Thread: Custom driveshaft

Tweet

Please excuse my venting, but why is it everybody wants up to $350 to make me a 15" driveshaft? It doesn't seem to be that labor intensive or time consuming.I already have a slip yoke and donor driveshaft to shorten. Am I wrong in my thinking?

nope. most i've ever paid is around 120 .

Don't know where you been looking but check out a few machine shops. I've had to have several made , shortened or lengthened non over $200. that I recall.

I've checked out places on line, and four shops in the Cleveland area. I'm on a short leash with this t bucket build, my budget is tight and my swap meet search for parts is on hold until spring. I'll keep looking for a reasonable shop. Thanks for the input, gentlemen.

i have mine made at a local machine shop. they do mostly farm and ranch stuff. last one was 135 with new joints and new shaft .

There are several threads on this site which detail exactly how to do it yourself.

I'm one of those that occasionally builds (shortens) my own shafts. It's really not that hard. You do need a way to cut the end of the shaft perfectly square and the ability to weld the yolk but it's not rocket science. For cutting the shaft I normally use a plumbers pipe cutter.

87 Ram 50 Engine Swap

Then it's pretty much just properly indexing the yolk and hammering/pressing it in. Tacking it in 4 places (rechecking to make sure it stayed square) and welding it.

As far as the cost you were quoted it depends on what's included. The last shaft I built was for the 37. I started with a factory shaft that was too long. I didn't have a driveshaft with the proper yolk to use as a donor so I ended up having to buy a new driveshaft yolk ($50 + shipping).......even if you provided a donor shaft with the proper yolk most shops would charge you at least that for salvaging the used yolk and cleaning it up. Then of course there were 2 new U-joints (about another $50). If I had needed to send the shaft out for balancing (which I didn't) that would have added another $110. Having the driveshaft shop actually do the shortening and welding in a new yolk would have been another $100 putting me at $320 (including shipping).

Basically if the work includes balancing the $350 is really not that out of line (especially when you consider markup on the parts) ......if it's not balanced it seems a bit high.


.

You need to check heavy truck shops in your area and see what drive line repair shop they're using. I usually can get a single piece shaft shortened and balanced for $90 by the shop I use here locally.