Driveline swap question

[ericgrau]

I have a 1990 ranger extended cab with a 4 inch suspension lift. I decided that I want a one piece driveline. I know that all 1997 and newer ext cab 4x4 rangers drivelines will work but I am having trouble finding one. Will a 2 wheel drive ext cab ranger (1997-newer) driveline work for my 4x4 with ease?

 

[adsm08]

No. You need a 4x4. The 2wd shaft is different. It has a slip yoke instead of a bolt on flange, and I think, but I'm not sure, that the main shaft length is different.

 

[straycat]

Check EBay. I saw a few of the one piece shafts up for bid a week ago. I have a few people around me that they said the 2wd one worked on theirs with some mods...flange swap...but not 100% sure. I will try to contact one of them and see what they did. The shafts are aluminum like mine on my 2wd 99 Ranger.

 

[adsm08]

I have a few people around me that they said the 2wd one worked on theirs with some mods...flange swap...but not 100% sure.

Def find out about that and let us know. I've been curious about this for a while, but I can't remember the last time I saw an ex-cab 2wd to get a measurement on the main shaft.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

2wd drive shaft WILL NOT work period. It has no slip spline. The slip spline goes into the back of the transmission on the 2wd.

You need a 1998+ extended cab 4x4 shaft OR a 2001-2005 Explorer Sport Trac 4x4 rear shaft.

 

[straycat]

I am sure they will work. I will look into this tomorrow and reply back.

 

[straycat]

I just got off the phone with a buddy who did a swap for his daughter's boyfriend last year. I left him a message to call me back and he just now caled me. HAAAAAA...he sent me the link he had found....and guess where he found it??? Right here on TRS.......

Here is the link....hope this comes up

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/June04/offroad.htm

 

[bigblockford79]

I just got off the phone with a buddy who did a swap for his daughter's boyfriend last year. I left him a message to call me back and he just now caled me. HAAAAAA...he sent me the link he had found....and guess where he found it??? Right here on TRS.......

Here is the link....hope this comes up

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/June04/offroad.htm

That only says it MIGHT be possibly and that the author hasn't tried it.

In case you didn't read it the first time -

2WD DRIVE SHAFTS DO NOT HAVE ANY SPLIT JOINTS IN THEM, THERE FOR CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION END FROM A SLIP YOKE TO A FIXED YOKE WILL RESULT IN A SHAFT THAT STAYS THE SAME LENGTH. THIS WILL NEVER WORK WITH SUSPENSION MOVEMENT, THE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND COLLAPSE.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[straycat]

That only says it MIGHT be possibly and that the author hasn't tried it.

In case you didn't read it the first time -

2WD DRIVE SHAFTS DO NOT HAVE ANY SPLIT JOINTS IN THEM, THERE FOR CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION END FROM A SLIP YOKE TO A FIXED YOKE WILL RESULT IN A SHAFT THAT STAYS THE SAME LENGTH. THIS WILL NEVER WORK WITH SUSPENSION MOVEMENT, THE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND COLLAPSE.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So many people have swapped out their crap two piece shafts cause they are cheap and so breakable. One piece shafts are so much stronger. 2wd desert racer run them and have no problem with a one piece drive shaft. I also saw this mentioned on two episodes of Extreme 4x4 a few years ago and it was mentioned in a couple of my 4wd mags several years ago. These will work if you can do the fab work, Bro!! People have used them before and I know people in Gainesville and Ocala who have used the one piece drive shaft on other vehicals. A fab guy can do anything as you should know.

 

[straycat]

More info:

Notes from other Ranger sites:

Any 2wd ext cab with the same tranny you have will work. i.e. 5 speed to 5 speed, or auto to auto. the front yokes and lengths are different between auto/manual. 4wd would be too short.

You also don't need to keep the center support cross member for the old drive shaft you can just remove it and you'll be fine.



For some info you can look at this site.
http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/driveshaft/


OFFROAD TECH BY Eric Steinberg (see the updated note 2010 from peoiple who have done the swap)


Editor's Notes:

1998+ 2WD Supercab Rangers also were fitted with one-piece driveshafts from the factory. This swap should be possible on these also. I cannot however comment on 2WD clearance issues as I have not researched them. I've heard slight floorboard modification may be needed.

All 1998+ 2WD Supercab shafts will be the large aluminum units.

If you own a 1983-1989 Supercab model, this swap can still be done, but the rear driveshaft flange on the axle will be smaller. You will need to swap the larger rear U-joint attachment with 3" bolt spacing with another forward one that has a 2.5" bolt spacing.

It also was brought up just as this article was being finished that later Supercab 4x4s fitted with aluminum shafts have a larger T-case flange (same as the larger rear flange with 3" bolt spacing). These will require either swapping the forward U-joint piece or swapping the t-case flange. --4x4junkie .

