Thread: cut driveshaft too short

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Really screwed up big time on this one but I guess thats what's learing is about. Gave my 40 ford to a friend and we have been both working on it. I measured the drive shaft for cutting as we took 8 " off the truck bed. Got a new slip yoke and pushed it on the splines of the tranny output shaft and then pulled it back 1'2-3'4". Tried to hook up the drive shaft and found out that I was off (to short) by 1". The only way I can see to fix this screw up by me is to move the wheels forward but then there going to be offcenter from wheel wells. The old saying measure twice just to be sure is so correct. I only measure it once and now am paying for my mistake. Can't move my tranny back(350th) as the firewall was cut to have the motor set back as far as possible since were putting in a big 4 core radiator. Not much room in the engine bay.

That really sucks, however, Now I don't feel so bad making the wrong bends in my SS brake lines the other day... cost me about $55 total, not to mention my time... I hope someone here has a solution for you. Good luck!

Around here what we say when that happens is; "I've cut it TWICE.............and it's STILL too short!!"

I've seen some rear end yoke standoffs that might help, but can't seem to remember where. You might want to check with your driveline folks, or maybe someone like Mark Williams, Currie, etc.

You may be able to find a trans end yoke that's longer than what you have.

Especially so if it's GM stuff.

Check the pickups first.

Why not go to your local driveline shop, get a piece of tube and try it again?

Look through a GM parts book. Some newer trucks use a yoke that's longer. Or hit the boneyard.

Dont know what trans you are running if it is a 350 short shaft you could get a 350 long shaft. That would be about 4 or 6 inches longer I don't have one here to measure. Or bite the bullet and do the drive shaft over. Either way it sounds like you got the SHAFT.
Nice flames though

The Shaft is right!!! Might have found a longer yoke. Don't want to cut another drive shaft just yet until I can measure right. You know it's really, really hard to measure something right and like and idiot, you don't take the time to measure it again.

Easiest thing to measure in the world, right? WRONG. We.ve all done it.

I laughed at my buddy Pete when he had to get his Olds shaft done 3 times when we swapped in the 455. Then, when I swapped the 5.0 into my Jeep I put the new shaft in place and it was too long. The guy at the driveshaft shop took pity on me and did it for 1/2 price.

Come to find out I measured with the rear wheels hanging with no weight on them. When I lowered it back down, the new shaft was too long.

Sometimes you can measure 10 times and still screw up.


Don

the ford rear ends have about 4 or 5 yokes some are short and some are longer if you have the short style then use the long one this will get you very close to 1 inch or the drive shaft shop may have a longer front yoke for the 350 that will get the 1 inch have did this with the 400 trans

Chevy37,

cffisher and C9x have the right idea. What ever output shaft you're using, get a longer yoke from a longer output shaft. This will give you an extra 2-3 inches to work with.