drive shaft
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
Likes: 7
From: Memphis, TN
drive shaft
Check Spicer's site or some other u-joint mfr for the specs on the maximum angle for yours. Then you'll have to do some articulation & trigonometry to calculate how far your axles droop, how far apart their yokes are from the t-case yokes, and how much extra you want to allow yourself for safety.
You can do all the body lifting you want without regard to the d'shafts, but you'll probably be doing major mods to the shafts if you get up around 6" of suspension lift.
You can do all the body lifting you want without regard to the d'shafts, but you'll probably be doing major mods to the shafts if you get up around 6" of suspension lift.
Senior User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio USA
drive shaft
Generally speaking 6 inches is the most you can go with out driveshaft mods. Now I have a 6 inch lift and have had the Bronco flexed, articulated, and drooped about every which way you can. I did this on my first wheeling trip after the lift to see what got hurt. Thankfully nothing but my bumper and side step.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
drive shaft
I have seen reports here from several people who have not had to do any shaft mods with 6" of lift. The key, if I am recalling, is transmission and T-case length. The E4OD is a long son of a gun but the AOD and C-6 are shorter from what I hear. This plays into driveshaft length obviously. I know my 92 needed no driveshaft modification but then I only went 4" up and have the E4OD w/the electronic BW1356 T-case.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
drive shaft
Ford did some weird things with the rear driveshaft CV's over the years. '88 was one year that got a strange CV that allowed very little angularity. NOTE that this may not be true for ALL '88s, but at least some that I have seen.
I've seen people install a 6" lift on an '88 with C6 and the driveshaft will then not even come down enough to touch the rear yoke at ride height.
I installed a 6" lift on my '90 with E4OD and it still had plenty of droop. I did allow the rear suspension to fully drop out and found that I had to _*lightly*_ clearance all the yokes in the rear d/s with my angle grinder. After that it was great for several years, and still had enough droop even after I shortened the d/s 2" so I could install a 10.25.
I've seen people install a 6" lift on an '88 with C6 and the driveshaft will then not even come down enough to touch the rear yoke at ride height.
I installed a 6" lift on my '90 with E4OD and it still had plenty of droop. I did allow the rear suspension to fully drop out and found that I had to _*lightly*_ clearance all the yokes in the rear d/s with my angle grinder. After that it was great for several years, and still had enough droop even after I shortened the d/s 2" so I could install a 10.25.
