100 with 235
62 flatbed dump C60 with 261
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 28 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 28 | Yeah. That's what I though. My BS detector goes off everytime somebody gives me advice to do something that I can tell they've never actually done. And I can imagine a driveshaft coming apart along the hiway. Ugly picture that'd be. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 2,773 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 2,773 | Knew a guy in high school who welded them at home. His trick was to set it up so the weld was at one end, but it was still a PITA to do. Best to leave it to the guy who does them all day long, you'll save money in the end with less u-joint and bearing failure.
Fred
52 3600
69 C-10
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 139 Member | | Member Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 139 | jr, you are right to question the wisdom of doing this your self at home. A good friend of mine lost his 18 year old son when the drive line on his old pu failed. Even if it drops out clean, there are other people on the road that could get hurt. A good shop can do it for somewhere around a hundred bucks. They'll check if it's true, straighten it if needed, shorten it, weld on the yoke, balence and paint it. Good luck. Mike | | | | | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 | That's the reason the NHRA requires hoops on the driveline, it keeps it in the vehicle if you loose a U-joint. They are cheap to add and a good safety measure.
Paint & Body Shop moderator
A lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. | | | 
#4186 11/10/2003 10:57 PM | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 | If in doubt hire it done.
I did one myself 25 years ago. Using a lathe to cut the shaft, and to true up both the shaft and the piece I was fitting to it, and then had a trained welder stick it together for me.
My thought at the time was that this was the front drive shaft on a 4x4 that never went very fast in 4-wheel-drive. I played this little game because the factory shaft had failed. If I had it to do again I'm pretty sure I'd hire a drive shaft shop to do the job.
We have at least one in the Seattle area that ships nationally.
1955 1st GMC Suburban | 1954 GMC 250 trailer puller project | 1954 GMC 250 Hydra-Matic | 1954 Chevy 3100 . 1947 Chevy COE | and more...
It's true. I really don't do anything but browse the Internet looking for trouble... | | |
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