The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Driveshaft Questions/Help

I have a 54 3100 Stepside with a transplanted 283 attached to the original (to the truck) 4 speed transmission. I want to upgrade to a highway friendly rearend. I have a '69 Camaro 10 bolt posi with 2.73 gears for the replacement.
Since the current bellhousing is bolted to the stock rear motor mount locations, I figure the motor is sitting in the correct spot and at the correct height. So I figured if I used a 55 - 62 truck 4 speed transmission it is exactly like mine (including the reverse shift location).
The ditch I feel I fell into is dealing with a 2 piece driveshaft. With my planned setup, is there any other drvieshaft possibilities /configurations other than using the two piece driveshaft and only adapting the rear portion to the Camaro rearend?

Sorry for the book....but Thanks

Custom build a single piece drive shaft. It would be a little on the long side but probably okay. Choose a local shop to do it for you, and I would not expect it to cost more than a couple hundred.

My '55 1st has a single piece drive shaft that seems to work just fine.

Check your local phone book, most cities have a shop that specialize in drive shafts, axles and housings. I've had 3 drive shafts built and while theyre at it installed the correct u-joints & balance. The shop can advise you on how long to make the shaft.

A gas engine driveshaft can be used in length to 58" ctr/ctr of the joint if the tube diameter is large enough. A 3.25" tube should be fine but nothing smaller for that length. I've built 65" tube lengths where I had 4" diameter to work with but that is rare with 1280-1310 series. 1350 series will allow more flexibility.

Thanks for the information, but I can't seem to visualize How this will work. The rearend has a fixed pinion yoke and the rear of the transmission has a fixed yoke, so "where is the slip yoke"?

I suspect the 2 piece drive shaft has the "slip" at the carrier bearing area. Right?

Thanks

sounds like you have a closed drive trans [original], which is why you have a split shaft on a 1/2 T, the slip yoke goes in the back of an open drive trans [the later one], on the front of the front U-joint, pulls out [which lets the oil run out] ... you need to ditch the split shaft and get a one piece one for the open drive setup

Bill

That's the parts you have today. Mine has the slip yoke on the transmission. Mine is a '55 1st that started with an open drive line but the parts are not hard to swap if you can find them.

You should find a lot of your driveshaft questions are answered here in the Spicer driveshaft manuals
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/driveline/setup/index.html

If you're not using a factory driveshaft (can't understand what you're doing) then call a good driveline shop for both the expert advice and the new shaft.

Grigg

54 3100

. . original (to the truck) 4 speed transmission . .
- torque-tube rear-end and SM420 with u-joint cover?

. . if I used a 55 - 62 truck 4 speed transmission . .
- open driveshaft with open u-joint (SM420)?

Both of the above have a u-joint yoke that is bolted to the transmission and the other u-joint yoke slides on the driveshaft spline.

. . The rear-end has a fixed pinion yoke and the rear of the transmission has a fixed yoke, so "where is the slip yoke"? . .
- what transmission and rear end (drive shaft?) are you referring to? Maybe a few photos might be helpful.

All 1954 3100 Chevrolet trucks are "short bed" (and "step side", for that matter). Why would a two piece driveshaft be needed?

I know nothing about drive-shafts, but the people posting above are very knowledgeable. With more information about the transmission and rear end, you will get the best answers possible.