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Drive Shaft Length question

mage

mage

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Castaic, CA
There is about 3/8" left before complete expansion of my rear DS.
This can't good.

Do I need a longer DS??
What length or travel in the slip is required???

I have...
Yr.:2000, Tran: auto, TC: 231, Lift: RE 3.5, SYE: jb conversion, Main propeller: front DS from a 89 4.0 Auto.
 
Axle is a 8.25...
dang i knew I would leave out one peice of the puzzle... thanks for asking!

The rear DS, I'm using is from a "98", 4.0 auto, front DS... too, not 89.
 
mage said:
There is about 3/8" left before complete expansion of my rear DS.
This can't good.

Do I need a longer DS??
What length or travel in the slip is required???

I have...
Yr.:2000, Tran: auto, TC: 231, Lift: RE 3.5, SYE: jb conversion, Main propeller: front DS from a 89 4.0 Auto.
Click to expand...

So, you're saying that the splines are only engaged for 3/8"?

What exactly are you saying?
 
With the DS installed, the slip joint can expand only 3/8" more, before it reaches its limit in length.

I pulled the slip out by hand as far as I could pull and measured this max distance in the joint. After the install the slip joint contracted some. I took this measurement. The difference is 3/8".

I'm worried that on the trail it will separate...
but being a noob... maybe I have nothing to fear and this acceptable???

Noob Note: 89 or 98 makes no difference here... part numbers are the same 53005545
 
a buddy of mine just did a crazy thing. He swapped everything from a '93 in to a '99 body. Lots of work!!! The one strange thing was that the driveshafts were different lengths. The '93 was a manual and the '99 was an automatic so I guess there are two different DS for the front and rear.
 
I have the same problem, same set up. I still have about 2 1/2 inch left in the DS but I think I should have a longer one, here is a pic.
IMG_1047w.jpg
 
That looks like what mine when I test fitted my new rear axle. I am swapping to a ZJ driveshaft instead and keeping my stock XJ one for a spare. Some of them, not sure years are an 1in longer compressed and have longer splines.
 
Everyone want to go cheap on a rear driveshaft. Just measure and order one that will fit. Tattor4x4 on ebay is like $230 and is a lot larger than a stock front driveshaft. I did the same thing. I picked up a front driveshaft, had to have it reworked then after I had problems with the splines being worn I ordered a new one and wish I would have done that from the start. I now have Tattor shafts front and rear.
 
Well... yeah if had the money there would be no thread to reply to...
I'd be busy talking to Mr. Woods... ah maybe next year, oh wait ...
thats when I re-gear front and rear for around $1000 or so ....
maybe da year after that... No then its new Tires $1000 or so...
Gawd tell me his DS set-up will work in the field!
 
IIRC a ZJ front shaft is around an inch longer than the XJ's. I can measure a friend's later this week if no one else can confirm it.

You should have about half of the splines engaged at ride height. Look at the shiny sopt in the pic, that's about where it should be.
 
some year ZJ's are longer, like I stated above. Then TJ driveshafts are much longer, but it is cheaper to shorten a driveshaft then lenthen one. So if you are going to have work done on a stock DS, that would be the way I would go.
 
rcmf5525 said:
a buddy of mine just did a crazy thing. He swapped everything from a '93 in to a '99 body. Lots of work!!! The one strange thing was that the driveshafts were different lengths. The '93 was a manual and the '99 was an automatic so I guess there are two different DS for the front and rear.
Click to expand...
Yea there are at least 4 different DS lengths in XJ's depending on the engine and transmission combo. The manual is shorter then the auto hence a shorter DS. The 4 popper is even shorter on the front.
 
The front shaft from an AW4 and 231 combo is what you're after.

Why not just hit a place you can wheel and start flexing, take a look and see if you'd be comfortable wheeling it. You won't know till you try, but having said that; @ 3/8" you might as well take it out now or limit strap it.
I'm all for a front shaft in the rear as a trail spare, but at the top of the shoppping list should be a proper length HD shaft. -B
 
Sound Advice.

Let me know your front ZJ DS performs on the trail?

ZJ are a Hard find in the Junk yards though...
so is it any ZJ front ds or what other spec do I need to look out for, like Auto ect..?
 
just to dispell some of the misinformation in this thread, There ARE different length driveshafts but they are not as common as some posters here make them out to be. For example I have had in my hands at least 8 different front driveshafts from Zjs and Xjs automatic and standard of all different years and every single one was exactly the same length. So it is true that there are different lengths but not as readily available as people make it seem.

Also to the OP, I have between 1/2" to no slip left in my rear shaft (front drive shaft on the rear) and I have wheeled it for a couple years with no problems and drive it everyday with no problems.
 
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