Driveshaft

[AUK5]

ok well i guess it is 2 questions. Getting a 6 inch lift this weekend and what i want to know is will the front and rear driveshaft work. i have a 1990 k5. if the shafts will be to short than will a k10 shaft work? i figured they were longer than the k5 and i could probably get them cheap at the yard. ill take pics. it should be a fun weekend of installing the lift in my parking lot with hand tools. got the cut off wheel ready to shop the u bolts off. and the rivets to put the shackle flip on.

 

[isaac]

your front shaft should be long enough. i think you might have to extend your rear shaft but when you do a shackle flip it will move your axle 1" forward so you are going to have to wait and see how the driveshaft looks once the lift is on. you might want to look into getting zero rates to move the axle back to the stock location. as far as a k10 driveshaft it will be too long i am no expert but i did stay at a holiday inn. lol i have a 4" lift on my 87 and i did have to get the rear driveshaft extended about an 1 1/2" good luck on getting the correct angle to prevent driveline vibes...

 

[maddog_blazer]

I use to own a 1989 Chevy Full Size 1500 and if you are going to go with a 6" lift guy, rethink it. I did just that to my 89 which had the 700r tranny with a np 241 transfercase. I had to add a 1" spacer to my front flange on my front driveshaft due to angle and after having my stock rear driveshaft modified (shortened) had alot of driveline vibrantion at speeds just over 40 mph. The only thing that seemed to fix that angle differance was when I went with a rear cv shaft I purchased and had fitted custom the the length I needed from my transfercase to my pinion shaft from a builder out west. If you do something like that, make sure you keep it thoroughly greased always or you will be replacing u-joints like you wont believe.

 

[loafer]

If you still have the stock exhaust it will interfere with the front driveshaft.

 

[maddog_blazer]

RE: Driveshaft and Exhaust Clearance

Yes indeed another good point you made loafer, I almost forgot the piece of tubing I had to add to wrap around the front driveshaft so it had enough clearance so I could temporarily drive it. Looked stupid If I may add. I bought a a pair of Hooker Headers which were stainless after that and bought a dual exhaust kit for 73-87 pickups and encorporated that tubing into a nice system adding some magniflow mufflers which helped the rv cam and edelbrock tbi intake breath a lil better. Thanks for the reminders Loafer.