I'm also going to swap in a flange in place of the yoke on the 14blt and redo the spring perches to fix the pinion angle. So the rear axle is going to get a bit of an overhaul because I think it's due for brakes.
CK5
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input on rear driveshaft needed for the crew cab-need MORE advice
- Thread starter mrk5
- Start date
Okay, first idea is out. I thought I would just make a plate that would have one end bolted where the carrier bearing is currently meant to go. The other end would be supported by a cross member between the frame rails or a bracket coming down off an existing cross member.
In the picture I'm using a piece of aluminum to stand-in for what would ultimately be a steel plate. You might be able to see the problem with this idea. It's going to push the carrier bearing down to where it is hanging further down than the gas tanks. I don't think this is a good idea.
Now I'm wrestling with driveshaft angles. With my idea above, I would be maintaining the 3° output angle at the carrier bearing. So if I change my bracket setup to raise the carrier bearing up 2 or 3 inches where it won't hang lower than the fuel tanks, I'm going to be putting the carrier bearing output at just 1°. The down side to this is that means lowering the pinion another couple degrees, also. Plus my drive shaft is going to be a tad over 15° with that scenario. That's the most I want to go, and I'd be happier if it were a little lower.
I guess I need to look at possibly splitting the difference and not move the carrier bearing back as far as well as not having to move it up as far.
Good grief, I wish cv shafts weren't so expensive.
In the picture I'm using a piece of aluminum to stand-in for what would ultimately be a steel plate. You might be able to see the problem with this idea. It's going to push the carrier bearing down to where it is hanging further down than the gas tanks. I don't think this is a good idea.
Now I'm wrestling with driveshaft angles. With my idea above, I would be maintaining the 3° output angle at the carrier bearing. So if I change my bracket setup to raise the carrier bearing up 2 or 3 inches where it won't hang lower than the fuel tanks, I'm going to be putting the carrier bearing output at just 1°. The down side to this is that means lowering the pinion another couple degrees, also. Plus my drive shaft is going to be a tad over 15° with that scenario. That's the most I want to go, and I'd be happier if it were a little lower.
I guess I need to look at possibly splitting the difference and not move the carrier bearing back as far as well as not having to move it up as far.
Good grief, I wish cv shafts weren't so expensive.
Epiphany! I need to setup a 3 piece driveshaft!
Just install that second engine in the bed of the truck, problem solved.
Or a second transfer case....
Go SYE NP241 to a divorced NP205, and keep your two piece rear shaft with a carrier bearing and just lengthen the front d/s and shorten the rear one....would need to come up with a shifter for the 205....actually....just twin stick the 205 and JB custom fab's cable shifters for the 205....now you have triple stick, lower gearing, and the rear shaft length/angle you want.
Look at that....just solving problems all over the place (or creating new ones...depends on how you look at it, bahaha)
I had actually toyed around with that idea @Kay86K5 . Even went so far as to search local yards for a divorced NP205. I figured I would need to get a HP D60 because I think Ford was the only one to used the divorced NP205. Although I might be able to take the parts from the Ford NP205 to make a GM NP205 into a divorced case. But then I need a driver side drop NP241 so it's out of the way of the front shaft. Then the front shaft would need to be 2 piece but I could probably mount the carrier bearing on top of the transmission crossmember.
I do have one piece of that puzzle, my NP241 has the SYE. Too bad divorced NP205 don't grow on trees.... Or does your 8.1L tree grow those too.
I do have one piece of that puzzle, my NP241 has the SYE. Too bad divorced NP205 don't grow on trees.... Or does your 8.1L tree grow those too.
So here's what I'm thinking now for a compromise.
Go to 0° angle on the intermediate shaft and run the axle half of the shaft at 15°. This would mean moving the carrier bearing back about 12" but keep it above the bottom of the frame rails.
Picture below shows the current setup and the new idea. The thicker squares represent the actual driveshaft diameters. The pinkish area at the bottom is the "danger zone". I gain 1.3" of clearance at the top end of the danger zone which I think is pretty good.
Still means lowering the pinion down to basically 0° to match the carrier bearing output.
Go to 0° angle on the intermediate shaft and run the axle half of the shaft at 15°. This would mean moving the carrier bearing back about 12" but keep it above the bottom of the frame rails.
