c10 driveshaft lenghts

[undeadchevy]

I've been searching and im not really coming up with any real solid results. im trying to find out the various lengths chevy trucks have had over the years in the long wheel base trucks. If anybody could help or just post the length you have in your truck. Drive shafts seem to be the a big topic and the 1 piece/ 2 piece question seems to come up alot also' so any help there would be great too.

[LostMy65]

I was just searching for the same info for shortbed 60-66 trucks.
Many give the answer to measure what you have - which I will, but there has to be a few standard lengths.

[1963c-10]

I have two inline 6 / 3sp manual driveshafts for short beds out right now. I can get a measurement on the one piece shafts tonight.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

I have two inline 6 / 3sp manual driveshafts for short beds out right now. I can get a measurement on the one piece shafts tonight.

I would think with manual transmissions the bellhousing mounts to the same place whether an i6 or v8.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by undeadchevy

I've been searching and im not really coming up with any real solid results. im trying to find out the various lengths chevy trucks have had over the years in the long wheel base trucks. If anybody could help or just post the length you have in your truck. Drive shafts seem to be the a big topic and the 1 piece/ 2 piece question seems to come up alot also' so any help there would be great too.

their only std for the model that they were made for. just get the tube lengthened or shortened to what you need . get the yokes that you require.
you may find one out there the right length but the ujoints and or yoke may be different. then that it was taken out of something else, is it still true( where did that vibration come from?)the time that you spend looking plus your going to have to change the joints anyway, it will be less expensive just to get it done.
when you play with vehicles sometimes not everything comes from a store.
ron

[undeadchevy]

Originally Posted by padresag

their only std for the model that they were made for. just get the tube lengthened or shortened to what you need . get the yokes that you require.
you may find one out there the right length but the ujoints and or yoke may be different. then that it was taken out of something else, is it still true( where did that vibration come from?)the time that you spend looking plus your going to have to change the joints anyway, it will be less expensive just to get it done.
when you play with vehicles sometimes not everything comes from a store.
ron

Let me explain little more what i need this for. i have a two piece drive shaft out of early 90's 1500 in my bagged 1963 (that I fabricated myself NOT BOUGHT FROM A STORE). I have recently decided to upgrade from a 283 with a saginaw 3 speed to a mild 350 with 350 turbo trans. Now considering the issues with having the truck bagged and now needing a shorter drive shaft my carrier bearing location will not work and I'm thinking of going back to a one piece driveshaft. I don't have to original driveshaft anymore due to it being bent, I'im looking for a replacement that will either work or be close to the length i need. so any real help here would be greatly appreciated.

[LostMy65]

I really think there has to be "Standard" lengths for drivelines. The Bell housing was mounted in the same place for thousands of trucks. After that you only have to consider what transmission you have, then short or long bed.
Doesn't it cost like $400+ to get a driveline made?

[Captainfab]

It could cost that much if you have to have a complete new driveshaft made. The trick is to start with a driveshaft that is too long and just have it shortened and balanced. That should be $120-150.

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I really think there has to be "Standard" lengths for drivelines. The Bell housing was mounted in the same place for thousands of trucks. After that you only have to consider what transmission you have, then short or long bed.
Doesn't it cost like $400+ to get a driveline made?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I really think there has to be "Standard" lengths for drivelines. The Bell housing was mounted in the same place for thousands of trucks. After that you only have to consider what transmission you have, then short or long bed.

Nope. Too many other variables.

The operative concept here is to control the driveshaft "critical speed", the point at which it begins to swing like a jump rope. It is affected by length, outside diameter, thickness, material, mass and rpm. Highest shaft rpm is affected by vehicle top speed, rear axle ratio and tire diameter. Length is affected by wheelbase and driveline configuration.

The driveline is also affected by any unusual or unpredicted system resonances, which can destroy a driveline even at a speed lower than the critical rpm.

From an OE perspective the driveshaft choice (one piece vs two piece) can be manipulated by controlling any one or more of those variables.

