sodapop
11-24-2007, 04:02 PM
So, you think want one of these...
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_0313.jpg
Not as refined as Marv's round style shaft but if the application fits use it! Here's the logic and build of my square front.
I had a catastrophic failure of my front driveshaft a few months ago at a local rock comp. Carnage pics:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/BrokenDriveshaft.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1402.jpg
Because I'm cheap, I didn't want to drop a load on a new front, long travel driveshaft. A new regular travel DS is around $250 and a new long travel DS is more like $350 (Prices in you locations may vary of course). The one above was pretty toasted and was going to need to be retubed plus a new slip, so rebuilding was basically a no go. The failure was due to the slip pulling apart rotating slightly and then trying to fit it self back together. Those french fry looking things are splines...
I've been reading about square DS quite a bit on Pirate4x4 and a few other places and thought it might do the trick. They've been around along time but have been mostly used for agricultural and PTO applications.
Square Pros:
- Super strong when built right
- Super cheap
- Easy to make and fix
- The slip can be as long as you want basically
Square Cons:
- Can't easily balance them
I've got lockouts, so it doesn't spin when I'm in 2WD. When I'm locked, I'm not worried about vibes and they aren't that bad anyway.
- They are VERY heavy in the DS world of things
My jeep's not a weight wienie. By the time you add rocker guards, big tires, roll cages, the DS weight becomes pretty moot.
- If you were for some reason sitting on the DS and trying to drive, it wouldn't spin smoothly, it'd bounce.
I don't think this is an issue, this was one online concern someone had but in my opinion, I'd rather it bounce. If you got that much weight on a reg. DS, it's prolly cave after a bit anyway and then it would frag itself.
Materials needed:
- you're old driveshaft to salvage the yokes from or new yokes if you prefer.
Cost = Free
- 2"x2"x0.25" square tube (you length may vary - for instance, RoxYJ's was really short but mine was very long.)
Cost = I bought 2.5 feet new for about $10
- 2.5"x2.5"x0.25" square tube (again length my vary)
I bought 2.5 feet new for about $20
- grinder w/ cut off disk and/or grinding wheels
- welder (a good one, 110's need not apply cuz it's gotta penetrate good on quarter wall)
- Drill (optional)
- grease zerks (optional)
Cost = $5
- Tap set (optional)
- 2 new spicer 1310 u-joints (I suppose you could use Brute Farce or Neapco's but Spicer's aren't much more.)
Cost = $25 - $35, varies
- 2 sets of new u-joints straps (Dont' be a cheap a$$, these sare things that can and do stretch, keep your old ones for spares.)
Cost = $12
- Small scrap piece of steel plate that is at least 2"x2"
Cost = Free
Building:
Step 1: grind the t-case side yoke off your old shaft. You'll notice that the weld is at the end of the tube. There is about .75" of the yoke that slips into the DS tube. You want this "slip in" part still there. The other yoke is a one piece portion of the slip yoke. I left it as seen in the above pictures until step 2.
Step 2: Square off the the t-case yoke slip in part so that it fits into the 2x2x0.25 tube. Square off the axle end to fit in the 2x2 as well. I made both of my yokes fit the 2" tubing on purpose even though one will eventually have the 2.5" tube on it. it should look something like this (note: these are not my yokes but ones from another person's build. Mine looked very similar other than my axle end yoke had more of the slip left on it).
Axle end style
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_0310.jpg
t-case style
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/square1.jpg
Step 3: Because regular square stock has the welded seam on the inside and we intend to have the 2" slide into the 2.5" you'll need to grind a shallow channel in the 2x2 tube that matched the seam. I choose to make my channel on a non seam side, I suggest you do the same. I've heard of the seam splitting when it's been weakened. I made my channel wide enough so that the 2 pices would slide together either way. It will look like this:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1561.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1560.jpg
If you would rather not grind this channel in, you could also buy "Flash out" 2.5x2.5 tube but it's way more costly - some will refer to this as receiver stock. Some trailer supplies will have it but I was quite $109 for a 3 foot piece (they wouldn't do 2.5')
Step 4: Cut a short chunk of the 2x2x0.25 tube. 2-4" should be more than sufficient. Weld this to the yoke that attaches to the transfer case. This short piece is going to act like a reducer for 2.5" tube.
Step 5: Slide the yoke with the short extension (t-case) into the 2.5" tube and weld it in. I'm too lazy to pull my DS out to get a good pic of this, so this'll have to do - It'll sort of give you an idea of how it gets radically smaller.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1556.jpg
Step 6: Slide the remaining chunk of 2" tube (a little over 2 feet) over the axle side yoke. Because this yoke allows the tube to go all the way to the ears of the yoke, I also ground a couple shallow flat spots onto the ears where the tube touches. This made it easier to square things up. here's a pic of that end finished.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1557.jpg
Step 7: Weld that small piece of plat over the end of the 2" tube to prevent it from filling with mud, silt, water, etc.
