shortening a driveshaft. tips tricks please

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My cousin has a 94 wrangler. 4x4 and the driveshshaft to the front needs to be shortened to alow hookup after new v8 swap. We need 1 1/4" taken out. I plan to tig weld this. But i hear these are supposedly balanced from the factory... and by taking out metal it would throw the shaft off balance... has anyone done this? Tips or tricks?
Reply:it dont coast that much to have a shop do it and be done with it 30-45 bucks balanced,, and if not they touched it lastwood sux to have  welded it, and it be out ----then the cost just went upidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Wish it was that cheap around here....  u also have to keep the ends inline with each other mark them so one does not get rotated 180.  Th only way to shorten one is to cut the collar weld off one end, shorten the shaft and reinsert the u-joint collar less the old driveshaft tube that u ground off.    Shops wuld just install a new end and thus charge u for it.   I have done a few by straping them into a piece of angle iron.   However iat minimum it will still need to go to a driveshaft shop for balancingTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Yeah, substantially more expensive than $30-$45 around here.  Last shop I talked to about shortening a shaft out my way wanted $250+$30 to balance it.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:You need a lathe it will fit in first of all..If one is not available find one that is.Machine off the weld at the rear of the shaft..Once the weld is gone you will be able to remove the yoke..Part off what you do not need and CLEAN UP THE END...Insert yoke back into tube IN LINE WITH THE "SOLID" OTHER END..Weld away.Easy ain't it?I have done hundreds of these in all shapes and sizes.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Like ZAP  said a lathe is nice but you can shorten your drive shaft by using a tube cutter  being very careful and keep the cutter wheel lined up.... Then grind off the weld on the piece you cut off and remove the u-joint housing and finish as ZAP explained.....It is easy but pay attn. to fit and tack it good before welding........  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:I would have never thought of a pipe cutter because I have a lathe whenever I need it..Good one!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Here is a method that doesn't require a lathe which might be food for thought. Most things can be done with hand tools if one is careful. Not sure I'd do one this way... but I have a lathe. http://4x4mecca.com/forum/vbarticles...e&articleid=34Zap... what do you think about the suggestion near the bottom of the above post that suggests putting some atf in the shaft to dampen it?Last edited by forhire; 08-23-2011 at 07:57 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteYeah, substantially more expensive than $30-$45 around here.  Last shop I talked to about shortening a shaft out my way wanted $250+$30 to balance it.--Wintermute
Reply:This is not a full time 4wd vehical right?  So most of the time the front shaft isnt even spinning, and if it is you should be going slow anyway. If it was mine I would sure do it myself for free as opposed to $200-$250.Miller Synchro250 bought new 1997Millermatic200Miller Bluestar 2E . AC/DC 16hpBluestar 2E , DC Miller Thunderbolt225 AC/DC ArcLongevity 60 plasma
Reply:driveshafts aren't to hard. I made one for my brothers toyota ground the weld at the flange, shortened it up. Then i bolted it back in the truck and stuck a magnetic dial indicator on the cross member and knocked it around with a mallet tacking it here and their till it was as true as possible, then welded it up works just like any other driveshaft pretty simple actually.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterI would have never thought of a pipe cutter because I have a lathe whenever I need it..Good one!...zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireHere is a method that doesn't require a lathe which might be food for thought. Most things can be done with hand tools if one is careful. Not sure I'd do one this way... but I have a lathe. http://4x4mecca.com/forum/vbarticles...e&articleid=34Zap... what do you think about the suggestion near the bottom of the above post that suggests putting some atf in the shaft to dampen it?
Reply:Originally Posted by hp246Whoa?  I had a new shaft built 2 years ago, inlcuding balancing it was only about $200.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterI use a cloth sanding belt with spindle oil on it..
Reply:UMMMMMMMMMMMMNo.Once it is WELDED no oxygen is present anymore now isn't it?Not recommended...There is a reason why I dont go to those type of sites.....zap!Last edited by zapster; 08-23-2011 at 10:03 PM.I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by jesusno2driveshafts aren't to hard. I made one for my brothers toyota ground the weld at the flange, shortened it up. Then i bolted it back in the truck and stuck a magnetic dial indicator on the cross member and knocked it around with a mallet tacking it here and their till it was as true as possible, then welded it up works just like any other driveshaft pretty simple actually.
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireSure... of course but that wasn't my question. The 12th picture on the tutorial at 4x4meca shows the guy pouring a cup of ATF in the tube prior to welding to provide dampening.From 4x4meca:I imagine it would work but I've never done it. Any thoughts?
