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i can imagine his answer will be sum tin like "you didn't measure right "

in hindsight it might been handy to first have them or a machine shop nearby cut the driveshaftyoke off so it can slide into the pipe drive back make it fit on the truck before taking it to the shop again for welding and balancing , that way its easier to lob off Wat's needed to make it fit
if you have to pay them to do the job correct again anyway this might be the right moment to try another drive shaft shop ........ i think that would hurt him more than just keep trowing money down on the counter at his shop

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Oh ... ya ... I've been down that road with the driveshaft guy too. It's a bit frustrating at best.

ya just gotta work trough it.

Ratty 46

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This will be my approach. I'm so close that I'm going to try & machine the d.shaft yoke the amount needed so it can slip into place (if it's possible).

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Been down this road.......this is why my truck will be loaded on my trailer and driven down to them so THEY can take the measurements because they must have a special tape measure that is not available to us.

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I figured carrying the extra shaft would be easier. Just for giggles today, I plopped the mock-up shaft on a piece of wood paneling, squared it w/the edge using some 3" steel angle iron, & scribed a line @ the tip of the yoke. I repeated the process for the 'new.2' shaft.

The difference in length? 1.375".
The amount I would need trimmed off so I can put it into the pinion yoke? .375".

Now I'm no Rhoads Scholar, but I seem to recall making a statement @ the beginning of this expedition....
In reality, it's very minimal spline depth gained but I wanted as much as possible just because I'm 'particular' (:haha:). I'll stick w/the mock-up piece & will prob press the joints out of the other & into the mock-up to re-coup some investment & I'm going to request they balance the mock-up piece for free since 'their way' was ineffective.

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Yup me too. Putting it on the trailer and taking it to them is the only way I end up not doing it twice.

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I just went through it last month on my black 72. Still was not correct, but i sold it saturday. Told the guy all little things he needed to finish.

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I called them today & they said to bring it back & they'll see what can be done. He asked me how much it was off & I told him it was still about .500" too long. I did mention something about how using their 'method' didn't appear to be quite as 'exact' as they suggest....

I googled for some answers too. I went looking for the recommended depth the yoke should be on the trans output shaft splines & found it should be between .750~1.00" (I was figuring my dimensions @ 1").

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first thing i would ask would be if he do it under guarantee (no extra costs )

with Wat he told you so far over the phone i wouldn't be surprised if he stuck you with a 3th bill

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I paid the 2nd time because miscommunications can happen. Since they wanted it done one way but did it my way, I felt it was the right thing to do. Now that it was measured per their directions (w/pics on my cell for proof) & still incorrect, it will be on their dime for sure.

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make them put it in writing before you give them the driveshaft , so you have proof of the deal just to be sure .
i seen it happen that there was a price to pay after the job was redone and it was like "no money no driveshaft" ....... you did have all new bearings and stuff in there and allready payed for .

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I was going to post this yesterday, but I am in Italy for work and my internet connection ran out before I got that far...plus I was too worn out to log back in...

I was reading your "issues" with your drive shaft and was going to recommend that you not cut the splined end of the yoke off. if it is bottoming out, wouldn't it be hitting on the "yoke" part externally on the tailshaft seal and not internally inside the trans?

Sounds like you have gotten it worked out with the shop and hopefully you will be back on track.

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I had a little over .125" to work with. After measuring again for verification, it wouldn't have been worth the effort to machine the end of the yoke as I still would have been too long. Hopefully, they can trim an additional .500" off the new.2 shaft again w/o too much drama. I'm hoping he doesn't pop off about me measuring incorrectly..... the gloves will come off @ that moment.

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I had to pay twice.:waah: Did give me alittle break. Seems to happen a lot.:lol::lol: I wonder why.:lol:

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because they make more money doing it wrong

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:gi:

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Kind of counter-productive when they have to do twice the work. I only paid to shorten it twice. The u-joints & balancing were paid for only once. It was balanced each time & now will be done again....

$20 each for u-joints
$40 to shorten
$35 to balance

$155 total so far (which is still decent).

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Are you getting close to swapping the cab to the new frame?

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Not any closer than last Saturday.

I got the gas tank mounting straps welded up on Tuesday & that was about it for the week. I've been sick since last Sunday & just now getting back to normal. I wanted the gas tank in place to finalize the fuel lines.

Maybe the week of spring break will be the swap date/s since it will be quiet around the house ;) .

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keep youre cellphone near just in case sumtin happens in the shop while youre under the truck , they might not hear you calling out

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Oh, I take it that the girls are leaving town? Excellent plan... :lol:

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Ding! Ding! Ding!!!!!!!!!!
Somebody get that man his prize.....

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Let me know, I'm in.

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Not much this week, but every little bit helps.

I got the mounting straps for the blazer tank finished & tested them out. They're just steel strap w/nuts welded in place that will slip inside the tank spacers I made. Makes it easy to get the tank secured now since I just have to install the bolts from the bottom of the frame vs. trying to fish my fingers in between the rails to hold the hardware. The tank is securely bolted w/.375" GRADE-8 hardware to some 2"sq stainless tubing then the tubing is bolted to the frame rail (also w/.375" GRADE-8 hardware).

I cleaned up the ECE T/A x-member & got some color on it. I got the official 'buddy' approval tonight that it was a clean install (thanks Matt).

I'm still on schedule to hit the d.shaft shop on Sat morning @ 08:30 so I should have that finalized.

Yesterday & today was spent trying to figure out how the heck I'm going to snake a fuel line from the rear tank fitting, through the rear c-notch area, past the Z'd/boxed-in frame kick-up, & then past the Dropmember crossmember-reinforcement brackets.

It looks like 2 possibilities..... 1) Eliminate the engine fuel pump & go w/a low GPH electric fuel pump that's fed w/some braided fuel line. This would still have to snake through the c-notch & Z'd/boxed-in areas, but could terminate around the front shocks & run up the rear of the block to the carb vs trying to get it past the crossmember reinforcement brackets. Or 2) Just do the braided fuel line from the tank to the block mounted fuel pump & up to the carb. This might be a tight squeeze & be difficult to keep the hose from chafing anything. What I don't see happening is a 1pc hard line front to rear....

I also cut up a valve cover to start determining the breather & PCV possibilities. I'm going to research some compatible hose options tonight & use a 2nd extra v.cover as a test subject for welding the fittings (to get an idea on warpage/spacial constraints etc...).

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Driveshaft is now in!

I went back there 1st thing this morning & they were real nice about everything. The owner/mgr said there were 2 possibilities.... 1) I measured wrong; 2) they measured wrong. I told him I was confident in my ability to read a tape-measure correctly. I supplied the same dimensions as the last time & sure enough, they were .500" off & admitted it was their mistake.

It was difficult trimming of such a small amount because of how the equipment works but he got it done. Cut, re-welded, & re-balanced @ no additional charge. Popped right in & fits like it should.

I also sold my TT2's that have been sitting in a corner of the garage for 2+yrs now. That puts some $$ back into the parts budget which allows keeping the CC account interest free :) .