Step 8 (Optional): I also chose to put a pair of grease zerks into my 2.5" tube. I put the 2 zerks opposite of each other on the 2.5" tube about 6" up from the end. I lubed the 2" tube prior to slipping it together and then I shot some grease in it. I'm careful not to put in too much om because I don't want big globs falling on the ground when I'm wheelin". Tread lightly ya know...
I used this style zerk as it was the shortest
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/1095kp1s.gif
Step 9: Paint it up, let it dry,
Step 10: Install and test fit it. I immediately noticed that my skid plate was going to interfer. It actually had with my old shaft. I notched the skid plate and reinforced it with some 3/8" steel rod bent to match the notch and welded all around:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1551.jpg
I also noticed that there was going to be a good chance my down pipe from the header was going to be smacked at compression. I was fortunate and this did not happen other than the grease zerks hitting it and wearing a small groove in it (not all the way through) So you're mileage may vary. You could try and save some space by using 1.5"x1.5" inside of 2"x2" tube but I've seen pictures of those twisted split down the seam. I'd say make the 2 and 2.5 work.
My 2.5" tube was perfect. With it at 30" long (plus the yokes ~ 33" total) I had 4.5" of compression. For the 2" tube, I had cut 4" off for my reducer which left me with 26", minus the 4.5" of exposed 2" left me with 21.5" of extension. That a ridiculous about of extension so I hacked off about 10" to save some weight (about 5.5lbs worth).
Total compression = 4.5" at ride height
total extension = 11" at I'll never need this much slip as long as I'm running leaf springs height.
I'm very pleased with the outcome. It does it's job exactly as I wanted too. It vibrates very little and only makes some very minimal noise (clacking) when I have the hubs locked in and in 2wd or when moving at a decent clip and I let of the gas in 4wd. It's VERY quiet clacking though. It was super cheap at about $75 for a completely new driveshaft with new u-joints. If you went to the scrap yard you might find this tubing as scrape or cut offs for pennies on the dollar, which could save you quite a bit. My local scrap yard charges 20 cents per pound, which would work out to about $6.25. 2x2 is 5.4lb's per foot and 2.5x2.5 is 7.1lbs per foot.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_0313.jpg
Not as refined as Marv's round style shaft but if the application fits use it! Here's the logic and build of my square front.
I had a catastrophic failure of my front driveshaft a few months ago at a local rock comp. Carnage pics:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/BrokenDriveshaft.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1402.jpg
Because I'm cheap, I didn't want to drop a load on a new front, long travel driveshaft. A new regular travel DS is around $250 and a new long travel DS is more like $350 (Prices in you locations may vary of course). The one above was pretty toasted and was going to need to be retubed plus a new slip, so rebuilding was basically a no go. The failure was due to the slip pulling apart rotating slightly and then trying to fit it self back together. Those french fry looking things are splines...
I've been reading about square DS quite a bit on Pirate4x4 and a few other places and thought it might do the trick. They've been around along time but have been mostly used for agricultural and PTO applications.
Square Pros:
- Super strong when built right
- Super cheap
- Easy to make and fix
- The slip can be as long as you want basically
Square Cons:
- Can't easily balance them
I've got lockouts, so it doesn't spin when I'm in 2WD. When I'm locked, I'm not worried about vibes and they aren't that bad anyway.
- They are VERY heavy in the DS world of things
My jeep's not a weight wienie. By the time you add rocker guards, big tires, roll cages, the DS weight becomes pretty moot.
- If you were for some reason sitting on the DS and trying to drive, it wouldn't spin smoothly, it'd bounce.
I don't think this is an issue, this was one online concern someone had but in my opinion, I'd rather it bounce. If you got that much weight on a reg. DS, it's prolly cave after a bit anyway and then it would frag itself.
Materials needed:
- you're old driveshaft to salvage the yokes from or new yokes if you prefer.
Cost = Free
- 2"x2"x0.25" square tube (you length may vary - for instance, RoxYJ's was really short but mine was very long.)
Cost = I bought 2.5 feet new for about $10
- 2.5"x2.5"x0.25" square tube (again length my vary)
I bought 2.5 feet new for about $20
- grinder w/ cut off disk and/or grinding wheels
- welder (a good one, 110's need not apply cuz it's gotta penetrate good on quarter wall)
- Drill (optional)
- grease zerks (optional)
Cost = $5
- Tap set (optional)
- 2 new spicer 1310 u-joints (I suppose you could use Brute Farce or Neapco's but Spicer's aren't much more.)
