Driveline swap question

[straycat]

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.

So all the people who used a 1 piece shaft are liars and all the reports on the 4WD shows and magazines as all lies, then, Bro?? I don't think so.....

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Think what you will...you just can seem to wrap your head around it. You are wrong.

How will the 2wd shaft compensate for the suspension travel movement on the 4wd truck with a transfercase with a flat mounting flange on it? The drive shaft NEEDS to have a slip spline on it.

The top bit of driveshaft is the front part of a one piece 4x4 shaft, the bottom shaft is the slip yoke on a 2wd one piece shaft.

 

[straycat]

Think what you will...you just can seem to wrap your head around it. You are wrong.

How will the 2wd shaft compensate for the suspension travel movement on the 4wd truck with a transfercase with a flat mounting flange on it? The drive shaft NEEDS to have a slip spline on it.

The top bit of driveshaft is the front part of a one piece 4x4 shaft, the bottom shaft is the slip yoke on a 2wd one piece shaft.

I don't know, Bro. Thanks for posting this with the photos. This is getting confusing. I bought my 89 Cherokee from the original owner who did all the conversion of the Jeep. V8 setup and a one piece drive shaft from Tom Woods (I believe that is where it was from) and it had solid front axles. So now I am a bit confused on the rear drive shaft swap. I have heard people say they did the one piece swap on Rangers and other trucks and you need to either modify the shaft or use an automatic to an automatic or a 4 speed to a 4 speed shaft. So I can't see why they would lie about doing this or make up a story. I saw episodes on Extreme 4x4 where they did a one piece shaft swap as well. I read a few of my Off Road mags that mentioned it as well!!

Maybe somebody has done this on this site and can tell us if this will really work. Well, I not going to worry about it any more. I am not doing that swap at this time. I just put in my front and rear Toyota axles in my Suzuki Samaria project. Maybe next summer when I get the motor installed and then I can see what front and rear shafts I will use.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You CAN use a 1 piece drive shaft instead of the 2 piece that is in the 1997 and down rangers. BUT you need to get the new one piece shaft from a 1998+ 4x4 ranger or 2001-2005 Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.

I have a 1998 steel one piece shaft in my 1991 ranger. It came from a 4x4 and went into a 4x4 truck.

Like I said you can do it, but you need a 4x4 shaft for a 4x4 truck, and you need a 2wd shaft for a 2wd truck. You cannot mix the two.

 

[adsm08]

Found a 2wd in the parking lot at Giant today. Hopped under to look. Sasquatch is right, there is no slip joint in the middle of the 2wd shaft to allow for flex. As soon as that rear end moves, something is going to bend or break, and the weak point is the shaft tube.


I'd got a 98 1-piece in my 87 too, but it was 4x4 to 4x4. I'm betting that you could use a 4x4 shaft on a 2wd if you swap the slip yoke. Lots of drive shaft flex there.

 

[straycat]

You CAN use a 1 piece drive shaft instead of the 2 piece that is in the 1997 and down rangers. BUT you need to get the new one piece shaft from a 1998+ 4x4 ranger or 2001-2005 Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.

I have a 1998 steel one piece shaft in my 1991 ranger. It came from a 4x4 and went into a 4x4 truck.

Like I said you can do it, but you need a 4x4 shaft for a 4x4 truck, and you need a 2wd shaft for a 2wd truck. You cannot mix the two.

Thanks, Bro. This is what I was trying to say!!! All I got was aflack flack!!!

LOL

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Figured it was just words not coming out right. It's pretty simple to see whats up when you got them side by side.