Pinion and driveshaft clearance questions

[HO455]

It doesn't matter if the truck is level just that the rear axle is at ride height. The front on ramps isn't a problem. Jack stands way back by the transmission crossmember will cause the frame to sag and the engine angle will be lower in the front than it normally sits.

The side to side offset is normal. You may be able to get more clearance by loosening the transmission mounting bolts and pushing the rear end over. Slotting the mount holes is also a possibility to gain clearance. Also try loosening the new crossmember and prying it to the side to may help too.

If you have an adjustable panhard bar I would adjust it so both wheels have the same dimension from the fender well lip to the edge of the tire. Then recheck the dimensions in the drive shaft loop at full droop and full drop. The rear end will move side to side as it traverses through the full range of movement. The shorter the panhard bar the more pronounced the side to side movement is. Go to post 513 in the link below for how I set up my track rod (panhard bar )

https://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vbo...698377&page=21

When measuring off the harmonic balancer I would check it in several spots (Rotate the engine) to make sure it gives you consistent repeatable readings. It's pretty common for balancers to wobble and that would cause an erroneous reading.

Since both your U-joint angles are close to the same it may not be worth the time to get the angles lower as you may not have any noticeable vibration. At this point personally i would leave it until I had done some road testing.

The link goes to how I measured the angles on my Burban post 348.

https://mail.67-72chevytrucks.com/vb...698377&page=14

Good luck and post how it comes out.