Rear drive shaft length?

Baker

Baker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Location
Suffolk, VA
So I have a 78 cj 5 and I'm in the middle of doing a motor and tranny swap. Amc 360 sm465/np 205 I just put it all in the jeep yesterday and my rear driveshaft would have to be about a foot long maybe shorter. So what should I do to fix this problem? I don't really want to stretch the wheel base!
 
Is the 205 a fixed yoke? If not, that'd be about the only thing that would help you out besides moving the drivetrain forward or moving the rear axle backwards.
 
Can I have the shaft be that short?
 
short isn't your biggest concern, but what ANGLE are the joints at pinion and T-case ?

again, fixed yoke ? if so, you'll need a slip spline in the shaft as well, and that needs room to travel which is also part of the shaft length ( and will reduce tube length )

IF you have a slip yoke on the t-case, that needs to be changed to a fixed yoke, which will change the length and angle of the shaft as well.

CJ5's are short as hell and tough to make a lot of combos work with any sort of lift
 
Yeah, they can make shafts that short. Like he said though, the operating angle is your biggest concern.
 
for now I'm just getting it running and driving again. In the future it will get a 4-6" lift. After I lift it I may consider moving the axle but for now I just want to cruise around some mild trails and beach etc..
 
You will be fine if your on stock springs. My YJ stock rear DS is 12.5"

Just make sure your angles are good like said above. You may be able to use a MML or shim the rear axle a small amount and get it right.

and also as stated above if you plan to lift 4-6" a SYE and DC drive shaft is in your future.
 
Stretch the wheelbase.
 
angles look good I think I have it about figured out. front shaft is going to have to be custom but I think I can get away with just cutting down the original rear for now until I can get the lift on it and see what its looking like. Trying to get it together for jeep beach in Daytona in april.
 
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