akamcbird Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 replacing the rear shaft in my '90, i have the option of retubing the original (currently twizzlered) or shorten one that came out of an '86 lwb 2.8l auto np207. the '90 has a smaller diamiter tube than the '86, is one better than the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I don't know if it matters. My 87 4.0 4x4 had a 2.5" or so diameter thin walled (.083 or .095) tube that worked just fine until I decided to park it on a rock. My 87 2.5 4x2 converted to 4x4 had a 5" or so thick walled tube that almost looks like well casing and weighs about 50 pounds. Was shortened by the P.O. who started the 4x4 conversion, and fixed by my local drivetrain shop to fix a problem with the u joints being slightly out of phase as well as balance it. Now that it's been fixed I haven't had any problem with it either. Having the 2wd one shortened is probably the less expensive option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW86 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 sounds like SYE and tom woods time! :banana: personally i hate the fat ones. luckily i snagged a spare from a local club member who has two MJs. anyway yes it would be cheapest to shorten that one down and better than retubing the one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boots Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I had a whole new one made... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 To put things in perspective, having a shaft shortened and rebalanced cost me $120 (including a new u joint). The last shaft I had made from scratch cost me over $300. Then again, the custom made one uses a 3" x .187 Chromoly tube (that's 3/16" thick!) that alone cost over $100. It was worth it, though, as the @$$ end of the truck was rolling left to right and right to left on a rock without denting or bending the shaft this time. I have a few stock and "stock like" ones that look either like a candy cane, or like someone took a sledge hammer to them because of rocks getting in my way. And one stock one twisted in half when I experienced wheel hop/axle wrap during a rear wheel stand. Which way you go and how much money you want to spend all depends on what the truck will be used for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akamcbird Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 i did both... $130 for the '86 w/ joints. $230 for the '90 w/ joints and new slip yolk. ...so the fatty went into my dd '90, and the other will be a spare and was made to fit either my '90 or '87. thanks to six states (same day service). thanks to cc driveshaft chart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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