Think twice before getting a one piece driveshaft....

[a1captaincraig1]

launch
like moderate throttle and you get a shutter (like concrete seams at high speed)
mine did it till 30ish mph (moderate or max throttle) (straight acceleration, no tire spin)
one piece fixed it all up. carrier was shot but when i added up all new joints, and a carrier it wasn't to much more to go to the 1 piece

hey I was wondering what the shutter on my truck was, thanks ...

 

[a1captaincraig1]

I got my 1-piece from an internet dealer, saved about $50 more than you did, and that price also included shipping. They CAN be had for right around $500 shipped. I can say that it made a BIG difference over the two piece shaft, knowing what I now know, I would have paid more just to have all those 2-piece nightmares ended.





CD

can you give me the info on the website for a 1 piece drive shaft please? 4x4 long bed 4 door...

 

[Brhodes]

Sorry for bringing up a old thread but need some help, the 1 piece is so confusing to me on which one to get, I have a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 auto 5.7 mega cab with 37” tires and a 6” lift. I sent driveshaft specialist a email which used to be dog diesel with the measurement and this is what they said

“I am sorry but with the set up you have this driveshaft is too long for a single piece conversion.
At this length with the gas motor this driveshaft will vibrate at higher speeds.”
-Craig

So am I not able to go to a 1 piece drive shaft? Here are the pics I took of the measurements. If anyone can help I would appreciate it thanks!

 

[cerberusiam]

Yeah, I think 84" is the maximum they will do with the 5" aluminum shaft.

 

[Brhodes]

Yeah, I think 84" is the maximum they will do with the 5" aluminum shaft.

So how are people upgrading to a 1 piece? All mega cabs have a length of around 87” even the 08, my brother has a 08 mega cab that came with a stock 1 piece and his measure 87” what makes a gasser different from a diesel to where you can’t run such a long length? Tired of the vibration when taking off and I do have shims in the carrier bearing. Any other suggestions I hate this 2 piece

 

[seafish]

So how are people upgrading to a 1 piece...what makes a gasser different from a diesel to where you can’t run such a long length?

I am going to have to guess that it is likely due to the higher RPM that a gasser driveshaft will encounter combined with the stiffness (or lack thereof compared to steel) of the aluminum driveshaft.

 

[Brhodes]

I am going to have to guess that it is likely due to the higher RPM that a gasser driveshaft will encounter combined with the stiffness (or lack thereof compared to steel) of the aluminum driveshaft.

I see, well time to sell this mega cab I guess go with a crew cab or something tired of replacing the dam carrier bearing every other year.

 

[seafish]

You might call Driveshaft Specialists in TX to see if there is anything the could for your truck.

 

[cerberusiam]

I see, well time to sell this mega cab I guess go with a crew cab or something tired of replacing the dam carrier bearing every other year.

Crew cab frame is even longer than the mega or QC LB, that won't solve the problem. Replace the OE carrier with a better aftermarket has worked for more than a few people. You might have to do some fab work for the mount but you can get a beefier carrier that will stand up to more abuse.

Interesting that the they think it will vibrate in a gas engine application and not a diesel, the shaft speed will be no different. I thought it was because the it was longer but maybe not if your brother has the same length shaft.

If you lost the flange drive and went with an open yoke you could shorten the shaft by 1-2", not sure what rear diff you have and if an open yoke is available though. They are for the AAM 11.5 but nor sure about the 10.5 which I think you have.

 

[Randomrunner12]

I know this thread is old and drad but anyone know if you can do a 1 piece conversion on a 2wd crew cab short bed g56 truck?

Anyone have anyone they recommend for this?

 

[04blackcherry]

Look on Driveshaft Specialists website. It has a bunch of info. You could call them too. They are awesome people to work with. I live in Washington; the distance was no issue as far as customer service is concerned.

 

[SlimStuart]

I'm new here, so if I'm committing a faux pas by jumping in, tell me.
I've got an '04 Dodge 2500 crew cab, 5.9, 6 speed standard, 4WD, bought used but stock as far as I know. Had u-joints done once and carrier bearing recently.

