what to do for driveshaft? swb

[dmartin1]

i have a 69 shortbed. driveshaft is missing.it will have a th400 automatic and a 454 in it.

is there a solution for a driveshaft? how about 73-87 shortbed shafts? or will i have to get one custom made?

i have tried searching and wanna pull my hair out.

thanks in advance guys!

[RenoKeene]

You can probably find one on the parts board. Keep in mind that the 2 piece big block shaft is the larger diameter one.

[Lee H]

If go onto one of the drive shaft builders web sites, like Inland Empire Driveline for instance, they have a printable form that is easy to use so you can find the right length drive shaft for your specific application, and then use that to either find a shaft or have one built. It also makes it easy to pick out the right yokes and u-joints. The reason I mentioned Inland is they have a very good tutorial on measuring for the right size shaft and identifying the right components'.

[brad_man_72]

Have one built spend the cash and forget about it.
There's about 6 different locations for the engines in these trucks using factory parts, there's no guarantee that the shaft out of an identicle truck to yours will fit, much less some different truck.

Assume you find one that fits. Its 40 years old, it needs ujoints, it needs to be ballanced. It may need hard parts such as the trans yoke, weld yokes or even tube. Add in your time, purchase price of the used shaft and you'd be ahead just buying a new custom shaft.

[67Run]

don't look for original if you can, they are soooo heavy. go aluminum! i put one in mine and it probably weighs 50lbs less. i don't have a brand name for you though

[brad_man_72]

Originally Posted by 67Run

don't look for original if you can, they are soooo heavy. go aluminum! i put one in mine and it probably weighs 50lbs less. i don't have a brand name for you though

Aluminum is good for show trucks.

The aluminum weld yokes would be the only lighter part of a 3.5" diameter shaft. A steel shaft would be best made of .065" wall tubing while the aluminum used for making aftermarket shafts is .120" thick.

Something was wrong with your steel shaft if it weighed 50lbs, unless your truck has been stretched 10ft.

I made driveshafts for about 5 years.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by brad_man_72

Aluminum is good for show trucks.

The aluminum weld yokes would be the only lighter part of a 3.5" diameter shaft. A steel shaft would be best made of .065" wall tubing while the aluminum used for making aftermarket shafts is .120" thick.

Something was wrong with your steel shaft if it weighed 50lbs, unless your truck has been stretched 10ft.

I made driveshafts for about 5 years.

Well said, Bradman! Inland empire will do a new shaft for you that will take the torque of that 454 and it won't weigh enough to care about. Just be sure to order the correct yoke for your trans ( there are thin wall and thick wall yokes for a Turbo 400).

[bbcmudtruck]

Couldn't agree more! Get ahold of inland and while your at it, upgrade to larger yokes on the differential and the drive shaft! With that motor, its only a matter of time before you start to make it faster!

[brad_man_72]

Originally Posted by bbcmudtruck

Couldn't agree more! Get ahold of inland and while your at it, upgrade to larger yokes on the differential and the drive shaft! With that motor, its only a matter of time before you start to make it faster!

There's tons of 400+hp stock cars running 1310 series joints, we would even drill a 1.5" hole in a 2" weld yoke to make them lighter (removing weight in the wrong part of the shaft and allowed dirt to get into shaft adding even more weight in the worst place) but the racers thought they were cool.

As long as you are running a good neapco or spicer joint (not precision/partshouse brand) you should be fine until you get a trans brake or slicks.

I would agree if running highway gears and big tires on a 4x4 that gets abused, but not for a street/strip truck.

[bbcmudtruck]

Well my thoughts are he might as well upgrade it now since he has to have the driveshaft made anyways. Just as well do it once and be done with it! I don't disagree that what you posted is accurate. I just try to plan ahead and do things once, even if they are "just in case" plans.

[JimJones]

Is Inland Empire the go to guys for drive shafts?
I'm making a list of go to guys for parts for when I start my build.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by JimJones

Is Inland Empire the go to guys for drive shafts?
I'm making a list of go to guys for parts for when I start my build.

Depends on what you are building and where you live. Shipping isn't free so here in Arizona I use Inland Empire Driveline in Ontario California. If I lived east of the Mississippi I would use the Driveshaft Shop in Salisbury North Carolina.

If I'm doing a radical lifted 4 wheeler I would probably use High Angle Driveline in Paradise, California because that's where my cousin gets his off road stuff but since I don't have an FWD I don't know where to go from personal experience.