Custom Driveshaft

ComforableInChaos · Oct 21, 2008

Okay so i had an apiffiny.

What if you got two pieces of square tubing.
One slightly smaller to fit inside the other.
You Welded these to the U Joints of your stock
driveshaft. You would have a drive shaft that could
change lengths. The only Con to this idea i see maybe
some bad vibes? You would have to make it strong though.

any thoughts?
i could possibly be a complete idiot. No doubt

Begster · Oct 21, 2008

Don't have "epiphanies" anymore.

ComforableInChaos said:
The only Con to this idea i see maybe
some bad vibes? You would have to make it strong though.

Why would you make a driveshaft that you know would have vibes? The point of a slip shaft is to help eliminate vibes, not cause them.

This would also not be as strong as a driveshaft you would buy, as they need to be balanced, and the two pieces of box would have too much slop in them to be even close to the strength of a splined unit. I can definitely see this leaving you stranded somewhere.

Just pony up the money and buy a reliable and safe driveshaft.

live24wheel · Oct 21, 2008

Very common in the Toyota world. They run them on the front, but they also have hubs....

live24wheel · Oct 21, 2008

I was gonna post a pic but just google "square front driveshaft. Click on images and a bunch will come up.

ComforableInChaos · Oct 21, 2008

chedisme · Oct 21, 2008

From what Ive found on google if you use locking hubs, and drive slow when in 4WD you could do it. but I don't think its a good idea for a DD, Its Rock crawling trailer queen stuff.

jmop · Oct 21, 2008

Square tube drive shafts are extremely strong. Usually you use a piece of 2.5x2.5x.25 square receiver tube steel, this is used because the seam has been removed. Then you use a piece of 2" square .25 wall for the inner piece. I've seen a few where guys put zirk fittings near the T-case so they can be greased so you end up with a very long slip drive line.

They don't ballance to well though but work great for crawling. They are very heavy though and with the lack of ballance have a tendency to eat u-joints and/or output bearings on cases FWIW.

usually I see them on leaf sprung front ends with a shackle reversal.

Personally I wouldn't run one. The downsides arn't worth the cost.

vortec · Oct 21, 2008

if the front has hubs then the drivshaft will not move wile in 2wd but only 4wd or when hubs are locked
it will work on a DD if hubs are instaled

98stocker · Oct 21, 2008

works great for rigs with hubs.

wishihad1 · Oct 22, 2008

a lot of people do it with locking hubs. its actually really strong, and has a lot more slip then any driveshaft you can buy prebuilt.

RCP Phx · Oct 22, 2008

wishihad1 said:
its actually really strong, and has a lot more slip then any driveshaft you can buy prebuilt.

Dont know where you got that from.This is my sons truck and has 14" of spline but could have been any length up to the body length.
BTW,IIRC thats a 1-1/2" spline(14 count)

cal · Oct 22, 2008

blah blah blah idiotic comment that its ok with hubs (because no one else seems to have said it..) blah blah blah..

There is a reason people pay $300 for a tom woods shaft. Its not that we cant figure out how to spend our money.

ECKSJAY · Oct 22, 2008

cal said:
There is a reason people pay $300 for a tom woods shaft. Its not that we cant figure out how to spend our money.

Yeah, there's plenty of other crap for us to waste our money on...driveshafts aren't one of them.

+1 for Tom Wood.

Custom Driveshaft

ComforableInChaos

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Begster

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live24wheel

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live24wheel

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ComforableInChaos

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chedisme

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jmop

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vortec

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98stocker

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wishihad1

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RCP Phx

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cal

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ECKSJAY

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