Reply:Hey thanks for the tips. Im trying to upload pictures but its not letting me. Itz not a sstandard driveshaft. Its about 1 1/4dia. Ill have pics up asap! Also i have a southbend but ill check if itll fit. Good idea with the pipecutter..i have a massive 5" ive been waiting to use.
Reply:seems the atf is practice that is common in my parts.  many of the men that I have heard that have shortened them use atf.  I don't know the amount, but they do it for the balancing effect.  I would say four onces would be about the larger balancing weights weigh that are welded on the outside of some shafts.  the liquid will migrate to where it is needed i guess is the common thought.
Reply:Driveshafts aren't insanely picky about balance and a neat weld will usually be pretty close. Making a balancing stand would be easy enough if you really care.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmallDriveshafts aren't insanely picky about balance and a neat weld will usually be pretty close. Making a balancing stand would be easy enough if you really care.
Reply:Originally Posted by Scott Youngseems the atf is practice that is common in my parts.  many of the men that I have heard that have shortened them use atf.  I don't know the amount, but they do it for the balancing effect.  I would say four onces would be about the larger balancing weights weigh that are welded on the outside of some shafts.  the liquid will migrate to where it is needed i guess is the common thought.
Reply:Ok then, what about the powder you dump in truck tires to balance them?  Might be called equal. Grey stuff in a plastic sac. Throw it in when mounting. Tires run good.
Reply:is it a 1 piece driveshaft or 2piece most front shafts are 2 piece depending on make ,year and model of truck throw it on a cold saw and throw a new yoke on it  ,it will be ok  as long as its straightLast edited by ed l; 08-24-2011 at 09:11 PM.Driveshafts cannot be balanced properly with a single-plane static balance stand. They are multi-plane balanced dynamically. Special equipment is required.
Reply:You guys act like this jeep is gonna be expected to drive like a caddy and be a nice smooth ride... The guy is putting a V8 in a wrangler and needs to shorten the shaft- No big deal. Lots of good answers about how to go about it so far.  I personally just use a grinder with a cutting disc or a chop saw and slowly take out the weld on the end that needs to be shortened. Once it's all cleaned up and chopped down to size I tack it back together in two spots. Bolt it back up in the vehicle- check for runout with a magnetic dial indicator and tap with a hammer until it gets acceptable and then weld it up.I have made plenty of driveshafts like this for front drivelines and also rear drivelines that spin just fine up to 75mph. If you take a little time it can come out pretty good and then if you wanted all you would have to do is take it to a shop to have them balance it if you think it needs it.More than likely this guy is putting a V8 in a wrangler because he is using it offroad with possibly swapped in bigger axles and also big heavy mud tires.  In this case Im willing to bet that if it is a little bit off balance it would still be un-noticed while driving.Since we don't know all the info on the vehicle and its intended purpose it is anyones guess. If he's swapping in a V8 and using adapters and such to keep the stock trans and tcase and using the stock axles in a wrangler... well then he's gonna have other problems real soon other than a driveshaft that is a little out of balance. Just my .o2, take it for what it cost ya.
Reply:Originally Posted by WTFabYou guys act like this jeep is gonna be expected to drive like a caddy and be a nice smooth ride... The guy is putting a V8 in a wrangler and needs to shorten the shaft- No big deal. Lots of good answers about how to go about it so far.  I personally just use a grinder with a cutting disc or a chop saw and slowly take out the weld on the end that needs to be shortened. Once it's all cleaned up and chopped down to size I tack it back together in two spots. Bolt it back up in the vehicle- check for runout with a magnetic dial indicator and tap with a hammer until it gets acceptable and then weld it up.I have made plenty of driveshafts like this for front drivelines and also rear drivelines that spin just fine up to 75mph. If you take a little time it can come out pretty good and then if you wanted all you would have to do is take it to a shop to have them balance it if you think it needs it.More than likely this guy is putting a V8 in a wrangler because he is using it offroad with possibly swapped in bigger axles and also big heavy mud tires.  In this case Im willing to bet that if it is a little bit off balance it would still be un-noticed while driving.Since we don't know all the info on the vehicle and its intended purpose it is anyones guess. If he's swapping in a V8 and using adapters and such to keep the stock trans and tcase and using the stock axles in a wrangler... well then he's gonna have other problems real soon other than a driveshaft that is a little out of balance. Just my .o2, take it for what it cost ya.
