1968 Chevrolet SWB Stepside Restomod

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

There is 1 1/8" of open yoke so yeah the driveshaft is 1/4" too short, I think I can skate by but only just barely.

Actually, it isn't the amount that's exposed that matters. Driveshaft suppliers suggest that you should shove the yoke in until it bottoms out completely and mark where the seal is positioned on it. Then pull the yoke out an amount that is just sufficient to prevent bottoming thru the full suspension travel. This could be as little as 3/8" to 1/2" for a vehicle with very little travel and/or pinion climb, to upwards of 7/8" to 1"+ for something like an off-road truck with a lot of travel. On my last truck, I set it at 3/4"+ when I had the driveshaft made. When I installed it, I marked the yoke with a grease pencil where it was bottomed out and again where it sat when bolted into the pinion yoke. I then drew a line front to back between the deep and shallow marks I made. Over time, as the front yoke moved in and out, it rubbed off part of the line and I could see how much it actually travelled. On my setup, 1/2" was the max. So I could have made the driveshaft a bit longer, but if you have to err, it's better to have the d/s slightly too short than too long. Bottoming out the yoke against the tailshaft can be catastrophic.