Among other reasons..... having to deal with shops like the one you're ranting on and other people who "build driveshafts at work daily."

 

Yes, I work in a heavy truck shop. Yes we build driveshafts and pto shafts on a daily basis.
I personally don't but we have a guy here and its all he does eight hours a day.
I do take my own measurements for the shafts I need built when I'm stretching or shortening a truck or installing pneumatic blowers and oilfield pumps.
I may know something about this.
But hey, can't help some people.

 

What type of metal are you fabricating these driveshafts from?

 

i had an aluminum shaft made for $300 bucks. they couldn't do steel because it was to long, without being a 2 piece shaft...... slip yolk was from a 68 plymouth, and the rear yolk was out of a 92 dakota. did a v8 swap, used the 318 and 727 out of the car. stuck the slip yolk in, pulled it out an inch, and did my measurement, took it to the driveshaft place, told them what i had, and what i needed, and 3 days later i had a 4" aluminum driveshaft over 70 inches long....... it's a long bed dakota that was 4wd, and a 2wd trans from a fury, didn't want the weaknesses of a 2 piece shaft.

 

that's how you're supposed to do it. Put the slip yoke in, pull an inch, and measure eye to eye.

 

Here's how to measure. From Tom Woods.

 

Better off. That's major weight reduction. My QC's OEM shaft is aluminum.

 

That's strange my Dakota has a very long drive shaft and its metal? I want to swap it out for an aluminum one to help out with my 2.5 less spun weight.

 

my 01 is steel, i think in 02 or 03 they went to aluminum. A steel driveshaft will pretzel while an aluminum will shatter like glass.

 

I've heard the quad cabs come with aluminum shafts to reduce the weight created by extra doors and seats. Not sure if any other Dakotas have it. Regardless, my QC feels heavy. When moving off from a stop, the feeling of inertia that needs to be overcome is quite noticeable. I tested rolling in neutral many times to make sure my brakes weren't dragging, until I got used to it.