Driveshaft difficulties

[97rangerxlt23]

So in desperate need to get rid of my two piece driveshaft I was getting everything ready to swap it to the one piece tonight and it seems the one piece is about 1.5" longer than the two piece... Is there enough play for it to work? My truck is a 96 ext cab with the stick. I believe the one piece was out of a 98 ranger ext cab 3.0 stick by what the guy told me when I bought it... I need this done soon! Thanks

 

[97rangerxlt23]

Well I solved my own question... Driveshaft slid in no problems and bolts right in. Only problem is that unibody frame piece towards the end of the extended cab part but will grind that down

 

[adsm08]

^That^

 

[97rangerxlt23]

Well now there's another issue I hit medium size bumps and it rubs... Also when there's a passenger in the truck it rubs alot more over bumps too. How do I fix this?

 

[forzda]

The best way to find out where it is hitting is to put the truck up on 4 ramps and have a bunch of guys come over and get in the box to compress the suspension . That way you can still crawl under safely and see exactly where the shaft in hitting loaded . then do the opposite ,raise the truck to unload the rear suspension ,put the truck on jack stands and check again. By any chance , did you remove the bracket for the hanger bearing from the cross member , also there is another cross member above the drive shaft that needs to be trimmed . you may have to push the floor up a bit but I would create a new tunnel to get the clearance . I had the same problems with my 96 , when I put the one piece shaft in .

 

[97rangerxlt23]

i took the crossmember for the center support out already and trimmed that top cross member when i installed the shaft.... also bumped alittle bit of that tunnel and thats where its rubbing as indicated on the driveshaft now... im gunna check all cab mounts later tonight and i believe it needs new shocks for the rear as two people craw in the back and she squats....