So years ago I successfully converted my 96 1500 5.9 gas 4wd to an NV3500. Got lucky that truck was ext cab short bed 4wd, the 46RE and NV3500 were within 1/4in difference in length, stock front and rear shafts bolted up and worked great. Now I've got my 1997 1500 5.2 2wd that I've got a 2wd NV3500 for. Unfortunately this time being 2wd, the NV3500 is about 5ish inches shorter than the 46RE. (2wd 46RE is about 37 1/2 bellhousing to tailshaft. The NV3500 is about 32 3/4 bellhousing to tailshaft.) This truck is a single cab, long bed (135" WB), one piece aluminum shaft, measuring about 66 1/2in. From what I can tell, the single cab long bed v8 2wd manual trans truck from the factory was a 2 piece shaft. Basically I'm looking for input hopefully from others that have ran into this or done the swap. Not sure if I should have a custom one piece shaft made, or if that would be too long. Another option I can think of is getting a boneyard 2wd shaft from an ext cab long bed, assuming the plan being the end of the shaft from the support bearing to the axle will be the same, the front of the 2 piece would be too long for me which I can have cut down to length. Unless by some miracle I can find the exact shaft out of a single cab long bed 2wd V8 manual that I need lol. Any input greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

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