Driveshaft swap, 2 piece shaft to 1, LWB

[NDanecker]

I’ve already replaced the center u-joint once and now with only 3k miles it’s bound up again. I had a universal shop press in a dealer u-joint. The joint came with very little grease and no grease fittings, but u-joint shop added grease before assembly.



Spoke to a few people here and did some research. I am thinking about going to a 4” OD steel tube one piece. The shop I am dealing with says he has done many 2 piece to 1 piece swaps with success.



What do you guys think? Has anybody done this? I read a thread where somebody swapped the 2 with a 1 piece aluminum from a duramax and it worked welled.

 

[Not_Agn]

I asked a local driveshaft shop about that very thing. There response was they wouldn't do it because the driveshaft would be to long. It would vibrate, and then eventually explode. I myself don't know much about it, thats why I asked. Is there something to do with the driveshaft being made of aluminum?? Duramax's obviously don't have a problem! They acutally started with a 2 piece in 01. Had bad launch shudder, then went to a 1 piece. I am going to question a couple other shops and see what they have to say. Just my 2 cents. Lee.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

The Kehldahl airbag folks installed a one piece driveline in their fancy red 3500 DRW 4x4. You might give them a call.

 

[bmoeller]

I wouldn't use an aluminum shaft. They snap like a pretzel dragging a sled on a sticky track. :laf

 

[Not_Agn]

ol' traildog, You happen to have a web site, or a number? Thanks. Lee.

 

[Glen Pratt]

I contemplated doing the same thing with my truck. Nassau Driveshaft here in New York wouldn't do it. They said it would be too long and would probably end up twisting.

 

[Metalaram]

1 piece

i think ol trail dog meant kelderman air ride and they do have a one piece in big red. i just had a one piece put in mine and no more shudder when starting in first or second very smooth had it up to 90 mph and no problems you cant tell it is different unless you are looking directly under the truck at it. cost about 450 ish. full custom made they used a few pieces off my old one. it is not a matter of being to long but making it the right thickness steel and the proper diameter tube.

 

[hasselbach]

Its not that a long dirveshaft will explode, but more of a problem that they tend to whip in the middle, and if the shaft it not stiff enough, it will end up like a jump rope and destroy itself. One way to prevent the whipping problem is to enlarge the diameter, say to 4. 5 or 5 inches. Aluminum will work fine if the wall thickness is sufficient.

 

[NDanecker]

Well, if you are in Rutherford, NJ area and need a drive shaft do NOT go to UNIVERSAL JOINT SERVICE on Route 17 South. I wouldn’t have these guys sharpen the blades on my lawnmower!!!!



I picked up the shaft yesterday evening. He ended up selling me a new axle yoke. Not a big deal. Just questioned why sell me a new yoke instead of using my old one as we spoke about. He said it was easier. Ok…. . selling me parts I don’t’ need but ok. I then questioned if it’s the same and will it fit? I say this because seeing both sitting side-by-side on the floor it visually looked different. “Yes, we mic’d it. Don’t worry. They are the same”. {Famous last words} It didn’t fit.



So this AM I had to borrow another car & take time off from work AGAIN to try and straighten this out. I walked in and said, “Somebody really screwed up because the axle yoke doesn’t fit”. Judging from his response he probably didn’t have his morning caffeine fix yet. He was extremely defensive, raised his voice and used profanity. Not something I appreciated considering HE screwed up & really inconvenienced me as I needed my Dodge to bring floor supports to a jobsite this AM. Not his problem though…. .



Bottom line, I got my $518 back, my old parts and will have another shop do the work tomorrow AM.



I briefly spoke to a gentleman down at Mr. Driveshaft in Titan Falls, NJ. They did a shaft for me when I did my Ford 9” axle swap into a V8 S10 conversion I was doing. They did excellent work and were extremely professional. Should have went to them first, but Universal Joint Service was local to my day job. Anyways, he said a steel shaft will probably NOT work (depending on length) and we’ll need to go to an AL driveshaft…. but get me the distance & parts and we’ll talk tomorrow AM. Deal.



I’ll give update tomorrow PM.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Opps!



Yep, you're right it's Kelderman: http://www.kelderman.com/

 

[EB]

I see most of you guys are running 4X4 trucks. I was going to have mine changed over to a one piece drive shaft, but it was to long. (72") My truck is a 2X4. Maybe your shaft is shorter because of the transfer case, but the man in the drive shaft shop I was going to use, who has over 30 yrs experience, said what some of the earlier posts said, it will break in the middle.



EB

 

[NDanecker]

Got my new 1 piece installed last night. This other shop had a hard time getting parts. 1 week with no Dodge is a l-o-n-g time!



Shaft is 73 1/2" from center of joint to joint. Tubing is 4" od with . 187 (I think??) wall.



Truck runs excellent!!! No more vibration. Take offs are smooth as can be. There is very little axle wrap still happening but only on hard/quick take offs (manual trans). Shifts between 2-3, 3-4, etc. are EXTREMELY smooth... . very noticable.



I did a few runs with the Juice on level 5 with no problems. Had the truck up to 85... ... still no problems/vibration.



Next test to pass is the 'mileage test'. Lets see how long these joints last!

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I'd be interested in hearing a periodic update, a contact, a price, strength specs, options, and etc. After losing a losing a center u-joint and periodically a possible carrier bearing hoot owl, I suspect this may in the future for a number of us folks. Caveat: I would rather replace u-joints and/or ball joints periodically than to be driving the present competition.

 

[jwilliams3]

Over on the Duramax site a user posted a picture of his ALUMINUM driveshaft that was twisted like a "twizzler" after a sled pull.



I think aluminum is out of the question.

 

[Morse]

That was out of a first year dmax, if I recall. . Look at the shaft. . It's not aluminum. . I haven't heard of anyone hurting an aluminum shaft in a dmax. . Those are so light, it's hard to believe they're as strong as they are. .

 

[Metalaram]

ol traildog i don't know if you get down to northern colorado at all but talk to rob at fort collins 4x4 (970-482-5500) he knows his stuff they have one of the best shops i have seen. they are a full service shop not just aftermarket bolt ons. my 1 piece and everything else they have done is first rate. also if a problem does arise they will figure out how to fix it instead of playing stupid like alot of places. for what its worth i drive 175 miles round trip to have them work on my truck. they also warrantee all the work they do!!!

 

[Scrappy]

I have seen an aluminum driveshaft in a Duramax twisted in two!

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Thanks Cgarling, it's a little premature for replacing the drive shaft at this point, but I definately want to follow the results of the 1 piece replacements. Driving to CO isn't a big deal from here. I just drove to Fruita to get my Denver Off Road bumper .