80-82 driveshaft length?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
80-82 driveshaft length?
Could someone with an 80-82 700R4 Vette with aluminum rear end please measure their driveshaft for me. I measure center of u-joint to center, but any method you use is fine.
Thanks in advance
Bee Jay
Thanks in advance
Bee Jay
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
25"? Wow, my '79 with 700R4 and iron rear end is 26 3/4". Is the aluminum rear end longer than the iron rear end? I'm about to go to aluminum driveshaft and aluminum rear end.
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,000
Likes: 1
From: Minneapolis, Mn USA
Must be a difference from the iron to alum rear? 
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
Last edited by MN-Brent; Jun 10, 2010 at 11:58 AM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Must be a difference from the iron to alum rear?
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 228
From: Oakbank Manitoba
I just checked my driveshaft length too. I had a 3" inch aluminum shaft made up from a shortened C4 driveshaft. It's length is 25" center to center. My car is a 1980 with stock aluminum diff. I had a 700R4 and now I've installed a 4L60E (same length).
Last edited by KENS80V; Jun 11, 2010 at 09:36 AM.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Bee Jay
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,961
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,906
Likes: 228
From: Oakbank Manitoba
That is exactly what I'm about to do. I have a C4 aluminum shaft that is 27 1/4" long. The shaft in the car now is 26 1/2" long. I was thinking that it would be easier to trim the tranny yoke 3/4" than having the aluminum shaft shortened. But if I have to go to 25", shortening the driveshaft is a must. Was it hard finding someone to do it?
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
I'm sure you'll find a cheaper shop then what I did. Just look in the yellow pages under "driveshaft".
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,860
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From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
That is exactly what I'm about to do. I have a C4 aluminum shaft that is 27 1/4" long. The shaft in the car now is 26 1/2" long. I was thinking that it would be easier to trim the tranny yoke 3/4" than having the aluminum shaft shortened. But if I have to go to 25", shortening the driveshaft is a must. Was it hard finding someone to do it?
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
Also, I'm curious what the wall thickness is on the C4 driveshafts. When I put narrowed C4 halfshafts in mine, the shop said they were (IIRC) about .095" (Instead of narrowing the shafts I had them cut out both yokes and weld in .138" wall tubes instead). If you know the wall thickness, diameter, and length you can do some decent calculations to compare the torque capability of your new shaft versus the original.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Must be a difference from the iron to alum rear?
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
I imagine the driveshaft will be about the last thing you do, so you can sanity check the distance you need.
I have to say the yoke coming out of the rear end with the stock CFI motor-700r4 set-up was further out than I would have thought it should be. This picture below is with my LS1-4L60E set-up and original 25.0in ctr-ctr driveshaft. The trans-motor is 1 inch further forward, and you can see where the original seal lines were with the CFI-700r4 motor set-up:
After 1 inch driveshaft extension to 26.0in ctr-ctr for the LS1-4L60E swap and drives very smooth with this extension distance:
I can not find a slip yoke for my 4L60E that has open ends for my U-bolts. Where did you find the slip yoke?
