20 years ago, retubed and balanced for my '85 shorty E150--$190 or so. That included new u-joints. You got a bargain, and it appears the folks in Utah are little more reasonable than Los Angeles.

 

In my area at least $200. I paid $300 to have the slip joint replaced on the front driveshaft for a 79 F150 4X4 20 years ago as well. No one works for cheap here. Sometimes if you "know a guy" you will get a deal.

 

According to the OP's original pics and description it appears that the tube is actually the right length but the stub is too long because it came from a different application. Unless I am misunderstanding, the stub bottoms out on the inside of the slip yoke but the slip still has some travel before it hits the shoulder of the front shaft. Shortening the rear section might take care of it but you will lose some spline engagement in the process just as if you cut the end of the stub. It seems that the right thing to do would be to have the stub changed. No matter what mixing and matching driveshafts without a rebalance equals vibration.

 

Yeah, but you don't want you're driveshaft to be "at rest" all the way in. As the axle goes up and down, it travels in a radius. NOT straight up and down. This means the driveshaft goes in as well as out on the slip yolk. It would constantly be pounding the inside of the yolk and eventually lead to yolk or transmission damage. .....ask me how I know.

If it were me, ....I'd find a one piece shaft and get rid of the carrier bearing altogether. I've cut dozens of driveshafts down in my shop. It's tricky and very time consuming to do it right. It would be better to pay someone to do it if you've never done it before. (to shorten the tube I mean)

 

I think figured out my problem.
I located a salvage yard with the correct front drive shaft section, (133" WB, M.T., 4x2, Front section, 4 speed) and had them measure it for me. It is exactly the same as the one I already have.

On top of that, the hanger bearing is farther forward now. You can see the rust spot from where it used to be.
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So why in the world doesn't it work?

I looked down the female end of drive-shaft and it was obvious that it wasn't even bottoming out. There was too much grease or crap in there and it wasn't going on all the way. I cleaned it out and now I have over half and inch of extra shaft movement when the pickup is sitting normally.

 

The splined stub was the same length as the one that was removed. I checked that too.

So I guess now the question is, is over half and inch enough clearance? When I jacked the pickup up so the back wheels were off the ground I still had a 1/4 of an inch left. I don't foresee that happening under normal driving conditions.

 

If the drive shaft from the junk yard is off the same wheel base truck with a 4 speed tranny and measures the same your good .. The drive shaft is going to be it's shortest when the axle moves up and not down so with good springs in the back you'll be set

 

sounds good. Thanks everybody for the input.

 

Not all trucks with a 133 inch wheelbase and 4 speed transmission had the same length coupling shaft (front driveshaft). The following info is straight from the parts manuals:
-F100's in 1973 did not have a NP435 mated up to a 300 (I am surprised too, but I'll bet someone is going to say they have one).
-F100's in 1976 did have 300's with NP435 transmissions and it could have had either a 34 3/32 shaft or a 34 15/16 shaft.
-In the 1973-79 trucks the 133 wheelbase trucks could have had the following driveshaft dimensions with the NP435:
34 1/16 X 3 (360 engine)
34 3/32 X 3 (302 engine)
34 15/16 X 2 1/2 (302 engine)
34 3/32 X 2 1/2 (300 engine in 1976)
34 15/16 X 2 1/2 (300 engine in 1977)
34 9/16 X 3 (351 engine)
35 13/32 X 3 (351 engine)

These examples don't give all the details or even all of the actual different driveshafts. There are a few that I left out. Basically, even if you have a "4 speed/133 wheelbase driveshaft it could actually be a 1/2 inch longer than it should be. Might work okay...might not. Ford trucks are tricky with this stuff, I have been burned many times by assuming that parts were the same on most trucks.

 

Good grief. Sometimes I really love Ford!

 

Bring back thread here, I just swapped my 203 for a 205 (400,c6, longbed 79 f150) and the driveshaft needs to be lengthened it comes to 69 3/4 inches, is that to long or okay, it's a dd and offroad rig, I need a reply ASAP