Revisited June 29, 2009:

From RedRanger_97:

I just recently purchased an 03 aluminum driveshaft and just wanted to pass some info on to make it work. first of all, the Advance Auto P/N is 1-0134 for the front flange u-joint if you don't change the t-case flange. Also, I have had to trim the gas tank skid plate like mentioned but after a little bit of driving it still touched the rear skidplate bracket. so I had to cut it off and custom fab a new one. I also had to barely trim the front bracket too.

From oldmantruck:

I'm swapping in a late model aluminum 1-piece driveshaft into my 1994 supercab Ranger. The article gives info for a steel one. I found out as mentioned that the aluminum one uses a larger flange on the transfer case. Since the flange wasn't available from the truck I got the driveshaft from I needed a conversion u-joint Spicer Part Number 5-134x. This is basically a 1310 u-joint on one side and 1330 u-joint on the other.

From AllanD:

IF you "need" a conversion joint you have the wrong flange. The "eared" half of the companion flange comes in two sizes. One for the 4-inch diameter T-case flange, and another for the
5-inch flange. My personal "issue" with "conversion" aka "Jump size" U-joints is that you are using a non standard parts that you must keep track of because U-joints are ultimately a "wear item". If you simply get the correct flange "adapter" then you get to keep track of the fact that you now need a U-joint for a 1998-up ranger (MUCH easier to remember).

Update 05/12/2010:

From Sasquatch_Ryda:

The Explorer Sport Trac (2002-05) 4x4 rear drive shaft is the same as the 98 ranger 1 piece shaft. So it is another option for people looking to swap out the 2 piece.

You can buy a brand new ready to bolt in one piece drive shaft for around $400. Tome Woods, Soutwestt Drive Shaft.

 

[bigblockford79]

I don't disagree that a lot of tricky stuff can be fabricated, but putting a 4x2 drive shaft into a 4x4 isn't one of them.

I will use pictures this time maybe it will sink in-

These are the 2 types of rear shaft the 4x4 ranger uses-

These are the type of shaft that 4x2 rangers use - notice that the slip part of the shaft goes into the transmission. It would be possible to change from a slip yoke to fixed yoke, but the shaft would be unable to change in length with suspension movement resulting in some catastrophic failure.

This is the style t-case the rangers used, the rear output has always been a fixed yoke design.

Now that the pictures are up, PLEASE tell me how you would "fabricate" a 2wd shaft into a 4x4 truck. I can think of 2 ways and neither is cost effective or wise to do.

First option - Switch the rear output on the case to a slip yoke - There are many problems with this option.

#1 - The slip yoke design is not very strong
#2 - If you ever break a u-joint and need to limp home you have to Macguyver a way to seal the back of the case off to keep fluid in and crap out. This is not impossible but will require some ingenuity to keep the disconnected and rotating shaft engaged in the housing while driving out.
#3 - While other manufacturers did use slip yokes on the rear output of 4x4 vehicles, none of these share a t-case with the RBV's making the act of adapting the rear output VERY difficult and expensive. You would essentially need to design a new rear cover and output shaft.

Second option - Add a slip shaft portion to the end of the 2wd shaft - This is just not cost effective, and requires careful set-up and welding if you do it your self or the cost of having a qualified person. Either way you will have 2-3 time the cost of just buying the correct 4wd shaft.

 

[straycat]

Thanks for the info, Bro. But like I said...people are using the 2wd shaft and they will continue to use them. Tom Woods sells them and so do other places like Drive Shaft Specialty. My lifted 89 Cherokee had an one of their one piece shafts when I bought it and I never had any issues with it even after the 40,000 miles I put on it. So they are very well made and made to last.

 

[bigblockford79]

Thanks for the info, Bro. But like I said...people are using the 2wd shaft and they will continue to use them. Tom Woods sells them and so do other places like Drive Shaft Specialty. My lifted 89 Cherokee had an one of their one piece shafts when I bought it and I never had any issues with it even after the 40,000 miles I put on it. So they are very well made and made to last.

Your sherokee has a slip yoke not fixed yoke

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Ya man you are totally wrong.

On a 2wd you have a slip spline in the back of the transmission that the drivehshaft slides into.

On a 4x4 you have a fixed output flange on the back of the T case, so the drive shaft has to have a slip spline built into it.

Plus the 2wd drive shaft will be longer as there is no transfercase.

It will not work. Period.

You need a 4x4 drive shaft for your 4x4.

 

[straycat]

Your sherokee has a slip yoke not fixed yoke

I had a 1 piece shaft on my 89 Cherokee, Bro!!! It was a Tom Woods unit.