Reply:I spent the last year of my apprenticeship in a machine shop that regularly modified drive shafts.  Old Peter kept all the discarded sections of tube and stocked the proper seamless tubing if a complete new piece was required.  He was very careful to ensure the yokes at each end were in the correct orientation and used a dial indicator to make sure it was running true.  He would call me over to the lathe and I would put the work lead to the assembly and tack it in three of four places.  The assembly would be removed from the lathe and I would weld up the seam on a set of bench top rollers being careful not to leave any arc strikes or burn marks from the ground clamp.  I was concerned that we never balanced them.  Pete told me that he worked for several years in a heavy truck plant that will go unnamed.  He would carefully balance the drive shafts as he made them up until one day out of curiosity he switched the shaft end to end on the balancing machine.  The machine was not indicating correct balance.  He notified his supervisors and was ignored.  From that day on Pete told me he just made them up and never worried about balancing.  In the year I worked there I never saw a customer come back with complaints about Pete's drive shafts.
Reply:I cut one for a guy who was building a hot rod.  Said what he gave me was a spare driveshaft from a junkyard and he wanted me to shorten it so he could move the car in, out and around the shop under power instead of pushing it all the time.  I told him he needed to have it balanced but he said he would try it as is, it was just supposed to be temporary and he planned to have the other driveshaft cut and balanced in a machine shop before he took the car on the road.Didn't have a lathe back then so I took a Ridgid pipe cutter and cut out the required length leaving the original weld on the yoke and marking an index line along the shaft to keep the existing weights and yokes aligned as original.  Clamped the two pieces in a big heavy piece of angle and tacked it up, Then welded it all around.Guy told me later it worked perfectly, no vibration and that he never did replace it with the other drive shaft and that he eventually sold the car like that."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:I was always told use a MIG on driveshafts. TIG is fine to use?
Reply:I have used TIG and stick..Whatever works....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I have always done my own after watching a guy do one ,,,he had a 12 ft sectiom of I-beam , with legs  on it , to working height....Makes a good sawhorse...I built one  ! I grind the weld off the end to be cut, scribe a good line with a scribe half way down the tube..use a straight section of angle to do this and then use a 1/16th cut-off blade in a die grinder and cut thru the tube....the yoke will show a rust color for just a sec before the cutting wheel removes it.... ( a pipe cutter squeezes as it cuts anf leaves a ridge inside the tube that you will have to remove )....heat the cut end and tap with a light hammer and it will come out.....cut the tube to length ( if you don't know how to do that, you should not be fabricating anything )...deburr and align up the scribe marks and tap the yoke into the tube, being precise will save you work .....sit the shaft on the edge of I-beam and make sure the ends are in "Phase"...I use 2 " squares of plate and clamp with 2 large clamps. probably should have said the beam should be level and securely mount to the floor....check tube for level....clamp a couple section of large angle to I-beam and check end to end for being out of square......I use inside calipers.... when I am sure that all is as good as I can get it, I tack it in 4 places....do a double check and lay it in rollers and weld it solid in one pass. Clean off all fubars, mount in car, jacked up without wheels and use a sharp piece of soapstone and touch spinning shaft to find high spot. Use 2 ss hose clamps, mounting them on the end the cut was made, where you put the mark and tighten them 180 from mark and trim excess clamp........spinn it up, if it viberates....start moving the clamps.....might have to move them in different directions, to fine tune......replace tires to see if there is a difference. After I am satisfied, I put a glob of epoxy ( JB Weld ) to keep the clamps from coming loose.....works for me !!   In a 66 Chevy II SS, never had a problem at over 150 MPH....I.D.G.A.F.H.T.D.I.A.O.C.C.http://www.facebook.com/pages/Metals...71960142846696
Reply:Locally I have found only one shop that does this kind of work.R&S Spring works.  If you go there you find they make their money fixing dump trucks - drive shafts, springs, and I understand hinges/bushings on the dump bed itself.If I recall, on a passanger car/light truck, a new tube (they cut the ends off your old driveshaft) will run $200.  A simple rebalancing job is less than $50.You basically cut the weld seam out of one end of the drive shaft and knock that end off.  Shorten the remaining pipe and then weld it back together.  Keep in mind the the Ujoints ned to be index to about 1 degree to minimize vibration (and extend component life).I would look locally at 'spring works' type companies and see if they can do it.ps:I know this is an old thread.... butWhat transmission/transfer case are you using and how much longer can you make the rear driveshaft.   For those that don't know, the jeep wranglers have a rediculously short rear drive shaft.  You start modifying the rear suspension and you get crazy drive shaft angles and even over extend the driveshaft (with a slip yoke the drive shaft just falls out!)Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:i  would agree with some here cut it off with a grinder remove the excess and re weld it in the same position and clocking shouldnt hurt the balancing we did several pto drive shafts like thisLincoln Power Arc 4000 Thermal Arc Fabricator 252 iThermal arc 186Thermal Arc 26 tigTweeko 200 amp spool gunHobart AirForce 400WP-17V-12R
Reply:Originally Posted by forhire.... what do you think about the suggestion near the bottom of the above post that suggests putting some atf in the shaft to dampen it?