Driveshaft or driveline question- one piece swap

[RobinHood]

l have read throught the various posts on the site about the swap... l am picking up a drive shaft tomorrow from a 2001 Ranger Ext. cab for the one piece swap.

My question is... what parts should l be removing as well? Should l be taking the flange from the donor vehicle off the T-case as well? IS that the best way to do it, or is it easier to buy the fitting from the auto parts store and use that?

l am aware that the axle side flange will fit fine, but what parts should l be taking off as well to make this swap go as easy as possible? essentially all options are available to me, what is the CORRECT way to do the swap?

One final thing, is the 2001 aluminum or steel?

 

[SchmigShady]

well i'm going through this know i would say get the flange just to be on the safe side. i have a 2.5" flange and the new shaft has a 3" flange. So now i'm trying to find a 3" flange or a new u-joint so i can use my 2.5" flange. and if the flange you get is a 3" and you already have a 3" then you can sell me yours lol.

 

[RobinHood]

Yeah l saw your post right below this one...

If it works out that l have an extra, you can have it for the price of shipping... cool?

 

[SchmigShady]

well if they will sell it to you i'll pay for it if its a 3" flange. I just went to my Junkyard and the won't part it off cause they said then nobody would be the t case. so right now my only choice is new u-joint that i can use my stock flange. but i would rather have it done the right way.

 

[RobinHood]

l am picking it up private party... so it shouldnt be an issue. It is from a rolled ranger they are just trying to get rid of.

 

[Destroyer000]

you should have no problem.. it should be a bolt in swap.. i put a one piece in my 95 an i literately unbolted old shaft an bolted new one in and got rid of the carrier bearing cross member. you should have no problems..

 

[SchmigShady]

well my new shaft had a 3" flange and was a steal shaft. so i had to get a combo u-joint. no big deal really problay needed a u-joint anyway. if you run into this problem i have the u-joint part # if you need it. save you some time with the idiot's at the parts counter.

 

[RobinHood]

Cool... so the driveline has the bigger flange and the private party didnt have it. l will need that part # from you. IS there a reason you didnt get the new flange? Apparently they are only twenty bucks.

 

[SchmigShady]

$20 where the hell at? i figured the dealer would want way more then that. and like i said before the jy wouldn't part them off and i didn't wanna spend 2 weeks finding one. So the hell with it i bought a new u-joint problay would have needed it anyway. but the part # is 353 and its a precision u-joint. not sure if the part # is same with all brands but there you go.

 

[wahlstrom1]

I got mine from a 98' and it bolted straight up to my 97'...?

-andrew

 

[RobinHood]

Unfortunately l picked up one from a 2001... a 98 would have been nice, but this 2001 aluminum driveshaft was free. So now l just have to figure out the mating surface difference.

 

[SchmigShady]

just use the flange off your old drive shaft and get the combo u-joint thats what i did. worked out just fine.