Cost = $25 - $35, varies
- 2 sets of new u-joints straps (Dont' be a cheap a$$, these sare things that can and do stretch, keep your old ones for spares.)
Cost = $12
- Small scrap piece of steel plate that is at least 2"x2"
Cost = Free
Building:
Step 1: grind the t-case side yoke off your old shaft. You'll notice that the weld is at the end of the tube. There is about .75" of the yoke that slips into the DS tube. You want this "slip in" part still there. The other yoke is a one piece portion of the slip yoke. I left it as seen in the above pictures until step 2.
Step 2: Square off the the t-case yoke slip in part so that it fits into the 2x2x0.25 tube. Square off the axle end to fit in the 2x2 as well. I made both of my yokes fit the 2" tubing on purpose even though one will eventually have the 2.5" tube on it. it should look something like this (note: these are not my yokes but ones from another person's build. Mine looked very similar other than my axle end yoke had more of the slip left on it).
Axle end style
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_0310.jpg
t-case style
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/square1.jpg
Step 3: Because regular square stock has the welded seam on the inside and we intend to have the 2" slide into the 2.5" you'll need to grind a shallow channel in the 2x2 tube that matched the seam. I choose to make my channel on a non seam side, I suggest you do the same. I've heard of the seam splitting when it's been weakened. I made my channel wide enough so that the 2 pices would slide together either way. It will look like this:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1561.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1560.jpg
If you would rather not grind this channel in, you could also buy "Flash out" 2.5x2.5 tube but it's way more costly - some will refer to this as receiver stock. Some trailer supplies will have it but I was quite $109 for a 3 foot piece (they wouldn't do 2.5')
Step 4: Cut a short chunk of the 2x2x0.25 tube. 2-4" should be more than sufficient. Weld this to the yoke that attaches to the transfer case. This short piece is going to act like a reducer for 2.5" tube.
Step 5: Slide the yoke with the short extension (t-case) into the 2.5" tube and weld it in. I'm too lazy to pull my DS out to get a good pic of this, so this'll have to do - It'll sort of give you an idea of how it gets radically smaller.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1556.jpg
Step 6: Slide the remaining chunk of 2" tube (a little over 2 feet) over the axle side yoke. Because this yoke allows the tube to go all the way to the ears of the yoke, I also ground a couple shallow flat spots onto the ears where the tube touches. This made it easier to square things up. here's a pic of that end finished.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1557.jpg
Step 7: Weld that small piece of plat over the end of the 2" tube to prevent it from filling with mud, silt, water, etc.
Step 8 (Optional): I also chose to put a pair of grease zerks into my 2.5" tube. I put the 2 zerks opposite of each other on the 2.5" tube about 6" up from the end. I lubed the 2" tube prior to slipping it together and then I shot some grease in it. I'm careful not to put in too much om because I don't want big globs falling on the ground when I'm wheelin". Tread lightly ya know...
I used this style zerk as it was the shortest
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/1095kp1s.gif
Step 9: Paint it up, let it dry,
Step 10: Install and test fit it. I immediately noticed that my skid plate was going to interfer. It actually had with my old shaft. I notched the skid plate and reinforced it with some 3/8" steel rod bent to match the notch and welded all around:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/sodapop_yj/Square%20Driveshaft/100_1551.jpg
I also noticed that there was going to be a good chance my down pipe from the header was going to be smacked at compression. I was fortunate and this did not happen other than the grease zerks hitting it and wearing a small groove in it (not all the way through) So you're mileage may vary. You could try and save some space by using 1.5"x1.5" inside of 2"x2" tube but I've seen pictures of those twisted split down the seam. I'd say make the 2 and 2.5 work.
My 2.5" tube was perfect. With it at 30" long (plus the yokes ~ 33" total) I had 4.5" of compression. For the 2" tube, I had cut 4" off for my reducer which left me with 26", minus the 4.5" of exposed 2" left me with 21.5" of extension. That a ridiculous about of extension so I hacked off about 10" to save some weight (about 5.5lbs worth).
Total compression = 4.5" at ride height
total extension = 11" at I'll never need this much slip as long as I'm running leaf springs height.
I'm very pleased with the outcome. It does it's job exactly as I wanted too. It vibrates very little and only makes some very minimal noise (clacking) when I have the hubs locked in and in 2wd or when moving at a decent clip and I let of the gas in 4wd. It's VERY quiet clacking though. It was super cheap at about $75 for a completely new driveshaft with new u-joints. If you went to the scrap yard you might find this tubing as scrape or cut offs for pennies on the dollar, which could save you quite a bit. My local scrap yard charges 20 cents per pound, which would work out to about $6.25. 2x2 is 5.4lb's per foot and 2.5x2.5 is 7.1lbs per foot.