Picture below shows the current setup and the new idea. The thicker squares represent the actual driveshaft diameters. The pinkish area at the bottom is the "danger zone". I gain 1.3" of clearance at the top end of the danger zone which I think is pretty good.
Still means lowering the pinion down to basically 0° to match the carrier bearing output.
This is what I'm basing the "danger zone" on. It's also where I remember getting damage last time.
Angle of the actual driveshaft is semi unimportant. It's matching the angles from the output to the axle.
If you end up 1° down the pinion will need to point up 1°. Which is the biggest problem really it doesn't get the pinion up which helps protect it.
I think you need to go to a thicker driveshaft, as thick as your preferred shop thinks will run on a daily driver. Then just relegate yourself to the fact that your gonna need pinion bearings and u joints and carrier bearings more often.
Sucks that in all reality a longer flat driveshaft with like a 36" CV shaft going to the axle would be awesome
If you end up 1° down the pinion will need to point up 1°. Which is the biggest problem really it doesn't get the pinion up which helps protect it.
I think you need to go to a thicker driveshaft, as thick as your preferred shop thinks will run on a daily driver. Then just relegate yourself to the fact that your gonna need pinion bearings and u joints and carrier bearings more often.
Sucks that in all reality a longer flat driveshaft with like a 36" CV shaft going to the axle would be awesome
Just skimmed the latest posts. I have a divorced dodge 205 I got for free about ten years and several moves ago I've been holding onto just cuz. I ran into a guy at Napa a few weeks ago. Had an sm420 mated to an sm465 with a 2" dump truck input shaft and a custom adapter in his blazer. Crazy short rear driveshaft was just about binding at ride height. Front shaft had a carrier bearing. Same concept as a brownie trans in a semi. Lots of gears to choose from.
I had actually toyed around with that idea @Kay86K5 . Even went so far as to search local yards for a divorced NP205. I figured I would need to get a HP D60 because I think Ford was the only one to used the divorced NP205. Although I might be able to take the parts from the Ford NP205 to make a GM NP205 into a divorced case. But then I need a driver side drop NP241 so it's out of the way of the front shaft. Then the front shaft would need to be 2 piece but I could probably mount the carrier bearing on top of the transmission crossmember.
I do have one piece of that puzzle, my NP241 has the SYE. Too bad divorced NP205 don't grow on trees.... Or does your 8.1L tree grow those too.
Just like I said, created more problems, haha. Would be pretty cool, but probably only worth it if you already had most of the parts laying around that all you had to do was shafts, shifters, and build a crossmember. But if you don't have the parts yet....probably not worth it
And no, I don't have an 8.1 or 205 tree in my back yard...I would be a lot more rich if this was the case
Yes that's the one thing I'm really not liking is having to drop the pinion down. I keep thinking about the cv shaft because when I'm done moving the carrier bearing, the pinion angle would be perfect for a cv shaft.
Maybe the one good thing about spending the money on a cv shaft is I would be super paranoid about not hitting it so I would maybe drive smarter.
I could point a back up camera at the rear driveshaft so I can keep an eye on it.
What you need is a K5 for a short wheel baseYes that's the one thing I'm really not liking is having to drop the pinion down. I keep thinking about the cv shaft because when I'm done moving the carrier bearing, the pinion angle would be perfect for a cv shaft.
Maybe the one good thing about spending the money on a cv shaft is I would be super paranoid about not hitting it so I would maybe drive smarter.
Uh.....no. I like this truck just fine. Get this drive shaft deal sorted and I'll be even happier.
I recall a early '60's Pontiac Tempest we had at the junkyard that used a weird rubber coated wire rope "driveshaft"...it also had a strange 4 cylinder engine like an old IHC Scout had,made from a 326 Pontiac V8 litteraly cut in half !..
Too bad some kind of flexy drive shaft couldn't be used like those..
Too bad some kind of flexy drive shaft couldn't be used like those..
Yeah, that would be crazy cool.
Those old tempest were nicknamed the ropedrive
Maybe the old 30's tech "torque tube" shafts weren't such a bad idea after all...built in "armor" protection !..
Build a traction bar/drive shaft skid like what they run on the 3rd/4th gen Camaros. They run right next to the driveshaft. Or just drop in a Rockwell 2.5 ton rear axle and bam no more low hanging driveshaft. Nevermind all the other issues it will create.
