Just replaced my 6 banger frame mounts on my 58 Biscayne 4 door to get my 350/350 combo in the right place so the headers will fit. Of course, now the driveshaft is 1.5" too long. Will a V8/powerglide driveshaft out of any 58 Chevy fit? My book says they all had the same wheelbase so I would imagine the answer is yes. Anybody out there know if both halves are different or just one end? Anyone know what the pinion-to-pinion lengths SHOULD be?
Not sure about 58 ,but my 60 i had a few years back was a 6 and glide .I switched it to small block and 4spd.I used the front half of the driveshaft from a 69 1/2 ton with a 3spd stick and a smallblock and it worked perfect.Alot of people dont know this but late 60's and early 70's Chevy 1/2 ton trucks use the exact some driveshafts as 58-64 car.All different lengths of course .The carrier bearings are the same as well truck to car.I know because i've done it.To answer your question ,the front halfs or all thats different .If the back half was differnt the carrier bearing wouldnt bolt back in the "X" in the frame.I think they made three differnt front half lengths in 58-64 ,but im not sure on that ...
not sure on the lengths, im looking to find em too. mine was rigged in when i got the car, due to the 350 combo, and having the wrong rearend rigged into the car. i think my rear section is too long, pushing on the carrier bearing. it just broke the bearing last week, so we pulled the shaft and welded it up to get me home. got to get a real fix for it tho.
A th350 short tail is the same length as a powerglide, so if your engine is in the correct spot a stock V8 auto shaft should work. Driveshaft rehab is something rarely regretted. Might be cost effective to have a shop shorten & freshen the shaft you got. Or most performance cars lose the carrier bearing and go to a one piece shaft, good luck
dont know about his car, but mine is a short tail 350. the prob stems from the 79 caprice rearend the had hacked into the car, with, get this: the wishbone bracket welded to the inspection cover, lol. so now ive just got to get the stock length shaft back in there.
Turbo and Power Glides from '58-'64 full size X frame Chevies are 1-1/2" shorter than later PG's ad the early Nova and '64 A body glides. I've owned 10 X frame Chevies over the years, still have a couple driveshafts above the garage in fact. You'll need the front section from a manual trans driveshaft, shorten yours or check into the later truck shafts that 'The Shocker' mentioned. I had never heard that but knowing GM it makes perfect sense.
I am in the same boat with my 60 belair, I took out the 6 cyl auto and put in a BBC w/4 speed. Now the front shaft is too long. What size u joints do you plan to use or are currently running? The wimpy 1310's that came in these cars scare me, but going bigger means all new drive shaft pieces front to rear...
i just have the heavy duty ones that napa carries, stock replacement stuff. honestly, it wouldnt be the ujoints thatd worry me, its the skinny little shaft itself. but i guess they held up fine for 409 cars, right? ya, a local guy here has quite a few 58-64 shafts in his garage, none seem to be the right length tho. i just need to get his 58 up on a lift, and measure the sections.
Didn't know there were 2 lengths of PGs based on model year, learned something new today. Thanks Rudebaker.
Just take it to a reputable driveline shop. They will be able to sort out any problems and either build you a new driveline, or modify an existing driveline for a perfect fit. Have the vehicle towed in and let them do their thing. You won't regret it.
Ya , i didnt believe it was the same shafts from truck to car either at first.A good freind of mine and probably the best and undercredited Chevy mechanic on earth told me that.Be sure and dont use the metal dust cover from the carrier bearing from the truck in the X frame car.I made that mistake once and it rubs in the car frame.Had to take it all back apart again and remove it.This guy that showed me all this cuts his own driveshafts as he needs them with a chop saw and welds them on the floor with a stick welder ,using a piece of angle iron to keep it straight while tacking it .He has shortened over a 100 driveshafts and not one has ever vibrated at all ,even at 110 mph .I dont know how he does it .Its too bad he is not a computer nerd like me ,because he would have a lot to offer the Hamb ...
Thanx guys. The car was a runner just before I bought it but the T350 ****** was out of it for front pump seal replacement. The only thing I did was change from the 6 banger frame mounts to the V8 units to get the new (correct) headers to fit, which set the motor back 1-1/2". So I would imagine I would just need to shorten the rear half of the driveshaft by that same 1-1/2" to make it work, right? The carrier bearing seems to line up in the right spot in the x-frame as-is.
I learned that one the hard way about 35 years ago the when we had to replace the PG in a friend's '64, he bought a PG out of a '64 Chevelle and it wouldn't fit. That one became X-frame #2 a few weeks later. I almost got in a brawl with a so-called "expert" at the local Chevy dealer about it once. After the "expert" stomped out the Parts and Service managers both told me I was right but I'd never convince "Mr. Chevy". I have one of each up in the garage rafters "just in case" I ever make it 11 X frames.
If you moved the engine backwards and the driveshaft is now too long, you need to shorten the front half of the ***embly. The distance between the rear axle and the carrier bearing doesn't change when you swap engines/transmissions.
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