3.5 Lift & Stock Driveshaft's.

[chrism202]

Can anyone tell me if my stock driveshaft's will work with a 3.5 inch suspension lift or will they need to be lengthened? Or do I potentially need to purchase new ones? I do not plan on any hard four wheeling but at the same time I don't want to have any problems in the future.

Thank you all in advance,

Chris Meyer
MX Aircraft

 

[CJ who???]

I installed a 3.5" Wild Horses suspension lift on mine over 10 years ago and have had no issues using the stock length drive shafts. i can see on the rear drive shaft at the slip joint, that it has move out about 1 inch from the old slip joint wear mark from when it was stock.

Others might have different results than myself.

Always a good idea to replace all of the u-joints in both shafts if they are not new.

 

[Action]

stock

I ran 3 1/2" with stock shafts for about 20 years but not much wheeling. All was good. I now have a Tom Woods.
Jack

 

[Broncorex]

Can anyone tell me if my stock driveshaft's will work with a 3.5 inch suspension lift or will they need to be lengthened? Or do I potentially need to purchase new ones? I do not plan on any hard four wheeling but at the same time I don't want to have any problems in the future.

Thank you all in advance,

Chris Meyer
MX Aircraft

You have several choices but to answer your question directly, your stock shafts will not work as they will simply be too short for the suspension movement. Some thoughts:
1) Shaft tubes can be lengthened but still costly
2) Rear axle should be shimmed for better angle
3) Good time to upgrade u joints to heavier duty Spicers
4) Maybe smaller diameter tubes with thicker walls for same strength
5) Upgrade t-case output shaft

Bueller????

 

[turbotim2]

I have a 3.5" lift and the front shaft is fine, rear was too short.

 

[Hovtherid]

I have 3.5 and have had no issues even with light wheeling

 

[BroncoDawg]

Depends on how much wheeling you will do? 3.5 lift doesn't mean 3.5 " change in shaft length so as you've read, some have no trouble, but if flexing out your rig wheeling good idea to have the center tube lengthened. If splines are good, no need for new shaft and much cheaper to have shop just lengthen the shaft. Should only be about $100 to lenthen.
Replace the ujoints because they have "broken in" cycling one amount and the lift will change that and they will likely fail sooner because of it.

 

[Skiddy]

I have a 3.5" lift and the front shaft is fine, rear was too short.

same here drive shaft fell out right after i went about 20 yards. 3.5" are strange some don't need extended and some do.

 

[turbotim2]

same here drive shaft fell out right after i went about 20 yards. 3.5" are strange some don't need extended and some do.

Mine is about an inch short of even bolting up the the axle at full extension.

 

[chrism202]

Thank you all for the information. Sounds like it may be a good idea to wait till I'm a bit further with the rebuild before I begin messing with the driveshafts. I was just looking for something to do while I wait for the body and chassis to be returned from the resto shop. Seems I should install the lift then determine if any driveshaft mods are necessary?

Thank you all.

Chris

 

[turbotim2]

Yes, wait until you get all of the wieght back on it. Probably should be one of the last things you do.

 

[chrism202]

WIll do! Thanks for the help.
CM

 

[JefeAZ]

Im gonna have to check mine. 3.5" rear SL with 2 leafs removed, 2.5" front SL and 1" body lift on my EB. Front d/s is out. Good point on the weight to be added. Gonna have to get my bumpers and tire on before I decide to lift the front another inch. PO did all the work on mine so Ill have to check

 

[samamarshall]

Same here as some others - Installed a 3.5" wildhorses lift with 11-pack rear leaf springs about 15 years ago, drove it around as a stupid teenager tearing up mud holes, peoples yards, creeks, no major 'crawling' though. Didn't have any shaft length issues (insert dirty joke here).

My CV joint went out a year or two later and the rear ds was replaced with a James Duff standard replacement - no issues since.

 

[Pcparas]

When I lifted my Bronco 3.5" the rear drive shaft was not long enough and the front was extended all the way to its limit.

 

[GloNDark]

I just put a 3.5" lift on my 73, Actually 3.5" Wildhorse coils in the front and 4.5" leaves in the back.

Both of my driveshafts bolted up with no issues. Even with light wheeling out to my fishing spots I haven't had a problem yet. I've got some fresh spicer ujoints and some CV rebuild kits that i'm putting in this weekend, i'll post up if I find anything weird when i take it apart. But my feeling is, it's hit or miss with the driveshafts. This truck needed no mods, my last bronco a 69 need the rear lengthened.

 

[bluesbish]

I have seen the rear shafts be ok for the most part with that much lift but also seen them seperate under hard braking and soft springs.

 

[dirtslinger]

GloNdark

What size are those tires? Nice looking rig!

 

[dirtslinger]

OK, I'm gonna ad a litte question here because I'm interested in this same issue.

I'm thinking about putting 4.5's on the front and 3.5's on the rear, It already has a lift on it, I'm guessing around a 3.5" old Rancho, but I want to run 35's and not have it ride like a tank. I'm not sure if my drive shaft is stock or not. Is there anyway to tell? It sounds like with the front I'm probably gonna have to lengthen them.

 

[GloNDark]

GloNdark

What size are those tires? Nice looking rig!

Thanks man! Those are 33x12.50x15 Goodyear duratracks, I'm pretty stoked with thy stance of it.