drive shaft play

I just replaced my turdy five with a 8.25 and I only have an inch of play front to back on my drive shaft. the 8.25 is 1.5 inches longer in the nose than the dana 35. I need to know how much play I need front to back for the drive shaft to not damage any thing and also not fall off the slip yoke. It seems like shortening the drive shaft by 5/8th's of an inch is what the guy at the shop said he would sudgest. Is 5/8's the right amount to remove?
thanks

i would go with what the drive shaft shop guy said. i mean he deals with them plenty right? if so then his knowledge would be good enough for me know trust.

the drive shaft guy was not 100% sure of what I should do. Has anyone done an 8.25 swap from a dana 35 in an automatic and what did you do about the drive shaft lenght if anything?

Drive shaft length measured from the center of each u-joint on the tube part of the drive shaft for 4.0L with AW4 and NP231.


29 spline 8.25 .... 27 7/8"
97 + D35 ........... 28 7/8"
1987 D44 .......... 29 5/8"

Stop by the junkyard and get the drive shaft that matches your new trans/rear axle combination or consider installing a Slip Yoke Eliminator.

I did a d35 to 8.25 swap with a 4.0, aw4, np242. Actually I have done the swap twice. On my 91, the stock DS (d35/aw4) was way too long, couldnt even install it. So I fixed it by dong a SYE (it was bound to happen anyway). I swapped the same 8.25 into my 99 4.0, aw4, np242 and the stock shaft from the 99 works. Both jeeps had the same 4" lift. But I am still going to go SYE.

I dont know if that helps at all. If you are lifted or are going to lift more than a BB I would just do a SYE, dont waste money modifying the stock shaft.

Ben