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Front Driveshaft Too Short

L

lectrode

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Southwest Oklahoma
87' Two-door XJ, AW4,NP231,D44
Just installed a JB Conversion SYE and I got a front driveshaft from
a salvage yard,( it looks just like the one I have for the front).

I have it fully extended and it still lacks about an inch before it will
reach.

Am I the only one that this has happened to?
Can I get it lengthened?

I also have a RE 3.5 Superflex on 35's
 
Last edited:
Re: Front driveshaft to short

was the Xj you pulled it from an automatic or 5-speed? If I recall, that makes a difference.

I know that when I installed my SYE, the driveshaft I had purchased from ebay was too short as well but I attributed that to the fact that I have a 5spd.

I took it to a local driveshaft guy and had it lengthened a few inches for about a hundred bucks.
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

How much travel should the rear drive shaft have?

I pulled mine from a '89 Cherokee (AW4) and it fits on mine (AW4 also) but I only have about an inch and a half of travel it can extend. I've done some 4x4'ing so far, but nothing too rough.
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

i have a front in the rear of mine...it is lengthened to 34 1/4 or something like that with a 4.5" lift. he replaced the main tube on the shaft with some bigger stuff...forgot what size....but i can barely fit a stock one right now.....

you should have quite a bit of slack....just flex your xj and look and see
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

lectrode said:
The guy said it was from an auto.
When you had yours lengthened, where on your shaft did they add?
Click to expand...


same as the poster above... He repllaced the entire main tube. My understanding from talking to an auto mechanic student i know, is that cutting and splicing in a segment to your exisitng shaft is not feasible from a reliability, balance and/or safety standpoint.
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

Replacing the tube IMO, is the only way to do it properly.
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

From what i've been able to gather from researching this, if you have an automatic, then a front shaft from an XJ should work. If you have a manual, then a front shaft from a ZJ would work.

However you have an auto....which puzzles me as to why it's too short. I didn't think the 2 door's had a longer shaft than the 4's......
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

UNCC_99XJ said:
From what i've been able to gather from researching this, if you have an automatic, then a front shaft from an XJ should work. If you have a manual, then a front shaft from a ZJ would work.

However you have an auto....which puzzles me as to why it's too short. I didn't think the 2 door's had a longer shaft than the 4's......
Click to expand...

They are the same wheelbase.
The shaft I bought looks exactly like my front shaft.And yes I have a auto.
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

lectrode said:
They are the same wheelbase.
The shaft I bought looks exactly like my front shaft.And yes I have a auto.
Click to expand...
Looks the same,yeah,but does it measure the same?Also if the lift is fairly new you should be at about 5" of lift!
 
I too ran into this problem. I was told if it had an 8.25 it would have fit.Copst me $50 for the re-tube


89 4.0/auto ,4dr
 
Re: Front driveshaft to short

RCP Phx said:
Looks the same,yeah,but does it measure the same?Also if the lift is fairly new you should be at about 5" of lift!
Click to expand...
Naw,Lift is a couple yrs. old.

Are there different lengths for the same model shafts?
 
Might be a dumb question, but does the D44 take the same ujoint as the D35 and 8.25's do? I say this because when I did my SYE a few weeks ago, I bought a front shaft from another member on here who ran it on his, only he had a Ford 8.8 rear. When I went to bolt my DS up after two days of working on the Jeep, it didn't fit (it was too long). Did some quick research to show that it calls for a bigger ujoint to make that set up that he had work. Did a quick trip to Advance and got the right one.

Probably a long shot, but just something that came across my mind from my experience. And i'm also running a RE 3.5" kit, although on 31's.
 
:firedevil
UNCC_99XJ said:
Might be a dumb question, but does the D44 take the same ujoint as the D35 and 8.25's do? I say this because when I did my SYE a few weeks ago, I bought a front shaft from another member on here who ran it on his, only he had a Ford 8.8 rear. When I went to bolt my DS up after two days of working on the Jeep, it didn't fit (it was too long). Did some quick research to show that it calls for a bigger ujoint to make that set up that he had work. Did a quick trip to Advance and got the right one.

Probably a long shot, but just something that came across my mind from my experience. And i'm also running a RE 3.5" kit, although on 31's.
Click to expand...
U-joint size has nothing to do with driveshaft length!
 
I realize that, but like I said in my case the ujoint that was on mine was too big (off by about an inch) which is why I mentioned it....and I also mentioned that it was a shot in the dark.
 
I have a update.When I got home from work I pulled my original
front driveshaft and it is 1/2" longer than the one I bought.

So I put it in the rear and it fit, but it is extended all the way out.
I mean it is as far out as it can be,I don't know how it will work when I go wheelin.

I took it down the road last night and it rode real nice & smooth.
 
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i just bought a used front driveshaft for my sye install. I havent measured anything yet, but just from looking at it im wondering if it will fit. Im also on 3.5" of lift. Will hopefully get some time to measure here in a few days and ill see if i have the same issue
 
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