Driveshaft Question?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 181
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From: Zachary, La.
Driveshaft Question?
Hi guys, I have a 1979 F-150 2wd SuperCab with a 460 being built as a 514 ci with 600+ hp and plenty of torque and C6 trans. My question is about the 2 piece driveshaft, I have tried to separate the two parts of the shaft to replace u-joints and can't. As I pull on the two at the grease fitting area, near the frame mounting, it acts like a vacuum holding the two together. Any help getting these things apart, is it as simple as to remove the grease nipple and also how to replace the mount (that holds the short piece to the frame). Do you see any issues to having that much torque on a two piece shaft? Any help or comments will be helpful!
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 446
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From: Grayling, MI
I am no expert on this, but I have heard that in high performance applications a one-piece driveshaft is better than the two piece. I am sure there are people that have used the two-piece with good results, but that is what I have heard. I have never had to do anything with two-piece shafts, so I don't have any input on maintenance on them. Sorry.
Steve
Steve
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
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Your best bet is to take the driveshaft to a driveline shop. They can replace the U-joints and re-balance the shaft. Otherwise it will vibrate bad. You can also ask them about the HP on the shaft. They will need to know your tire size and axle ratio etc.
Driveshaft length RPM and diameter all figure in to whether single or multiple shafts are used.
Driveshaft length RPM and diameter all figure in to whether single or multiple shafts are used.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Gadsden Purchase
Originally Posted by Torque1st
Your best bet is to take the driveshaft to a driveline shop. They can replace the U-joints and re-balance the shaft. Otherwise it will vibrate bad.
Torq's got it right. :)
The vent is plugged up on your slip-joint is all, otherwise it'd come apart easy as anything.
Did you mark it with a dremel or center punch or something? ...so you can put it back together the way it was.
No guarantee someone else has monkeyed with it tho, so maybe not that big of a deal?
Alvin in AZ (mine's marked to beat hell;)
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
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I replaced hundreds of sets of U-joints over the years and those multi piece driveshafts were always a vibration problem. After a number of those I just let the driveline shop do them. It is easier than taking it out once to R&R the joints and then again to get it balanced. I think it is actually cheaper to let the driveline shop do the whole job than it is to buy the joints and then have the shaft balanced.
There is some driveline length and diameter info here:
http://www.raceshafts.com/critical_speed.htm
The driveline shops will have experience with this. They build custom shafts all the time. You can find driveline shops in the yellow pages, usually dealing with heavy trucks. A Ford dealer may know who they send their work to.
There is some driveline length and diameter info here:
http://www.raceshafts.com/critical_speed.htm
The driveline shops will have experience with this. They build custom shafts all the time. You can find driveline shops in the yellow pages, usually dealing with heavy trucks. A Ford dealer may know who they send their work to.
Last edited by Torque1st; Jan 11, 2007 at 10:56 AM.
