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Cleetus Trans/Driveshaft problems...NEED OPINIONS

zeitgeist57

By zeitgeist57
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zeitgeist57 Newbie

zeitgeist57

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My '82 Ford is running! Now, I need a driveshaft option. the stock one-piece shaft is 69" long, and the front was a slip yoke.

 

1) I need a fixed yoke input for the new T18 output shaft.

1) lengthened overall from 69" to 80".

2) Add a slip joint somewhere.

 

Can it be done? does anyone know of a fullsize vehicle with a one-piece (or two piece) driveshaft that long? If I can't find a used/new driveshaft, I'll have Columbus Joint and Clutch modify my stocker. Any help appreciated.

 

Transmission is a T18 4-speed. Rearend is a Ford 9", with 2.47 gears. Fixed yoke at each end.

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gbracing81 Newbie

gbracing81

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Driveline one for me

 

I've used drive line 1 for years. They built the shaft for my Cutlass back in 2000 and I've never had one problem with it. It has withstood thousands of hard launches and even more hard miles on the road. (back when I drove the car everywhere) I've never even done anything to the u-joints.

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zeitgeist57 Newbie

zeitgeist57

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Last week, I met a guy at Autozone in Clintonville who had a late '70s F150 LWB. The driveshaft was HUGE, and one piece. My stock DS is scale-rusty and not a looker...no sense spending the money to modify it when another Ford DS option could be available.

 

Anyone that finds something bolt-in would be my best friend 4 lyfe. I was searching car-parts.com yesterday to no avail...

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zeitgeist57 Newbie

zeitgeist57

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Just called Bill at CJ&C. He's going to research 2-piece shaft options with a center carrier bearing...NO WAY a lengthened one-piece would survive, he said. Combine that with the slip-joint now needed (since the 9" rearend and tranny output yoke are both fixed) and a 2-piece just makes sense.
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gbracing81 Newbie

gbracing81

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If you have a fixed yolk at both ends without a slip joint, the first bump you hit will be catastrophic as it will try to shove the driveshaft into the end of the transmission. A fixed yolk at both ends= a two piece driveshaft. Theres just no way around it unless you want to delete your rear suspension.
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Richard Cranium Newbie

Richard Cranium

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http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/607163-t-18-in-80-f-100-driveshaft-questions.html

 

Ugh...now I'm waffling back to the one-piece drive shaft and a "F-it" attitude: if it fails, it fails.

 

HELP ME CR...YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE...

 

What is the cost of doing it right?

 

Guarantee it won't fail in your driveway, and when it does how much collateral damage will there be? Add the cost of going cheap to the cost of a ruined afternoon and the tow truck.

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zeitgeist57 Newbie

zeitgeist57

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Welp, I've come to a "fork in the road"...or as I'm more affectionately going to call it: a "F&&K-in-the-road" :D

 

GOOD NEWS: I've been doing a lot of researching online, and car-part.com: The solution is to put the two-piece driveshaft from an F-250 into my truck! BAD NEWS: The only cost-effective way of doing that is through used/JY parts, which still will cost me at least a couple hundred dollhairs in the end. :(

 

SooooooOOOOOOOOOOOO...I've come to the conclusion that the T18 is a little more trouble than it's worth for now. I don't want to piddle about for the next month trying to jury rig a driveshaft. No doubt the T18 is a beefy unit, but it's not worth driving 150+ miles to get used parts. Honestly, my gut feels good on this one. CR, do I...

 

1) Continue moving forward with the T18 - It's worth another month or so off-the-road to try and find the pieces/$$$$$ to make a driveshaft work.

2) Swap in the stock 3spd for now - Cheap, Easy, Drivable by the weekend! Not the best tranny, but it'll do for now.

3) Try to sell the T18 (and 3spd) for a 4spd SROD - bolt-in for crossmember, driveshaft, get's an OD gear for the highway (though with a 2.47 rear gear I'm not too worried about final drive ratios). Plus, I can still swap in the 3speed for now while I search for a 4speed: the truck stays drivable!

 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: This Cleetus will be a light-duty hauler. No towing, or if so it'll be less than a ton. It's more of a cruiser. I'm trying to - aside from the engine rebuild :) - stick in a budget...

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zeitgeist57 Newbie

zeitgeist57

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Talked to the wife (like she cares)...I'm swapping out trannies as soon as I come back from Pittsburgh tomorrow-Friday...possibly have it drivable for Cars and Coffee Saturday morning???

 

Should I still stick with the T18...or get an SROD 4-speed? Bolt-in, baby! Same reverse light connector, same speedo gear, same driveshaft!!!

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gbracing81 Newbie

gbracing81

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Talked to the wife (like she cares)...I'm swapping out trannies as soon as I come back from Pittsburgh tomorrow-Friday...possibly have it drivable for Cars and Coffee Saturday morning???

 

Should I still stick with the T18...or get an SROD 4-speed? Bolt-in, baby! Same reverse light connector, same speedo gear, same driveshaft!!![/QUOTE]

 

Sounds like a no brainer.

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