so i'm waiting on my stuff from buffalo and got to thinking about a driveshaft. i don't want to keep my car up on my uncles lift for too long so i was wondering if any of you guys in 53/54 cars with tri 5 rears had any luck just dropping a drive shaft out of something in and what it was.
To stay with the same u-joint size as a tri-5 Chevy, here's some ideas. Also, if that T-5 has a Chevy type output, buy a new ****er 2-3-6081x when you have your shaft modified and balance by a reputable shop. To ID correctly, the shafts use outside snap rings, just a touch under 3 1/2" outside yoke ear to outside yoke ear on a weld yoke or slip yoke. The u-joint caps are 1 1/16" diameter. Shoot for a shaft on 2 3/4" or 3" diameter tubing. You'll have room for a 3 1/2" OD shaft if that's what you choose. Tri 5 shafts make good donors. Shortbed Ford pickups up to about '79 as long as it wasn't a 351m,400m, 460 truck. Ford P/u goes back to late '50's. Shortbed Chevy pickups '55 up to about 1980, but not a factory big block truck. GM A body up to '72, again no big block. Impala '65 to '69. Camaro and Nova stuff too short. Larger Ford cars with small block or 6, no larger engine option deal again, leave the Mustang stuff alone, too short. No Chrysler product stuff, wrong u-joint size, and conversion joints are pricey. Hope that helps.
Supposedly a 67-72 Chevelle 4dr driveshaft works just right, I presume the Cutl***/LeMans/Skylark sedans also, but none of those are common anymore. I suppose the thing to do is figure out how long it needs to be, and hit a pick-n-pull yard with a tape measure and find one that uses the right size joints and if you can't find one close, get one that's too long and have it shortened. Start in the GM section and go from there.
I had a long truck shaft shortened to fit my application. It was aluminum and was $200 with the U joint replaced. If I had to do it again, steel is much cheaper! He said he'd have made a new one for $200 from steel.
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