eliminating carrier bearing in 76'

[rapidride3]

I have a 76' cheyenne longbed fleetside with a turbo 350 trans and a 12 bolt rearend. I want to eventually add a 700 r-4 from bowtie overdrives. I want to eliminate the 2-piece d-shaft and carrier bearing. I had an 83'gmc with a 700 r-4 and 10 bolt with a 1 piece shaft. I really liked the simplicity of the 1 piece shaft in my 83'. can this be done once i put the 700 r-4 in my 76????with the 12 bolt???

[rapidride3]

Has anyone ever done this?

[79Silv4x4]

Originally Posted by rapidride3

I have a 76' cheyenne longbed fleetside with a turbo 350 trans and a 12 bolt rearend. I want to eventually add a 700 r-4 from bowtie overdrives. I want to eliminate the 2-piece d-shaft and carrier bearing. I had an 83'gmc with a 700 r-4 and 10 bolt with a 1 piece shaft. I really liked the simplicity of the 1 piece shaft in my 83'. can this be done once i put the 700 r-4 in my 76????with the 12 bolt???

Contact Bowtie overdrives. Their tech folks are great and should be able to advise you on this. . .

[Ziptar]

If it turns out you can do this, I am looking for a 2WD 2 piece Long bed TH350 12 Bolt rear driveshaft so I can put a 700R4 in my 79. I'd be interested in your old driveshaft.

If you can use it my 85 2WD parts truck that has the 700R4 in it that I am going to use has a single piece drive line in it now, I'll trade you if it works for you, it's a long bed but has a 10 Bolt rear.

[mister honey]

I'm planning on this change in my '76 longbed, too.

I talked with a driveshaft shop and they said a straight driveshaft would be OK as long as the distance between the U-joint centers from the trans yoke to the rear end yoke were 65" or less.

Mike

[Ziptar]

I don't know why this didn't hit me before....

DUH!

You can use a single piece driveline form any 73-81 Long bed 2WD Pickup as long as it came from a truck that had a 12 bolt rear and a TH350 and the TH350 has a 9" Tailshaft (which 99.9% of the pickups do.). It'll work with a 700R4 with no cutting or modding, the TH350 and 700R4 Splines are the same (well there were 27 sline 700R4s but they were like hen's teeth).

Check car-part.com for yards in your area, Search for one for a 1976 C-10 2WD 131.5" Wheel base TH350 Single piece, you'll find a bunch I bet.

[rapidride3]

thanks thats the "easy answer"i was looking for. I like those kinds of answers!!!

[Ziptar]

No problem, let me know how it works out. Like I said up top, I could use your old drive shaft if you wind up swapping.

[rapidride3]

It might be a while however i wil let you know.