Topic: Ag spline vs square tube driveshafts

[jrock]

I'm looking to replace my square tube driveshaft and I am wondering if agriculture splines driveshafts have less slop? Will they hold up to offroading? And does anyone have some pictures?

[4RunnerChevy]

Ag works been using this shaft for years. 

[hilux-1983]

Nice, where'd you have it made and what did it cost ya?

[jrock [OP]]

That looks awesome bu that looks a bit different than the stuff I've seen. The stuff I was going to use has the ridges in the tube that match the splines.

[4RunnerChevy]

That was 20 bucks for the male 10" spline and 10 bucks for the matching female spline.  The tube is from work and the press fit is from Mr. lathe, welding by me.  Paint, by Coors.

[lownlinked85]

is ag shaft too heavy maybe wear out joints cuz ive thaught about just taking a shaft off of a old sprayer we have and holy crap that thing weighs as much as my skid plat. Is there a certaing ag shaft that you got?

[BoG-ToY]

I think that is the point, I wouldnt worry too much about the weight, its heavy so you dont bust it.

as far as weight goes, when your in 2wd its just sitting there, when your in 4wd.... the torque load on the the u-joints far exceeds that of they weight of the shaft

[jrock [OP]]

A square DS is pretty heavy too. I think the vibs from the square would be worse than weight.

[SloCrawler]

I was geeting ready to build SD, want to see more about this

[TacoRunner]

AG splines are sloppy, you can not balance them. They're fine as a front shaft thats not seeing high speed.

[BoG-ToY]

from what Ive heard, the ag are less sloppy then the square by a long shot... but just hearsay as I havent mess around with them much

[Sleeve of Wizzard]

I went to Tracktor Supply in Clovis, Ca a while back but all the stuff they had was kinda pricey for something that I cant balance. I think it was $70 or $80 for the two pieces.  Where are you guys looking?

[TacoRunner]

I didnt say they were more slopy then a square shaft, I said they were slopy.

[BoG-ToY]

yeah I was thinking last time I looked it was pricey

[jrock [OP]]

I live near a farm and my neighbor said he will give me some. I haven't seen it yet but I'll get back on that.

Square don't balance at all and over two years it gets noticeably worse. It's also square and my truck bounces when its sitting on it.

[4RunnerChevy]

I can't say if a rear Ag spline driveline will balance, but my front did pretty well with no weights added.  I used a roller shaft balancer.  I also don't drive at 55 with my front shaft turning.

[BoG-ToY]

Yeah, I had an idea about making a square shaft not so sloppy if you trust your welding skills (gotta trust them a little if your going to build the shaft in the first place)

if you take your 2" and cut it with a sawsall in a criss cross pattern about six inches in, should look like four 1x1 peices of angle iron on the end... now make some tapered shims, slip the 2" inside the 2.5"  and wedge shims in till the 2" is snug, pull it out and weld it up (if its a little tight when your done you can grind it down some to make it snug)  now do the same thing to the 2.5 inch on the other end... cut it into angle iron on the end, use a hose clamp to tighten it down on the NORMAL end of the two inch, tack it GOOD, pull the hose clamp and weld it up.... 

slip the normal end of the 2" into the normal end of the 2.5 inch untill the come through the other side...... 

then weld on your yokes on the ends... ONLY DOWNSIDE IS, you cannot pull them apart when they are done. If you chose to just do the 2" with the hose clamp it will remove some slop, but could still modify for later use

[IronClad]

AG splines are sloppy, you can not balance them. They're fine as a front shaft thats not seeing high speed.

Yeah its not like jesse from high angle has been building drive shafts over the years with ag spline or anything....  You can balance it. Yes its sloppy but not bad.  lots of people have been running his long travel shafts for ever and seeing speeds very high.

[Slolyfe]

My front is PTO spline. Its worked great for the last 3 years. I would highly suggest it.

[TacoRunner]

Yeah its not like jesse from high angle has been building drive shafts over the years with ag spline or anything....  You can balance it. Yes its sloppy but not bad.  lots of people have been running his long travel shafts for ever and seeing speeds very high.

Ya I know right cause Jesse built mine, and I've been running it for 10 years. And no it does not balance. And just because you drive on it at high speeds dosn't mean its balanced. It just mean you drove on it.

[IronClad]

dont tell jesse then!

[Techtafab]

been running PTO spline on front shafts for over 9 years now and really could not tell you how many i have built the same way.
square drive shaft !! really, if thats all you can come up with you need to have it built for you

[jrock [OP]]

been running PTO spline on front shafts for over 9 years now and really could not tell you how many i have built the same way.
square drive shaft !! really, if thats all you can come up with you need to have it built for you

Square was and still is economical :p I built mine for $40 in college. Do you have a certain type of PTO spline that you use?

[Techtafab]

yep but i cant say what it is or it will get deleted
pm me and i will tell you !

[Sleeve of Wizzard]

I like secrets too, send me a pm

[81yotalove]

me 3 i want to make cheap front dshaft too!

[Techtafab]

i never said the pto shafts are cheaper then Sq.
i said if that all you can do

[jrock [OP]]

They are not cheaper but they are cheap.