x frame to a one peice driveshaft

i need to know the pipe size to weld in place of the bottom of the frame for a one peice driveshaft on a 62 chevy wagon TIA Patina

 

I think there is much more involved in converting to a one piece shaft.

 

There isn't really much involved switching. I ran a one piece in my '60 El Camino without doing a thing to the frame for a while, it would rub every once in a while. I eventually notched a little out of the frame and welded in a piece of bent plate. And the driveshaft I used was a $20 '66 Chevelle shaft which bolted right in.
I'd just find a driveshaft that fits...put it in...and see where you need to make room for it.

 

I also have a 60 el camino, and I was told that a one peice would't be a good idea if I was going to bag the car.......wich I plan to do in the future......I wonder if this is true?

 

I wish someone would shed some light on this subject.the ol' lady's 61 chevy has been giving me a fit.the driveshaft was cut down when I swapped in a 350 turbo.now the thing is going through carrier bearings like crazy.driveshaft was cut down by a company that only does driveshaft so I just don't get it.I would love to put a one piece driveshaft in hers.who has done this.by looking at i, hers sits high so just sticking it in will not work it will hit the frame.I don't want to start hacking on the frame to see if it will work unless I can get some feed back from someone thats done this already

 

The major issue with the two-piece Chevy driveshafts is that the carrier bearing has to flex back and forth. The trans uses a slip yoke like a one-piece driveshaft. The fix is to put a sliding yoke in the REAR piece. Like used on the front of four wheel drive trucks. This way the length adjustment of the driveshaft ***embly (due to suspension up and down) minimizes flex of the carrier bearing.

The problem with the one-piece conversion is that the tunnel does not have enough clearance for the complete suspension travel. By modifying the tunnel you might get enough clearance.

On my 59 El Camino I just went with the sliding yoke on the rear piece, my local driveshaft shop did the conversion on my stock piece. Also shortened the front piece to work with the 700R4 trans I swapped in.

 

i second that, all my x frames have a slip yoke in the rear and all have been fine for 10+ years. 60 elco is stock and lowered, girls 61 has a th350 and the 64 panel has a 3spd o/d so all the front shafts are different lengths but still working fine with the slip yoke in the rear.

 

Just in case you aren't aware, there is a right and a wrong way to put the carrier bearings in ...

You need to tighten them down when the rear axle at ride height, e.g. with axle stands under the rear end.

If you do it with the axle stands under the frame and the rear end hanging down, you will put a lot of stress on the carrier bearing when it is at ride height and it will fail prematurely.

 

old trick fill the carrier bearing with silacone(?) if it has the little windows around it. would like more info about the slip joint tho. also seen some of those guys who make their car hop,take body off the frame and cut top part of frame off,weld 3/8ths plate in a curved shape on the top till solid then cut out bottom part.don't have clue if it works,just happened up on a shop in l'ville ky, that was building hoppers. again DON'T HAVE A CLUE IF IT WORKS. could not make one piece shft work in my 59 el camino.it hit the back/bottom. any body got a pic of the slip joints and what they came off of. inland driveline sells a shft like that,but its pretty high $300-$700 depending on what you get.

 

the local drive line shop had the slip yoke units in stock and it was about 180-200 for everything.

 

I had the jack stands under the rear end so it should be right.the problem I'm having is that the rear end of the car has new springs in it that the old owner put in. in order to put some 20 inch rims on it.damn thing sits like a 4x4.I think hitting a large speed bump or hole is 'causing the driveshaft to hit the frame.NO I don't have 20's on it lol.I haven't had a chance to cut them down to where they should be yet.I think that is the problem on mine.I wish I had heard about putting the slip yoke in the rear before I spent the money having this driveshaft cut and bal/makes alot of sence.GM should have done that in the first place.thanks for the helpfull info guys.

 

Chevy (I think) was the only Xframe TOO CHEAP to put the slip joint in the rear shaft.
Pontiac had one, even Olds (cheap) F85 had one.