Hence there's a little more going on than picking a length and slapping a couple yokes on it (from a production standpoint).

There is a chart that the engineer keeps (like the brake system release charts I have posted in the past) that shows all of the driveline configurations and shaft lengths for every GM light duty truck. I have asked the engineer for it on a couple of occasions but he has not come through with it.

K

[LostMy65]

I doubt they made each driveline special when the truck reached the end of the assembly line.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I doubt they made each driveline special when the truck reached the end of the assembly line.

Yes - they made each driveline special but no - not at the end of the assembly line. All the pieces are made up ahead of time.

Nothing on an assembly line is spontanteous (or, at least, it better not be). Keep in mind a typical line rate is 60 jobs per hour - that's one completed truck every minute. That gives you about 45 seconds to do your job assignment so there's not a lot of time for extra curricular activities.

The specific parts are released into the engineering database for each available combination. That way they can be sourced and procured in quantities to support volume production, a process that could take several weeks or even months. (That supplier could be supporting as many as six or seven vehicle assembly plants, so they are making several hundred shafts per hour). With the amount of engine, trans and wheelbase proliferation in full size truck that's a lot of combinations. This is all psyched out, designed, developed and validation/durability tested months and years ahead of start of production.

The parts numbers are distributed throughout the plant as required and printed on the manifest and/or build sheet. The operator selects the parts as indicated on the build sheet (either by part number or by broadcast code) and puts 'em together for that specific truck.

In more detail: major components like engines, transmissions, rear axles, HVAC units, etc, are received at the final assembly plant already put together by the various suppliers. They are usually received and trimmed out in a remote area of the plant and conveyed to the main assembly line in build sequence order. Rear axles are hung on the conveyor according to the build manifest and the brake lines and shocks installed. The drive shaft is sub assembled and placed on that same rear axle hanger and conveyed to the main line, as a unit.

One other nuance: usually the drive shaft assembly is attached to the rear axle before the engine/trans is installed. The front of the shaft is supported temporarily by a bungee strap and then guided into the trans tailshaft at motor set.

See http://www.73-87.com/7387info/Assembly%20Line.htm photos #1, 2 and 4.

I mention that only because it is one of those little tidbits that is counterintuitive, compared to what you or I would do in our own garage.

K

[PGSigns]

Great info as always Keith. Your perspective from the manufactures side is very insightful.
Jimmy

[Keith Seymore]

Thank you; and you are welcome.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

There is a chart that the engineer keeps (like the brake system release charts I have posted in the past) that shows all of the driveline configurations and shaft lengths for every GM light duty truck. I have asked the engineer for it on a couple of occasions but he has not come through with it.

Well - I did stop by and see the drive shaft engineer at his desk. He was kind enough to drag out his big book of knowledge for me to thumb through.

Unfortunately (a) he didn't have any charts earlier than the GMT400 version and (b) they are not really in the format I remembered. They wouldn't really lend themselves very well to posting here or to cross referencing different usages (there are only one or two parts per page).

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I doubt they made each driveline special when the truck reached the end of the assembly line.

Did you have any other questions or comments I might be able to elaborate on?

K

[LostMy65]

Thanks,
I'll probably just end up getting it made if I can find one close and have a shop size and balance it.

[DakotaKid]

I just had one made, 350/th350 in a 62, 52" CTC

[LostMy65]

Many Drivetrain changes have been made to our trucks over the years.
And now we're making changes and need to get either a different driveshaft, or have ours modified.
In searching these forums I've found that the lengths are all over the place.
So now I'm going to start looking at other vehicles for a donor shaft.
Myself, if I was to keep my ho32, I'd need roughly a 53.75" u joint center to u joint center.
.
So far, from just these forums I've found the following :
.

Originally Posted by superwade57

negative on my buddy shortening it.... he said aluminum moves an aweful lot. but i picked up a shaft from a 72 buick sylark, 350/350 and its 54 3/8 c-c on the joints. so i only say this to put the info out there....clip.... .

[uppster]

And if you have an 8.8 rear end the shaft will hit on the trailing arms cross member.

