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#1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Behind the Taco Bell dumpster
Posts: 296
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Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive shaft?
I've been toying with the idea of a one piece driveshaft, aluminum 5" round for my lifted lwb truck. (A ram driveshaft might fit the bill, I need to measure). To do it I'd need to weld new bottom bracing onto the crossmember them cut out the old portion. Has anyone done this, or see any crazy issues doing this? Thanks
Last edited by superhondaz50; 01-08-2018 at 03:21 PM. Reason: Spelling correction. |
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#2 |
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Location: Papillion, Ne
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
I haven't, but id love to go that route without alot of messing around....anybody else offer up some info?
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#3 |
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Fort Mohave, AZ
Posts: 367
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
I've done that on my bagged 70 LWB GMC. My problem is opposite yours. I needed to clearance my frame cross member. The one just forward the rear end.
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#4 |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
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#5 |
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Sedalia Mo.
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
I thought about that with my lwb 72, but could not justify the efforts. Somewhere in my research, someone said that there are practical limits to the length of a driveshaft and I was sticking in the neighborhood of 350 to 400 horsepower and similar torque values. So, I just went with the beefed up carrier bearing and two piece system. IIRC one of the driveshaft builders I contacted did not like the idea due to the length. Please don't let me squelch your plans, but do ask your contacts about how long they are comfortable building the shaft. Don't forget to check into all the shaft angles too. You may find that your rear end has to be set up for the single piece.
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#6 | |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Quote:
Should note I have a long tail slip yoke TH400, 250HP 350, nothing special. Last edited by superhondaz50; 01-08-2018 at 06:32 PM. |
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#7 |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Alright, I'm going for this, my old driveshaft I was using with my old np833 manual tranny measured at 71.5", the Dodge shaft is 71", my new TH400 I'm installing is 6" shorter than the old manual, so the Dodge shaft will work good, just need to shorten it, and then open up the crossmember. I'll post build pics here as I go along.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Winnsboro Texas
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
I think 5" might be a bit on the big side. I put a one piece 4" aluminum in my stock height c20. I modified my crossmember from the factory oval shaped driveshaft hole, to more of a rectangle shaped hole to give me just enough clearance. (Side to side, up and down) Once I welded some bracing in there, I really don't think I would go any bigger just because of the trailing arm mounts.
I can jack the truck up from the rear bumper until the springs max out and the driveshaft still comes pretty close to hitting. How much lift does your truck have? Something I thought about but never looked into, would be to buy a tubular crossmember for a lowered truck, and just install it upside down so the driveshaft tube hangs down.
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#9 | |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Quote:
Got any pics of yours? |
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#10 | |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Quote:
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#11 |
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
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#12 |
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Location: Winnsboro Texas
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
A lot of the second gen (94-01?) Gas powered rams had 4" shafts that were pretty long.
I'd go to the junkyard with a tape measure and look under any extended cab, long bed, full size vans etc. and see what you can find.
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#13 |
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Location: Falls City, Nebraska "100 Miles From Nowhere"
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
I wouldn't consider going to a one piece drive shaft an upgrade, in fact your down grading...A long one piece drive shaft wont handle rpm or the torque a two piece shaft will. Think about it and do your research, GM didn't do anything they didn't have to do to prolong longevity and meet the need. A two piece drive shaft was used in most all the muscle cars, Camaro's, Mustang's, to name two. And in a lifted application your inviting trouble by exposing that shaft to strikes from rocks and debris including the occasional opossum or dog. I've done the research years ago and have been running a stock two piece shaft (with the nut sack) behind a 450 HP L34 BBC motor for years with zero ill effect. It's your truck you do what pleases you but make no mistake. A one piece drive shaft is a downgrade not an upgrade..."Just Sayin" ~Ghoostriider~
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Michael of the clan Hill, "Two Seventy Two's" 71 1-ton Dually 350 4-Speed 71 C/50 Grain Truck, 350 Split-Axle 4-Speed 02 3/4 ton Express 14 Indian Chief Vintage 1952 Ford 8N, "Only Ford Allowed On The Property" ![]() "Be American, Buy American" ![]() |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
For sure, I just need to upgrade one way or another.
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#15 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Behind the Taco Bell dumpster
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
So I gotta ask, how do you guys feel about the skinny driveshaft paired with a inland empire drive line heavy duty carrier?
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#16 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
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#17 |
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Fort Mohave, AZ
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Been there, done that.
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1970 GMC 2500 700R Trans RideTech 4 link rear suspension - Air Bagged on all four corners 350 SBC 300hp Weiand Supercharger FiTech EFI |
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#18 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 39
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
Quote:
"Supposedly" the one piece will transfer power a little better to the axle/gears etc. |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: South East Ohio
Posts: 644
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Re: Has anyone ever "opened up" their center crossmember to fit a one piece drive sha
As a rule of thumb, the longer a drive shaft is, the lower it's critical speed. That is, the longer shaft will tend to resonate at a lower speed than a sorter one. The beauty of a two piece is that it is difficult or nearly impossible to reach resonant frequency unless it is out of phase or badly in need of a balance. Resonance in a drive shaft can ruin a lot of things.
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