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driveshaft for 8.8

turbochimp

Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
I'm about to need a driveshaft for an 8.8 swap. I was wondering about just getting a JY f150 shortened. Any experience with this as a possible cost saver? I think a custom one might be $4-600.

*oops wrong forum. Move to modifications?
 
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I guess it just depends on which end you want to yutz with... do you know the diameter of that driveshaft? I'm using the ford racing 3.5 driveshaft and it's too close for my tastes. If you were gonna have it shortened anyway... might be worth paying attention to something that isn't made of lead?
 
Hopefully, I'll get an estimate of the final length today. The only yutz would be a 1310-1330 conversion ujoint (if that). I don't know the exact diameter of the truck shaft, but I think they run a little under 3". I will be keeping the car around 500hp, so I assume that could be OK?

I will call a driveline shop on Monday and I guess that will answer my question - seems like shortening would have to be under $200 to make it worthwhile. I was just wondering if anyone has tried this approach. Also, I thought some f150s had aluminum shafts? Would have to research more. Good to know that 3.5" is max diameter though - thanks

I guess it just depends on which end you want to yutz with... do you know the diameter of that driveshaft? I'm using the ford racing 3.5 driveshaft and it's too close for my tastes. If you were gonna have it shortened anyway... might be worth paying attention to something that isn't made of lead?
 
Aerostar vans had the 3.5” (I think) aluminum shafts. There’s a local place here that will make you whatever you want. They made mine for a t5 to 8.8 and Kyle just used one for a t5 to Dana rear end. Mine was about $260 for a custom one-piece and I supplied the slip yoke.
 
Starting with a Ford aluminum shaft is a giant step ahead. Any competent shop can make the right length with the right yokes. In the area where I live I would estimate $100 for a yard shaft, less than $200 for yokes and labor. Ground up aluminum is probably going to be over $400.

As concerned as I was about this the local drive shaft shop didn't think it was a big deal. They want measurements from the center of the U joint caps. This is one place precision is not really required as the slip yoke has at least an inch of play.
 
Having bought a few that I couldn't use -- word to the wise -- try to get a shaft by REMOVING it from the vehicle yourself. Just dropping one end of an aluminum one can introduce enough runout to make them useless. People remove them all the time to get to something else and just toss them aside - and that's often enough to bend them. Pull up some of the online DS calculators - I think you'll find that a 3" can work just fine as long as the wall thickness is sufficient. And if you're lowered much at all - you're gonna find that interference on the passenger side about 2/3 of the way back can be a problem when you hit a bump. As for $100 junkyard driveshafts - I'm pretty sure I paid $12 for the last aluminum one I bought - Aerostar Van unit. Was useless -- another bent one. By the time you get through finding a good one and having it modded (if you can't weld it up correctly yourself) I think you'll find ordering up a brand new one isn't a bad way to go.
 
The aerostar is 3 inch and you need the one from like 2 years only and it has to be the AWD version.
 
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