yeah I caught that
Driveshaft and U-Joint Questions
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,707
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Driveshaft and U-Joint Questions
I'm putting a 200 4R into my 73 Automatic and have a few questions:
1) Is there a "direction" for drive shafts? In other words, is there a front and a back? I need to remove the joints and clean/paint the shaft and am wondering if I need to mark the "front."
2) I have a yoke for my new transmission but not the U-Joint. I got the Spicer part number 353 from 692XLR8 years ago. Is this # still good?
3) The good news: my old U-Joints were Spicers. The bad news: they're nasty. Don't even bend freely so clearly I have to replace the back one. I got the part number 279 off of the existing one. As above, is this number still good? Also, they seem to have the suffix "X" on the part numbers for the ones that I've seen. Do I care?
4) Last, there are heavy duty end caps on my half shaft U-Joints. Why is there no such thing for drive shafts? The greater speed at which they turn? Just curious.
1) Is there a "direction" for drive shafts? In other words, is there a front and a back? I need to remove the joints and clean/paint the shaft and am wondering if I need to mark the "front."
2) I have a yoke for my new transmission but not the U-Joint. I got the Spicer part number 353 from 692XLR8 years ago. Is this # still good?
3) The good news: my old U-Joints were Spicers. The bad news: they're nasty. Don't even bend freely so clearly I have to replace the back one. I got the part number 279 off of the existing one. As above, is this number still good? Also, they seem to have the suffix "X" on the part numbers for the ones that I've seen. Do I care?
4) Last, there are heavy duty end caps on my half shaft U-Joints. Why is there no such thing for drive shafts? The greater speed at which they turn? Just curious.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
i don't know if there is a "direction" for the propeller shaft, but when you have it balanced be sure to have it done with the yoke and mark the orientation of the shaft and yoke.
i'm taking a wild guess, but there's less torque on the propeller than the half shafts, so gm saved a few $ by not using the cast caps.
i'm taking a wild guess, but there's less torque on the propeller than the half shafts, so gm saved a few $ by not using the cast caps.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,995
Likes: 110
From: Garland Texas
1. Nope, no front or back on a corvette driveshaft. But like jnb said, have it balanced with the slip yoke you are using and mark it.
2. It depends on which slip yoke you use. You need to know if it is a 1310, 1330, or 3R.
3. The rear u-joint is a 1330. The new part number is 5-1330X.
4. When GM went to the strap style in 71, 68 for automatics, they recessed the joint into the flange. The straps don't carry any loading, they just hold it in place. Only big blocks had the caps on the halfshafts except for '73-early 75. Those all got the HD caps, don't know why.
Mike
2. It depends on which slip yoke you use. You need to know if it is a 1310, 1330, or 3R.
3. The rear u-joint is a 1330. The new part number is 5-1330X.
4. When GM went to the strap style in 71, 68 for automatics, they recessed the joint into the flange. The straps don't carry any loading, they just hold it in place. Only big blocks had the caps on the halfshafts except for '73-early 75. Those all got the HD caps, don't know why.
Mike
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,686
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
I took my drive shaft and yoke to the closest non-chain type parts store and had them replaced both universals. Everything was a bolt on direct fit including the trans mount. Back when I did mine they did not have a TV cable hook up that fit the Holley carb I was using so I had to make my own.
I did add a trans cooler later.
First I put in a toggle switch to lock/unlock the convertor but later I installed a B&M controller and made it hands free.
This is by far the best mod you can do to your Corvette. You are going to love it.
I did add a trans cooler later.
First I put in a toggle switch to lock/unlock the convertor but later I installed a B&M controller and made it hands free.
This is by far the best mod you can do to your Corvette. You are going to love it.
Last edited by redwingvette; Feb 20, 2012 at 09:12 AM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 278
Likes: 5
From: illinois
I took a driveshaft, yoke, u-joint to a local shop that does commerical trucks. they did a teriffic job on the balancing I could tell the difference (no shimmy).
Also, keep us informed on the 200r installation.I'm thinking I'll do this also at some later date. I got a quote from a vendor for $2000+ much more than $1500 I had in mine. the transmission price was 1100 I believe but the add-on and shipping was to much at this time. I'll need to save many more beer cans. thanks Mike
Also, keep us informed on the 200r installation.I'm thinking I'll do this also at some later date. I got a quote from a vendor for $2000+ much more than $1500 I had in mine. the transmission price was 1100 I believe but the add-on and shipping was to much at this time. I'll need to save many more beer cans. thanks Mike
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,707
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Dang, that's embarasing 
Misquoted you completely AND got your handle wrong too.
Thanks all. I now know more about U-joints than I ever thought existed.
I emailed GTR in the meantime who confirmed what Mike said. I also saw another post from Mike that confirmed that there is no zerkless version of the conversion U-joint:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...10-1330-a.html
I must say, I don't see the logic behind HD caps on the half shafts and not on the drive shaft. Presumably the torque load is greater on the half shafts due to gear reduction but it would seem to me that they just changed the likely failure point to the driveshaft. Maybe they assumed this would be safer than having a half shaft fail?
For those that are interested, the Spicer part numbers (for my setup at least) are:
Front (conversion): 5-134X
Rear: 5-1330X (per Mike too
)
Misquoted you completely AND got your handle wrong too.Thanks all. I now know more about U-joints than I ever thought existed.
I emailed GTR in the meantime who confirmed what Mike said. I also saw another post from Mike that confirmed that there is no zerkless version of the conversion U-joint:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...10-1330-a.html
I must say, I don't see the logic behind HD caps on the half shafts and not on the drive shaft. Presumably the torque load is greater on the half shafts due to gear reduction but it would seem to me that they just changed the likely failure point to the driveshaft. Maybe they assumed this would be safer than having a half shaft fail?
For those that are interested, the Spicer part numbers (for my setup at least) are:
Front (conversion): 5-134X
Rear: 5-1330X (per Mike too
)
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 558
From: Seattle Washington
I'm Marine Engineer. The faster You spin a Shaft the more torque you can apply to it. If we re power a Boat with a faster turning engine we can increase the power and keep the existing shafting. Figureing the Rear end has at least 3 to 1 Reduction the Driveline can be considerbly lighter duty than the 1/2 shafts. One other oddity is that a hollow shaft like a pipe or tube can handle more torque than a solid shaft. Go figure.
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