Driveshaft options

[svtcards]

Like title suggests I'm looking to replacing my gkn driveshaft for my 87 bronco ii 2wd automatic. I see alot on the aftermarket but not many if anyone offers 1 for a 2wd. I was told that a 2wd and 4wd shafts are different in some way. Not sure in what way though. Let me know what you guys are using if it is new or used modified ones. Also alot of places ask for measurement of shaft,is it overall length there looking for or measurement with it on the vehicle? Noone could realty answer that question on every place I went on. Let me know

 

[broncc]

If you have a dummy transfer case it should be the same... Like 31" or so. When they ask for a measurement they mean from flange-to-flange or flange-to-spline. And the bolt pattern on said spline.

 

[RobbieD]

When I converted my '90 B2 in 2019 I ended up spending about $130 all-in, to have a junkyard driveshaft shortened with new u-joints. I was also replacing the GKN style driveshaft at the same time.

I could have just gotten a new driveshaft, but even buying online that route wasn't cheap.

What I didn't have to deal with, was a dummy t-case; my late '90 was built with a 2WD A4LD. In my case, I had to change from a bolt-on yoke to a slip-on yoke. The bolt-on yoke was supposedly unique to the 2WD autos in the B2, to use with the GNK driveshaft.

 

[svtcards]

If you have a dummy transfer case it should be the same... Like 31" or so. When they ask for a measurement they mean from flange-to-flange or flange-to-spline. And the bolt pattern on said spline.

So overall length Length is 32.6

If you have a dummy transfer case it should be the same... Like 31" or so. When they ask for a measurement they mean from flange-to-flange or flange-to-spline. And the bolt pattern on said spline.

It does have a dummy transfer case and overall length is 32.62 . Measurement with it on vehicle it's like 30.50. so overall length is what there asking for then?. I googled if rear shafts were same and it came back as saying they aren't. I found that hard to believe that the rears were different.but again that was an Ai response also. So your thinking that the 4x4 and 2wd rear shaft are the same then since mine has dummy transfer case?

 

[broncc]

Sounds like they should be the same. The best way to measure is when your car is on the ground and suspension is settled. The driveshaft should telescope an inch either way for the travel.

In a bit of serendipity, I am doing some spring cleaning in my garage and found a stock B2 (4wd) driveshaft. If your bio is accurate I'm driving by you to visit family over memorial day weekend... A quick detour off 95 wouldn't be the end of the world. I wouldn't use the shaft if the Bronco has the 302, I'd call Gilbert down in Manchester for a custom one that's stronger.

 

[svtcards]

1 thing I failed to mention is my bronco is lowered like 5"s so alot of the Xtra travel is probably lost because of that reason. When I test drove it last Tuesday it sounded kinda crunchy every time I hit the gas. I think pinion angle isn't completely correct and my current driveshaft might be pretty close to bottoming out.

 

[Blmpkn]

1 thing I failed to mention is my bronco is lowered like 5"s so alot of the Xtra travel is probably lost because of that reason. When I test drove it last Tuesday it sounded kinda crunchy every time I hit the gas. I think pinion angle is completely correct and my current driveshaft might be pretty close to bottoming out.

Good Lord.. things gorgeous

 

[JoshT]

I could have sworn I'd replied to this. Those guys have covered most of what I'd intended to say.

1 thing I failed to mention is my bronco is lowered like 5"s so alot of the Xtra travel is probably lost because of that reason. When I test drove it last Tuesday it sounded kinda crunchy every time I hit the gas. I think pinion angle is completely correct and my current driveshaft might be pretty close to bottoming out.

Love it! I've known of a few lowered BIIs around the internet, but you are the only one I'm familiar with on the forums. I think that was an awesome build choice for a 2wd BII.

This new info does make things a lot clearer. I'd say that it is definitely likely that you need a shorter driveshaft. Very probable that the driveshaft is bottoming out. I'd also verify that pionion angle. There's a decent margin of error, but it doesn't take much drop to affect it.

I'm in that same boat on my 99 Ranger. It too is lowered and has a transfer case, an actual transfer case because it's AWD, and the double flanged bolt-in style driveshaft with slip joint in the middle. Right now the back end is just dropped 2" with the stock lift blocks removed, and I'm pretty certain that the slip joint bottoms out at times like what you described.

I temporarily had it lowered a fair bit more in the rear when I was figuring out exhaust routing. I don't know theexact number, but the axle was flipped raised back up slightly with shackles and I don;t remember if it was ranger or Explorer springs. Anyway it was much closer to your 5" drop than what it is now, in order to install the driveshaft I had to offset the axle flip brackets to move the axle back about an inch. Driveshaft was bottomed out and still too long, also the pinion angle was terrible. I still drove it home from a few miles the exhaust shop, but it was definitely bottoming out both the driveshaft and the bumpstops. When I got home I promptly flipped back to spring over and am basically a stock2wd in the rear for now.

Right now I'm in a holding pattern on getting a new driveshaft made because I'm not sure what is going to happen with suspension. Hopefully someday in the near future I'll be able to get the control arms I need to correct front camber and drop the front down a little more. If that happens I can go back down in the rear, not quite flipped axle lower but more than this, and will be ready for that driveshaft. If that doesn't work it's probably going back up to 4wd height and where the stock shaft works fine, or maybe even lifted a little to need a longer shaft (probably not).

 

[svtcards]

Well thank you. When I found out Ford made a 2wd bronco ii the search was on.lol. I found this 1 in Connecticut. Frame had surface rust only on it. Last time it was on Rd legally was back in 99. I used ranger flip kit which was just a U brackets and shackles. I c notched the frame so I'd have no issues with frame hitting when my kids sit in the back. Painted most of frame gloss black. Front I used 3" drop beams and ranger 2" drop springs . With djm ranger drop shocks front and rear. Seems like you lowering yours is kinda a pain also. Thanx for the response.amd keep me posted on your project as well I.