'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

[mrk5]

Turns out my front shaft is a 1410 CV. I was looking at the 2 shafts I broke thinking the one looked quite a bit larger so I did a quick measure of the ujoint width. So I'm thinking that agressively ramming the wall probably started the demise of my drive shaft. And there are witness marks from binding, especially at the axle end so I ordered the tall yoke @ashman referenced. Between that and limit straps, I should be set.

I paid $650 for what turned out to be a 1410 CV shaft from the local shop which is what I saw a lot of 1350 CV shafts sell for.

 

[nvrenuf]

Beef, it's what's for dinner!

 

[mrk5]

Last month we went to Spring Creek and I blew out the ujoint straps on the replacement yoke we installed in Moab. We had to weld one of the straps on because the threads in the yoke were too messed up and the bolt broke trying to install new straps. It held up driving home on the interstate at 80mph.



Nate got me a new junkyard yoke and I installed that along with some Great Lakes Offroad machined ujoint straps. So hopefully I'm done with this issue.



Did a snow run the day after that. Seems like the first trail run I've done this year that something didn't break.

 

[sweetk30]

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US Please be aware that to provide the strongest yoke possible the size of the bore for the pinion nut and washer has been reduced. Thick wall sockets such as impact sockets will not fit into this bore without grinding them...

www.offroaddesign.com

 

[doubletrouble]

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US Please be aware that to provide the strongest yoke possible the size of the bore for the pinion nut and washer has been reduced. Thick wall sockets such as impact sockets will not fit into this bore without grinding them...

www.offroaddesign.com

I’ve looked at those. @Raggedy_Ann and I have been running Great Lakes cap straps for a few years now and love them.

 

[mrk5]

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US

1350 Pinion Yoke for 10.5" 14 Bolt U-Bolt Style With Bolt Kit, Forged, US Please be aware that to provide the strongest yoke possible the size of the bore for the pinion nut and washer has been reduced. Thick wall sockets such as impact sockets will not fit into this bore without grinding them...

www.offroaddesign.com

I debated about using one of those but the caps were cheaper and I was receiving a TON of peer pressure to use the GLO straps.

 

[mrk5]

I started on the big project to eliminate front driveshaft failures. I'm clocking the transfercase back to the factory orientation. I'm going to lose around 2 to 3 inches of belly clearance, but it's the price I have to pay to save money on driveshafts. This weekend I got the case pulled and re-installed. Next weekend it will be crossmember fabrication.

I noticed when I started the CV was pretty much already binding. Now in the factory orientation, there's a good gap.

These are the before pictures:





These are the after images:

 

[rderosier]

I started on the big project to eliminate front driveshaft failures. I'm clocking the transfercase back to the factory orientation. I'm going to lose around 2 to 3 inches of belly clearance, but it's the price I have to pay to save money on driveshafts. This weekend I got the case pulled and re-installed. Next weekend it will be crossmember fabrication.

I noticed when I started the CV was pretty much already binding. Now in the factory orientation, there's a good gap.

These are the before pictures:
View attachment 520130

View attachment 520129


These are the after images:

View attachment 520128

View attachment 520127

Should have just linked the front.

 

[kgblazerfive]

Or went high pinion on the axle .....

 

[folkenheath]

Have you considered rotating the inner c instead?

 

[Tnsejed]

The red circled area will get caught on rocks.. You won't break shafts because there won't be traction on the front wheels due to the tcase hanging up in the rocks.

 

[Truckman4life]

Just weld some 3" square tube to the bottom of the entire center of the frame to make the whole frame 3" taller and voila no more t-case hanging down! Simple solutions for simple problems!

 

[mrk5]

I double checked and I'm only losing about 1.5" of ground clearance. I don't have any marks on the skid plate I took out, so I think it will be okay. Down the road I would like to do a high pinion axle ideally. The links and coilovers will come as soon as I pick up that big sponsorship deal from Rexford Knives.

 

[sweetk30]

I have so.e factory skid plates i can send you . I saved them from parted out trucks .

 

[Tnsejed]

I double checked and I'm only losing about 1.5" of ground clearance. I don't have any marks on the skid plate I took out, so I think it will be okay. Down the road I would like to do a high pinion axle ideally. The links and coilovers will come as soon as I pick up that big sponsorship deal from Rexford Knives.

Superduty 60 and links

 

[6872xtc]

I'm thinking that you should consider some AR500 plate for a skid under it!

 

[ashman]

If we're talking new skid plate, I have a 7'x3' piece of HDPE cutting board. Makes for easy sliding off stuff.

 

[sweetk30]

i have some 4ft x 8ft 1" plate . aka my life table build project .

 

[centexk5]

If we're talking new skid plate, I have a 7'x3' piece of HDPE cutting board. Makes for easy sliding off stuff.

Just did a skid plate on my rzr with that stuff. Slides so nice and much softer hitting it.

 

[doubletrouble]

If we're talking new skid plate, I have a 7'x3' piece of HDPE cutting board. Makes for easy sliding off stuff.

And for cooking on the trail.