Is this a candidate for a one-piece shaft? Is there a downside to changing? Why did Dodge use a two-piece if it didn't offer some advantage?

 

[Ozymandias]

Yes it is, go for it.

 

[seafish]

^^^ what he said!!!
After replacing the carrier bearing/bushing twice on my 2005 quad cab long bed, I replaced the the 2 piece driveshaft with the oem single piece aluminum and have never looked back You can either get the the oem aluminum for about $650 from a discount online Mopar dealer, or have a reputable drveahsft shop make you one,. For instance, Driveshaft Specialists in TX sells a quality, upgraded version for about the same price!!!

 

[cerberusiam]

I'm new here, so if I'm committing a faux pas by jumping in, tell me.
I've got an '04 Dodge 2500 crew cab, 5.9, 6 speed standard, 4WD, bought used but stock as far as I know. Had u-joints done once and carrier bearing recently.

Is this a candidate for a one-piece shaft? Is there a downside to changing? Why did Dodge use a two-piece if it didn't offer some advantage?

Check the length from ujoint to ujoint and make sure it is 84" or less, if it is longer they won't build the shaft as there is a maximum length they will not exceed. If you want to fix the source of the vibe problems you need to lose the rear flange drive and go to a u clamp like the GM's use

 

[SlimStuart]

Fifty years ago, when hot-rodders were doing engine/driveline swaps, I recall that the angle between the transmission output shaft and the differential input was a concern, i.e., there could be too much or too little, affecting the stress on the u-joints.

I haven't seen that mentioned here - has technology rendered it a non-issue? It seems that replacing the two-piece with a straight (one-piece) shaft would affect the angles at the u-joints.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Fifty years ago, when hot-rodders were doing engine/driveline swaps, I recall that the angle between the transmission output shaft and the differential input was a concern, i.e., there could be too much or too little, affecting the stress on the u-joints.

I haven't seen that mentioned here - has technology rendered it a non-issue? It seems that replacing the two-piece with a straight (one-piece) shaft would affect the angles at the u-joints.

Yes, the same design parameters exist.
After installing the 1 piece I checked mine and the angles were well within spec for my none-lifted truck.
I don't know anything about the max length thing but mine was the stock replacement for a 2006 Mega and fit with just a small shortening.
If it fit both my Quad cab and a Mega then I can't see where any application would be a problem.

After all this time, I'm still glad I went 1 piece.

 

[cerberusiam]

Angles are not a consideration on a stock or close to stock height truck, The drive shaft drop is something to be aware of though as there is less room for error on a long wheel base vehicle. Jumping curbs and rock crawling is not recommended.

The factory 1 piece is not that great of a unit, barely adequate for stock TQ, crappy small u-joints in it, and they will still transmit harmonics. The bigger full length 5" that Driveline Services builds is much beefier, larger 1480 Spicer u-joints, and they will not vibe like the others.

 

[seafish]

The factory 1 piece is not that great of a unit, barely adequate for stock TQ, crappy small u-joints in it, and they will still transmit harmonics. The bigger full length 5" that Driveline Services builds is much beefier, larger 1480 Spicer u-joints, and they will not vibe like the others.

NOT disagreeing with you, but I must have got lucky then, as I bought the OEM one piece aluminum about 7 years ago and installed it on my truck. While I don't jump or whoop the truck, the roads where I live are TERRIBLE and I have been running an extra 120 horses with Smarty, even towing.
The oem DS had given me NO trouble at all and has completely solved my start up vibration issue. It is also still in good shape (knock wood LOL!!!)

 

[AH64ID]

I ordered the 1piece for my 05 from the local driveline shop. The one they gave me had a MOPAR sticker on it and 1550 u-joints, all for less than $300. It would have been more to have the same shop replace the carrier bearing and 3 OE u-joints. It was a worthy upgrade for sure.

Those 1550’s took about 1500 miles to break in and keep from resonating, they were horrible at the same rpms/load that produce gear rollover.

Speaking of gear rollover, it’s directly related to the pilot and a vibration it creates on the crank. It can be changed with tuning, but the gear roller (and driveshaft vibs) were 100% eliminated with a single injection event tune.