[BigDan3131]

Stock driveshafts are meant for stock HP levels even if you have one shortened. I prefer to just buy a new steel DOM driveshaft without grease fittings that way I never have to worry about it.

[LostMy65]

A related question/answer:.

.

Originally Posted by LostMy65

How about the length of the driveline?
Can I remove my 62 Ho32 and mount a
65 12-bolt without modifying my driveshaft?

.

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Okay here's what I came up with. These measurements are not ultra precise, but are fairly close. With the truck 12 bolt, the center of the axle tube to the center of the U-joint on the pinion yoke measures 11-5/8". The Eaton HO32 measures 12-1/4" from the center of the axle tube to the center of the U-joint on the pinion yoke. So the driveshaft will technically be 5/8" too short if you swap in a truck 12 bolt, but with that small amount it may be fine. It just depends on your particular driveshaft and trans.

[LostMy65]

More:

Originally Posted by J Knight

74 swb TH350 short tail 6in 12bolt rear end
59 1/2in from center u-joint to center u-joint

84 swb 700R4 10bolt rear end
55 1/2in from center u-joint to center u-joint
Posted via Mobile Device

[LostMy65]

Here's another thread with many donor options :

Originally Posted by truckeroy

Last fall I bought a 64 swb. It already had a 305 hooked to the original 3spd trans. The trans was popping out of gear and growling so I decided to put a saganaw 3 spd in. The problem was with a longer trans, the driveshaft was too long. Being a tightwad and always trying to find ways to use existing parts from something else, I started looking for a driveshaft that would fit, without having it cut to size. That is when I found that there was little informatin about driveshaft lengths available. So in the process of looking on the internet, measuring actual driveshafts and talking to people, I have compiled a list of driveshaft dimensions and thought I could save someone else some work by listing them here. Please verify the actual measurments before purchasing one of these driveshafts. I did not measure everyone on this list. Some of these dimensions were taken at face value given by others.

All measurements are ujoint to ujoint center line.

1964 Chevy swb truck 61"
1996 Astro van rwd 50"
1980 chev swb truck w/ long tail shaft 57"
1985 Olds Delta 88 57"
1985-85 Chev swb truck w/ 700r & 350 trans 55 1/2"
1974 Chev swb truck w/350 long tail shaft 56 1/2"
1974 Chev swb truck w/ 350 short tail shaft 59 1/2"
1984 Chev swb truck w/700r 54 1/2"
1992 Chev swb truck 59"
1973-81 Jimmy/Blazer w/ 4 spd 53 3/4"
1984 Olds Cutlass 54"
1979 Camaro w/ 350 48 1/2"
1977-80 Caddillac V8 52"
1975-80 Granada/Monarch V8 53 13/64"
1970 Chevelle 55 1/2" (I found another Chevelle driveshaft that was 1/8" longer and was told some were longer than that, but I don't know what years)

I know some of these dimensions seem to contradict each other. I'm just listing what I have gleaned from different websits. The 70 Chevelle I have and I used a Chevelle ds that was 1/8" longer than the 70. I hope this list at least helps someont get started on finding what they need. Roy

[chevyrestoguy]

I'm running a small block with a 700r4 in my '64 LWB, and I found a combination of factory shafts that worked perfectly. No cutting or mods.

Front shaft: 1973-1987 1/2 ton Suburban (or maybe C-10 LWB?)
Rear Shaft: 1960-1966 C20
Carrier bearing: Heavy duty 1960-1966 "C20 style" (shaped like a bell).

You will need to run a "combo" u-joint (1310/1350) at both ends of the rear shaft if you are using a stock truck 12-bolt. At the slip joint, use the yoke from the '73-'87 rear shaft.

[LostMy65]

I'm thinking about going out to Pick-N-Pull in the next couple weeks. I'm guessing I'll only need the wrench for removing the u-bolt at the u-joint.
I shouldn't need anything else, right?

[LostMy65]

Also,
For donors,
Did GM switch to metric at the u-joints after a certain year?