Another Build Thread - My '32

[J. Robinson]

The next step is to cut a drive shaft to fit this beast. I cut my first drive shaft back in 1975 and in the 42 years since I have probably done two dozen or so. I have cut drive shafts to fit everything from a long bed Chevy pickup to T-buckets. I have never paid to have one made; my method is completely self-taught and I only had one that shook a little. That was in my Sportsman stock car about 1992 or '93 and it was one I made in a hurry to get to a race. At 7200 RPM on the straightaways it rattled my teeth. After that race I re-cut, re-trued, and re-welded it and never had another problem. All the others were fine before and since because I was able to take my time. The moral of the story - take your time to make sure the shaft is straight and true.

I started here with a drive shaft from a 1995 Camaro that I got from the local salvage yard for $20. The front yoke has the correct splines for the 700-R4 transmission and the rear U-joint fits the yoke on my 9-inch Ford rear. (I know Ford made a bunch of different yokes over the years, so it was pure luck that this joint and yoke matched. On my coupe and Track-T I had to get the special U-joints that adapt GM to Ford.)

First step is to put the drive shaft yoke in the transmission. Shove it in as far as it will go and then pull it back about 3/4 inch. Let the other end rest on the floor. Now measure from the rear end yoke (where the U-joint seats) to the back edge of the front U-joint. (What we need here is a center-to-center distance, so back edge to back edge is the same thing.) I measured 29 7/8 inches. I need the finished shaft to be 29 7/8 inches, center-to-center, on the U-joints.

Next, I remove the shaft and measure it from joint to joint - it is 41 1/2 inches long. I need to remove 11 5/8 inches.