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Drive Shaft Length with lift?


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I'm completing my 4wd conversion and I have a question about the rear driveshaft length. According to the sticky, a stock length shaft for my 6 cyl, MT, short bed, rear 8.25 should be 42.25". I have a 3" lift and when I pull the slip yoke out of the transfer case to where it originally set (not sure how far out that is), I measured 42.75". My question is this, how far should the slip yoke be pulled out from the transfer case? I obviously don't want to get one that is too long cause I'll bottom out, but I don't want one that's too short and pull too much of the slip yoke out.

 

The reason I ask is the local shop seems to think that the slip yoke should be pulled out about an inch and that he has a 41.75" shaft he thinks will work. The slip yoke is plenty long, but is a half inch difference (smaller than stock on a 3" lift) going to make enough difference? If I buy the shaft he already has it will be much cheaper than shortening another shaft.

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I'm completing my 4wd conversion and I have a question about the rear driveshaft length. According to the sticky, a stock length shaft for my 6 cyl, MT, short bed, rear 8.25 should be 42.25". I have a 3" lift and when I pull the slip yoke out of the transfer case to where it originally set (not sure how far out that is), I measured 42.75". My question is this, how far should the slip yoke be pulled out from the transfer case? I obviously don't want to get one that is too long cause I'll bottom out, but I don't want one that's too short and pull too much of the slip yoke out.

 

The reason I ask is the local shop seems to think that the slip yoke should be pulled out about an inch and that he has a 41.75" shaft he thinks will work. The slip yoke is plenty long, but is a half inch difference (smaller than stock on a 3" lift) going to make enough difference? If I buy the shaft he already has it will be much cheaper than shortening another shaft.

 

I thing you may be surprised as to how little the driveline 'compresses' when your MJ suspension cycles. Under compression, the leaves flatten out and the shackles rotate towards the rear so the axle doesn't really move forward on the chassis. I would assume that the original 42.25" would be acceptable. 1" seems like too much.

 

FWIW, I installed an 8.8 on a YJ the other day and the driveline only had about .375" of available compression in it but it still wouln't bottom out when the suspension cycled.

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Thanks for the input. I went out and measured everything again yesterday and then made a call to Tom Woods. They are sending me a shaft that is 42.50" which is only a 1/4" longer than stock, so I feel like everything should work out just fine.

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