Stronger driveshaft

[Shran]

I need a stronger driveshaft. I bent the crap out of mine today when I slid sideways into a rock and now it vibrates like a bastard. Carnage pics to come.

I was thinking either cutting the yokes off and building one out of heavier tubing. Or buying a junkyard one and sleeving it. I also have heard that square driveshafts are cool, and there's lots of square tubing laying around.

What do you guys think?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

i think no driveshaft is going to hold up to the abuse of being bashed on rocks and the like. they are not meant to withstand those kinds of loads. id go with a stock replacement as they are cheap and easy to find...and try not to hang it up on stuff anymore.

 

[dgndngrngr]

+1. id just go to the boneyard and pick a few up that are in decent shape. always got another on hand just in case

 

[Totalled]

Is this strictly a wheeler or does it see street time?

 

[Shran]

Probably 50/50 wheeling/street. I only drive it to the trail or when I get bored with the other truck. I do need something I can get balanced if I custom build it because most of the wheelin around here requires a trip down the interstate and a shaft out of balance sucks at 65MPH.

 

[Shran]

i think no driveshaft is going to hold up to the abuse of being bashed on rocks and the like. they are not meant to withstand those kinds of loads. id go with a stock replacement as they are cheap and easy to find...and try not to hang it up on stuff anymore.

After seeing mine bend like the piece of tin foil that it is I am convinced that I will ruin every shaft the junkyard has and still need more. Hopefully whatever fix I do won't be compromised by my driving...sliding into the rock was my fault and I really need lockers.

 

[shadow905]

if youre worried about balancing then dont build a square tube one. go have a custom heavy duty one made. tell them what you are dong with it. im pretty sure a shop can make one to suit your needs.

if you are a die hard diy-er then get one from the junkyard and sleeve it. and pick up an extra just in case

 

[4x4junkie]

There's a place called High Angle Driveline that specializes in building heavy duty shafts for 4WD applications. They should be able to build you a thick-walled shaft that can withstand some dragging on rocks.

http://highangledriveline.com/

 

[Shran]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions. I think I am going to buy a stock spare and run it while I build another one out of tube. The local shop said they can't balance drive shafts made out of anything other than driveline tube so I will just see how it works...if all else fails I will just swap and run the strong one in the rocks and the stock one elsewhere.

 

[Evan]

The shaft you already have is already pretty beefy. Should be 1/4" wall. Even a 3/8" wall might bend when bashed against a rock with the weight on the truck bouncing up and down on it. Or you'll toast something else on the driveline. Best thing to do would be to buy a stock shaft and then keep the shaft off the rocks by having a good spotter for when you're in those sketchy spots.

 

[4x4junkie]

The stock shaft is anywhere from .090-.120 wall.

3/16" (.180) should be thick enough to keep from denting on a light truck like a Ranger, although 1/4" may be needed if you deliberately don't care about hitting the shaft.

 

[Evan]

The stock shaft is anywhere from .090-.120 wall.

3/16" (.180) should be thick enough to keep from denting on a light truck like a Ranger, although 1/4" may be needed if you deliberately don't care about hitting the shaft.

Opps. I was thinking it was the front shaft.

 

[metalmacguyver]

The stock shaft is anywhere from .090-.120 wall.

3/16" (.180) should be thick enough to keep from denting on a light truck like a Ranger, although 1/4" may be needed if you deliberately don't care about hitting the shaft.

After this happened I had the driveshaft remade with some 0.135 wall tubing. The original tube was 0.065 IIRC. I painted it after I put it in........... There isnt much paint left on it and its still nice and straight.


Because of the size thats used, I could actually sleeve it with another piece of 0.250 wall tube and it would fit perfect. The catch is that when its that thick and strong, you need to worry about snapping the pinion flange off the axle or taking out the Tcase output yoke.

 

[Shran]

Got another stock shaft from the junkyard today. $95 later she's back on the road...

Lots cheaper than having one built, though. ITP said it would be around $250-300 if they cut my old yokes off and reused them, more if they didn't.

I am a little worried about breaking something else with a stronger shaft. You guys are right on with that one. I'm not sure how thick the stock shaft was yet, but it appears to be really thin. I am thinking something thicker than stock so it's not AS easy to trash, yet can act as a the weak link if need be. That way if I bend it I can just cut the yokes off and build another one...keeping the stock shaft with me to get home.

Honestly I hate being in the big rocks even with a good spotter...EVERY time I get into them I break something. Since last July when I started wheelin it I've gone through a couple wheels, one leaf spring shackle, bent a drop bracket, a license plate, and a driveshaft this time. But I do go in a lot of places I probably shouldn't though.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

After this happened I had the driveshaft remade with some 0.135 wall tubing. The original tube was 0.065 IIRC. I painted it after I put it in........... There isnt much paint left on it and its still nice and straight.


Because of the size thats used, I could actually sleeve it with another piece of 0.250 wall tube and it would fit perfect. The catch is that when its that thick and strong, you need to worry about snapping the pinion flange off the axle or taking out the Tcase output yoke.

HEY!! That looks alot like my old drive shaft.....I had mine retubed with .135 aswell. No problems since.