driveshaft question

[miket]

Does this make sense to anyone?


I have a 71 longbed 2 wheel 350/350 that I am converting to T400/502. The driveshaft is two piece of course with a carrier bearing. It looks as though the carrier bearing is shot. I was told this was due to a non existent slip joint in the shaft between the bearing and the rear end. It makes sense that when the bed is loaded and the suspension is compressed that the drive shaft would have to slip together (shorten) but if the carrier bearing is stationary then the slip joint would have to be on the axle side....correct? If thats correct then what happened? any guesses? Did someone install my driveshaft backawards? I don't remember seeing any joint between the carrier bearing and the tranny.

The driveline shop wants $600 to build a new 2 piece shaft with a slip joint.

['72 Shorty]

I don't recall ever seeing one of these trucks with a slip joint. the way I see it is the driveline and the trailing arms pivot in almost the same place, so the only length changes the driveline will ever see is due to flex in the trailing arm bushings(not much in other words). If you have a leaf spring rear, things are a little different.

[miket]

72 Shorty,

Thanks....I can move the driveshaft around quite abit in the carrier bearing and thought if the truck was lowered or loaded 4" that it would cause a problem.