Square tube driveline

northplainsdrifter

Finally got around to building my new driveline after my shackle reversal. I used 2 1/2x2 1/2 receiver tube for the outside and 2" tube for the inside. I cut a couple of chunks of the inner tube and then ground down the yoke to center the one yoke for the outer part then welded that in. The other yoke I just shimmed it to center and then welded it to the smaller tube. I was lucky that I didn't have to do much grinding or shimming to get everything centered. I welded a bunch of spots on the inner tube then ground them to get a more snug fit. I hope I won't get much noise from it now. If it gets loose I can always put a few more spot welds on again. I can't wait to try it out!

The pics show the yokes off by 90 degrees, I'll just pull it apart and put it in right.

BREK

Nice job :t: I doubt you will ever twist that shaft!

ironman_gq

make sure and let us know how it works and how bad she vibrates if you take her down the road with the front end locked in :!: :t:

Mudrat

Where's the zerk to grease the 'slip joint' :-|

And DO let us know how it works out!!

Ibby

Lots of guys in my area use these on their bush rigs. A couple went so far as to weld on a short section of tube at either end so the shaft could be balanced. If seen some sketchy homemade jobs ruin a drivetrain but the balanced ones seem to work quite well.

northplainsdrifter

Mudrat wrote
Where's the zerk to grease the 'slip joint' :-|

And DO let us know how it works out!!

I haven't decided if I want to grease it yet. I run in the sand some of the time and I'm thinking it would collect lots of sand since there's no way to keep it out. I rarely, if ever, like most CJ's, run 4 wheel drive on the street so balancing shouldn't be a problem. Almost all of my 4 wheelin is in low range crawlin around. It's when I hit the sand dunes is when I might get vibration as I like to fly off the top of the dunes! :shock: Check avatar. I'm hoping to get it together this weekend to try it, that's only if I can get the damn oil leak fixed. 🙁:

northplainsdrifter

I fixed the oil leak and installed the driveline and went for spin around town. I put the hubs in and cruised around at 40-45 and I didn't get any vibration, I couldn't even tell it was there! :lo1l: So far so good. Next weekend I have a Jeep sand rally so that should give it a real test. Can't wait!

Did you notice how clean the oil pan is? NO DAMN LEAKS!

tufcj

Needs a paint job. It's the wrong color.... :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: Bob tufcj

northplainsdrifter

It is a 360, I just decided to try and match the Jeep 111!!!

Ibby

Shouldn't your yokes be 90 degrees apart?

ironman_gq

No they call that put of phase and it will cause a lot of bad vibrations and other problems. the yokes on any driveshaft should be in line with each other or it will rattle apart.

northplainsdrifter

I've had lots of discussions about where the yokes should be. I started off with them at 90 because that's where my buddies were on his Jeep. Then on some other boards I was persuaded to change them because others had more experinence, they said the same thing that at 90 degrees it will tear everything apart. The best part is that all I have to do is pull it apart and move it! :sa:

tufcj

As long as the crosses of the u-joint are in the same plane, it doesn't matter where the yoke sits (0-90-180-270). What would tear it apart would be one at a 45* angle to the other (or even more than maybe 5* different). The other factor for vibration would be if the output on the t-case and the pinion are at the same angle. As the u-joint moves thru it's arc, the drive shaft actually changes speed. As long as the u-joints are phased correctly, and moving in the same plane, then both ends change speed evenly. If one end has to move farther, or the u-joints are out of phase, then the 2 ends are trying to move different speeds at different times, and they vibrate. Bob tufcj

Mudrat

northplainsdrifter wrote

Um... folks these ARE 90* out of phase 8) Not in-phase like a regular drive shaft.

dan58

Square driveshafts are for Toyotas. 111!!!

northplainsdrifter

I took it out and hammered on it all weekend with great results! I am really happy with my new driveline =D> espeicially since I only have about 60 bones in it! I ran hi-range most of the time with no problems, I could hear a little noise when I was going back and forth from camp to the dunes which was the slop between the two tubes. I think I will keep it dry, no grease, for the time being. I would think grease would eliminate the tink tink tink I hear but with no dust caps I'm afraid everything would stick inside, especially the sand.

Couple of shots from Sand Lake on the Oregon Coast.

P.S. I left all the Toyotas with round drivelines at the bottom of the dunes. 8)