My shaft is too long!!

[ashedd]

I normally post in the diesel section but this is more performance related.

I have an '87 300D 5 spd swap in the works. I had to have a custom front driveshaft made. It had to do with the larger carrier bearing pinion and small yoke on the 5 spd. Then there was a length issue, automatic shaft is shorter. So I decided the easiest thing to do was have a shaft made. 3 shops later and I find a guy that will weld a MB shaft, he did a great job BTW.


The new shaft was made to be the same length as a w201 5 spd front shaft... I thought that was the right length. Well it turns out it's about 1/2" too long. Total length of my custom shaft plus carrier bearing and rear shaft is 69.75" and the measured length from output yoke to rear diff yoke is 69.25.

I talked to the guy that made me the shaft and he says it can be shortened. but by how much? Most of his hard work was machining because of the two different sizes(should have swaped output yokes but could not get one off). I know I need more than 1/2" taken off so I can get it together.

Can I find about an inch somewhere? Transmission is all bolted in and ready to go. I could omit a flex disk but that doesn't sound like a good idea.

The custom shaft was not cheap... 8 hrs of work. I hate to cut it.

Any ideas woud be great.

[Roncallo]

Contact Sean Carlini

http://www.rcvperformance.com/store/catalog/index.php

[SilkMoneyLove]

Mine too! <- joking here

But, can you grind it down on each end a bit? <-serious here and so on

Maybe loosen the rear end and fit it in, then bolt the rear back up? Just talking here, as I don't have photos to go from.

There is always a solution. Tis better to have to cut twice and still be too long, than cut twice and still be too short.

[ashedd]

It's going to have to be cut

I was going to sell this car after the swap but I may end up having too much money in it.

So the question now is how much to cut off? Front shaft is 35.5" long.... the exact length from trans to carrier bearing. I need some play there. Perhaps and inch will do it. I am going to take the custom shaft and carrier bearing/rear shaft back to the guy on Tuesday and make a best guess. Hopefully he will shoe mercy on me and not charge too much. I imagine it's just a matter of cutting an end off and re-welding it.

[ashedd]

Update..

I have had the new 1 inch shorter shaft for a while now... still sitting on the garage floor. Guy only charged $42 to trim it and repaint it. He told me how to balance it and stuff.

Soon as I get done working on the TD I will get the '87 up and running. I have a thread in the diesel performance section if you want to take a look.