I used to just grab one from my large collection, and take it to my buddy, and an hour and $20 later it would be done. Lately it's been harder to find donor drive shafts, and I've even had a couple made with new parts. One I ordered from a catalog, Strange made it, for about three bills, works good (that did not include the transmission yoke). One thing that sucks about living in a small town, after Ray closed his shop, I have to go 75 miles away to get this kind of work done.
The local salvage yard near me always had a shelf in back with several hundred driveshafts. I was able to find one in the correct length every time I needed one. sometimes just had to change yokes. I guess I was just lucky
Like you Jim,I have been building hot rods a long time and over the years I have accumulated a lot of spare parts,when I striped everything I wanted from the donor cars L loaded the parts I didn't want in the car,I always kept the driveshafts. HRP
My donor car was a 73 V8 Maverick. I started out planning to use the 302 and the C4 and the rear end too. All that's left of that plan is the C4 and the Maverick driveshaft shortened to fit.
I used to hit the junkyard to find the right length shaft but with front-drive cars these days, it's getting harder and harder to find them. The last 2 cars I've taken measurements and end yokes from bent shafts [thanks, forklift driver] to Inland Truck Parts. They have a driveshaft department and make me a driveshaft for about $175 with my ends and new u-joints.
I go out to the shed and get one to chop up. Either they can shorten or weld on a new tube to lengthen.
I was trying to think of a way to phrase it, that didn't sound kinky, and couldn't. So I gave up and made it plain, what you have to do.
That's because you didn't give it the old hand job first. I bet squirrel gets right down to the nuts!!! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I had one made for my previous T Bucket. I used an old, family owned business that I found by accident. If they're still around, they'll get my business again.
Fred,I had a driveshaft made for a A-100 Dodge Van after I installed a 340 in it and ended up with a 18" driveshaft. HRP
I had one from a 91 f150 shortened a few months ago in Wichita at a large driveline shop. The cost was $40 plus tax. It was too long for my lathe.
I have a stock of many driveshafts on the shelf from chevelles, monte carlos, and other 60s-70s, so I shorten my own. Draw a line down the center to mark the joint phase, grind the welds off the rear yoke and knock the yoke out, cut the shaft, tap the yoke back in keeping the joints phased. I then install in the car and mount a piece of steel rod or something to the 3rd member as a reference to the shaft. I set it as close to the shaft as possible. I then rotate the shaft and tap it until the clearance between the shaft and the reference is the same for the full revolution. Never had to balance one, they run smooth. Originally I tried using a dial indicator to check runout but a lot of times there shaft surface is not smooth and it screws with the reading, so the manual reference works fine. Pictures below are from the one in my 47 caddy, used a piece of 3/8" fuel line as a quick reference. You can see in the one picture how close I get it to the shaft. Rotate, tap until clearance is all the way around, tack weld, check again, and weld. Only cost is the new joints.
I use scavenged shafts from other vehicles and then cut and machine the mating ends and weld them back. Work great. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Like others have done, I dig through the pile at the junkyard until I find the right one. It's important to find out the price before spending a couple hours digging, though. Last time I needed one I went to one yard that said the price was $25 to $75, depending on which one I chose. So I asked how much for a Ford style, 57" long, and the guy still wouldn't give me an answer, but said he would after I dug it out. I went somewhere else where they were all $25.
Sometimes you end up with a Chevy drive shaft and a Ford rear axle,thankfully the make bastard universal joints. HRP
sometimes you end up finding out that they are the same ujoint (Spicer 1310 series ujoint was used on many Fords and many Chevys). I needed a new driveshaft for the Edsel, I found one for a Chevy truck that needed to be shortened a few inches, the yokes were the right ones already, at both ends.
The last drive shaft I needed made was less than two feet long. I had the yoke and U-joints. Called local shop for quote and they wanted over $200!!! I built it myself using some thick wall tube I had in the garage. Works perfect. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
If you plan to make your own and it’s a hodgepodge of parts and oddball components, having a Ujoint chart with measurements is your friend and then the bastard ujoints can be ordered accordingly. It’s ideal to have one size ujoint and not use the bastard ujoint but if you have to then this is what you do. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
In more recalled detail, used to cut about 1 in. ahead of the rear yoke weld, which gave a 'tear strip' hoop, once surgery began, by cutting - 1/8th in deep, all the way around at the center of the weld. In a '60's steel drive shaft, then split the hoop, clamp on a vice grip to one tail end and peel the hoop off, breaking the weld as you go. File or grind the yoke inside flange clean then hammer it into your newly cut tube.
Gotta always remember to draw reference lines to ensure ujoints at both ends remain in perfect alignment Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The Jalopy Journal
