There's a circular ridge on the end of my 87 2wd p/u's driveshaft. And since it's a one piece it makes it pretty hard to take it out to tow as some of you have suggested I should.

My question is is that ridge necessary or can I grind it off to make it easier to install and remove. Thing is I'm towing my pickup for a business. Delivering new semis and buses and such. And so it'd be nice if the driveshaft could be taken out and installed easily.

Or should I consider a two piece driveshaft? Wouldn't that make it easier if I could just slide a two piece ds together?

Or should I consider the ultimate ease in towing this and go with a full float rear end like a ford 9" with manual hubs?

 

Got a pic of this ridge? It should have a slip yoke, yes? Maybe its frozen?

 

X2. Pics will help describe what your talking about

 

Found this online. It's that circular ridge that fits into a groove on the differential

 

If you're talking about a slipyoke as in a two piece driveshaft I don't have one. It's got the splined shaft that goes into the standard transmission, a ujoint, a shaft, another ujoint, and then this 4 bolt flange with that circular ridge on it.

 

That ridge acts as a centering dowel, so that the shaft is mounted perfectly true on its flanges. It should NOT be removed.
What exactly is your issue with with it anyway?? It should be easy to push the shaft in a little shorter on the slip yoke to free this ridge from the differential flange.

Edit: OP says that there is no slip-yoke, yet there must be one in order for the suspension to have any travel while the drive shaft is connected.

Perhaps the slip is at the tranny tailshaft splined connection????

 

Oh, ok. a knock with a hammer or even a your hand should knock it right out. Put some neversieze on it next time you have it out.

I wouldnt take it off, as it helps keep the drive shaft aligned with the diff/t case.

The "slip yoke" part is the part that slides into the tranny, it should give you enough movement to take the shaft out easily.

 

Well it doesn't have any budge that I could tell. It does have double u joints and it's 2wd not 4wd so it shouldn't need nearly as much flex. Is there a two piece driveshaft that I could swap in that would be easier to install/remove. I'm going to be doing this several times a week.

 

Rattlewagon when I did get it out it wouldn't shove far enough back in to install it needs about 3/8"-1/2" to put it back in. Could I shorten the input shaft/slipyoke to make it work better. Or could there be something stuck in the transmission?

 

why not just unbolt the axle end and wire it up with a couple coat hangers. that way the slip yoke end will still have driveshaft in it and not leak out of the trans and it wont be turning. a mallet will free the shaft from the axle flange.

 

Picture would definitely help. Do you have an Auto or Manual trans?

 

Blake the problem is that if it was that easy I wouldn't be asking. I'm not a small guy and I couldn't get it to budge with just a "mallet".

 

Admiral, it a five speed manual

 

Has your truck been modified in any way that might have caused the driveline to be too long? Maybe the shaft has been replaced with a shaft that is longer than stock?

 

After parsing through all of the posts in this thread, I agree with millball, the drive shaft seems slightly too long. If it was the right length, it should be easy to push it back far enough to clear that ridge to disconnect/connect it. If the shaft is too long, it will improperly load the thrust bearings in the transmission and rear differential, possibly leading to failure at some point. I'd have it checked out by a qualified driveline shop. Or perhaps you have some worn parts in the rear suspension that are allowing the axle to move slightly forward.

Don't grind off the ridge. Without that, the only things centering the shaft will be the bolts, and they don't fit tightly enough to do a good job of that. You'll run the risk of drive shaft vibration.

 

Well when I went looking to correct my speedometer gear ratio. I found out from my local stealership that according to my vin I originally had a 4 speed manual. Would that make a difference? So I could have it shortened?

 

I think going to a two piece would be nice seeing as how I want to lift it a bit more.

 

Changing to a tranny that is longer in the tail would surely do it.

If so, shortening the shaft is the answer. A shop that specializes in this work will know how to make the measurements, and cut it to the correct length for your application.

RJR is right about problems created by a too long shaft, you're lucky nothing has been damaged.

 

Might be a problem, trying to change over, seeing that your tranny is already set up to slip inside the tailshaft housing.

 

Guess I'll find a driveline shop and ask my questions to them. Either they can shorten my shaft or tell me how I can convert to a two piece.

Two piece shafts would bolt to the rear of the trans since they don't have a slipyoke correct?