Car was a 2 speed and now has a TH350. If you've done this did you shorten the drive shaft?. I've got about 5/8" of slip and driveline shop says 1" is preferred. Any opinions guys? This pic is "weight on wheels".
Weight on the wheels is the longest it will be in an A-body. If you jack it up, can you get the drive shaft out? If not, it is too long.
Load up the trunk and get the rear suspension fully compressed (bottomed out) and see what you have. That might be fine, but you do not want the yoke fully pushed in and hove no more ability to move, before the limit of the suspension being compressed is reached. Or you will do serious damage to the gear train. Fully compressed, the yoke is plunged deeper pulled out. With suspension "hanging", the yoke is pulled out plunged deeper. edited because I am old and my brain gets stuff backwards anymore. I don't know whether to blind, or go sh*t...
Careful, that may be reversed due to rear control (trailing) arm geometry. To be sure, both full compression and full rebound should be checked. Got fooled by this before. Devon
With suspension at full droop the day prior it was bottomed out against the trans. Today on a drive on lift it was out about 5/8" extended. No interior, just a single bucket seat.
Yeah. I always do full travel both "compressed" and "hanging", to make sure I have enough travel and never hit interference. And I always double check (or more), the drive train geometry for correct driveline angles.
Brought it home this morning. First time driving it since I bought it 13 months ago. I'll finish putting it together then take a measurement with the full weight of the vehicle. Hood is off too. Thanks again for the input guys.
I don't think so. On a full-frame A-body with 4-link rear suspension, dropped is the shortest and flat level is longest. When I had my drive shaft shortened, I couldn't get it out on the lift. I had to set it on the ground and jack up the rear end on the center of the differential to get it out. What you say is backwards unless you are talking about a leaf spring rear end, which is longest at full drop.
My experience to date, is the 200 and 350 can use the same drive shaft. Probably by design. The shift linkage often varies. I have even done a few TH400 conversions, and by using the shortest yoke, always used the same drive shaft. Support moved, but same linkage as TH350. Bruce Roe
On the frame lift, suspension full droop, the driveshaft was flush against the tail housing. I took that pic on the drive on lift with 90-95% of the cars full weight. I have a ton of things to do before cruising it so we'll see when it's ready for the road. Appreciate everyone's info.
Not the same but my factory 4-speed 350 GS had a really tight drive shaft from the factory. I had to jack the rear to get the drive shaft to drop out. It wasn't bottoming out but you couldn't remove it with the rear dropped. I had 1/2" cut out of it to get the clearance it needed. Before shortening with old yoke: After shortening with new yoke at full drop:
knucklbusted, thanks that's were I want to end up. Just a bit more clearance. When I pulled my trans I had no issue pulling the driveshaft and wish I noticed then what the gap was.
