F250 Drive Shaft Problem
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 105
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From: canada
F250 Drive Shaft Problem
i have a 1976 f250 high boy with 12 inches of lift and 39's and soon to be putting on 42.5's and i have around 650 horse with a 4speed tranny and divorced transferr case, it seems i always break drive shafts when i put the gas on my truck or ruin the needle bearings in the universal joints ( The drive shaft angles are fine) i was just wondering what you would suggest doing? i could go with bigger drive shafts but thats pricy in canada do you know of any vehicals that are heaviey duty that would have stonger drive shafts
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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Your angles are fine when? Before you smash the loud pedal, or after? That is a pretty short driveline, with a divorced case and all. It only takes a small amount of pinion change to wreck thos angles. Could axle wrap be the problem? Might look into that before you spend big canadian bucks on new shafts that will have the same problem. A big joint in a bind, is not much better than a small joint in a bind.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 601
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Definately sounds like axle wrap. One cheap fix is to build a traction bar. I have a swamp buggy with a Dana 70 rear, Dana 60 front, 5:86 gears and 54" Goodyear tractor tires. I used to break driveshafts and pinion yokes until I built a traction bar. I bought a 24" long X 1-1/2" diameter "3-point hitch bar" from a local tractor supply company. It's got threaded eyes on both ends, so you can preload the pinion to prevent wrap. I use a single bar on the front and rear. I welded brackets on the top of the center sections of both axles, and on a crossmember on the frame front and rear, and bolted the hitch bars up. You need to install them parallel to the leaf springs so the axle will travel up and down without binding. I like the single bar installation for several reasons: The single bar allows the axle to pivot side to side, and since it's installed on top of the pumpkins, does not hinder the ground clearance. Trust me when I say I tried several different types of ladder bars, but nothing compares to the 3-point hitch bar. I run around with several guys, with much larger swamp buggies, and they all use the same type system. If you need more info, email me.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2006
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Rancho, I don't know if you will be able to see theses pics, they are pretty dark. In both pics, the bar that looks like it's just above the leaf spring, is the 3 point hitch bar. The one eye on the left left side of the pic, is mounted to a crossmember on the frame (see large bolt head) and the other eye (on the right side of the pic) is bolted to a bracket welded to the top of the rear axle pumpkin. It's hard to see. If you want, I can get some better pics this weekend?. The 3 point hitch basically is a large pipe with female threads, with a large rod ends on both ends that have male threads that screw into the pipe, so it's adjustable. They come in mant different lengths and diameters.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...140211&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...140212&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...140211&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...140212&width=0
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
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There is a link to good driveline angle info in this page:
http://www.clubfte.com/users/torque1..._WebLinks.html
Even tho your angles are "fine" there are reasons for breakage and you might want to review your angles.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/torque1..._WebLinks.html
Even tho your angles are "fine" there are reasons for breakage and you might want to review your angles.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 1
From: Kingsport, TN
Rancho - I've also seen a few off-roaders install ladder bars 'flipped" so they don't stick down and are actually above the axle and can be used as sliders when large rocks are underneath. My '75 F-250 SC had T-bars added soon after I bought it years ago.
Last edited by George Frasier; Jan 26, 2007 at 06:14 PM.
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