Author Topic: Square shaft build (Read 11799 times)

rockhound · « **on:** May 04, 2005, 06:16:44 PM »

Tired of losing the slip yoke. Building a square shaft. WT's was the first I ever heard of. I saw a couple at Jambo. I plan to shoot the build. If I can post pics, will do.
The upside down Runner has one.

rockhound · « **Reply #1 on:** May 04, 2005, 06:22:50 PM »

Misc. parts

oddball · « **Reply #2 on:** May 04, 2005, 06:24:41 PM »

Thats cool, there is also a whole faq on Pirate about square tube shafts

Duffil · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2005, 07:01:16 PM »

one of my jeep buddies runs square shafts...has built his own for like 20 years...they seem to hold up pretty well

rockhound · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2005, 07:12:17 PM »

I didn't know they've been around that long!
I wish I'd gone that route before building and modifying my front shaft to a tune of $400.
And last time out, I bent the long spline. So it's worhtless anyway.

Duffil · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2005, 07:17:26 PM »

well, he IS from louisiana....

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2005, 07:44:55 PM »

You can see how mine went together more or less in this pic. Ill build a long slip shaft out of AG shaft for the winter driving beings Ill drive my truck to work in the snow. The square shaft doesnt vibrate badly untill about 60 but Id rather have a smoother running round shaft for 100 miles of driving in 4hi....

MiniSimp · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2005, 08:47:10 PM »

This should give you an idea of what to do and what not to do
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90517

mr4x42u · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:09:54 AM »

here is another pic of mine..works awesome,,a little clank because of the tube,,but for the money I saved I can deal with a little noise..I run a cv at the end of mine,,it mates up real nice..just take your time doing it and try to get it as true as possible..

mr4x42u · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:17:20 AM »

Quote from: rockhound on May 04, 2005, 06:16:44 PM

Tired of losing the slip yoke. Building a square shaft. WT's was the first I ever heard of. I saw a couple at Jambo. I plan to shoot the build. If I can post pics, will do.
The upside down Runner has one.

In the 1st pic,,your problem is you don't have your springs clamped,,look at how your springs are,,look at your shackle angle,,Your front end is walking out from under your truck,,this has many problems for many reasons...

1) your springs will bend and kink,,possibly break
2)shackle could invert if spring gets bent from walking
3) your drive shaft will come apart as in your case,,
4) when you go to a square drive shaft the next thing will be the front u-joint..Now that the new shaft will have plenty of travel your alxe will keep walking out till the front yolk bottoms out causing a broken u-joint or broken yolk ears..

#4 happend to me untill i added 4$ wort of spring clamps,,and now the problem is gone and it has not limited flax at all..It also helped take some axle wrap out of the front..

91 super yoda · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2005, 06:48:03 AM »

what size tubing would you use to build one?

oddball · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2005, 08:06:13 AM »

You can use 2.5" 1/4" wall outer 2.0" 1/4" inner, its up to you how long you want it,,,,,search the Square shaft faq on Pirate

MiniSimp · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2005, 08:44:25 AM »

Ok, found a good write up on how to build one

http://infohost.nmt.edu/~jscarbro/driveshaft.htm

gonzo · « **Reply #13 on:** May 05, 2005, 09:08:01 AM »

This is an excellent idea! A square, easy to make, cheap front drive shaft.......hmmm...I like it.

rockhound · « **Reply #14 on:** May 05, 2005, 09:17:31 AM »

You're right about the springs, but I wonder about the droop if I clamp the springs. Where can I get spring clamps for $4?
I found out what great rock anchors single unclamped leafs are in front or behind an obstacle.
I'm running rears up front with banana shackles. Not worried about inversion.
I plan to use 1 1/2" and 2". I have 2" and 2 1/2 ' but I want to go slimmer and lighter. I plan on using U-joints at both ends from an '85.
I think my stock CV could be limiting travel? I would like to use it at the rear driveshaft.
Great link Minisimp

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #15 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:15:25 PM »

Yes the cv will limit travel in extreme cases. It'd take a helluva lotta travel to biund it up but it is possible. The spring clamps would be easy to find at a trailer shop. They are just a small square u-bolt with a flat bar between the ends.

unclejpl4x4 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2005, 02:22:09 PM »

I can understand if U have some square stock laying around and say hay think i'll build my self a cheap non-balanced shaft for the trail. But i don't see how it can be better well being all that power you are forcing down the shaft is focusing on the end corners and not being distributed equally threw the whole shaft like a round one

rockhound · « **Reply #17 on:** May 05, 2005, 02:34:30 PM »

I see the benefit being cost,primarily. With a long, (20 yrs of functionality), record of being used on trail rigs, I'm not worried about failure.
Worst case, build another. Vibration not a factor at crawling speeds. Who locks 'em in on the freeway?
I know, it's redneck. I thought the same thing too. I'm not putting one of those on my truck.
Now I'm convinced, for the use this truck is built, It's perfect.

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #18 on:** May 05, 2005, 03:19:57 PM »

Hmm lemme think, a square shaft even if you were to buy DOM tubing and have it proffessionally built my a fab shop would run at the max $250 and can be made to have as much travel as you need plus some. Basically the length of the driveline limist the travel available. I just built one last weekend for a single cased truck and ended up with 9" of travel and cost $15. Just the 8" slip for a yota driveline costs $180 plus shipping then most people just take it to a driveline shop whick will cost ya another$50-150 to have it built. So what was the downside again??

MiniSimp · « **Reply #19 on:** May 05, 2005, 03:23:42 PM »

Quote from: WHITE_TRASH on May 05, 2005, 03:19:57 PM

So what was the downside again??

There is a downside? Oh yeah, I forgot, bad for desert racing!

rockhound · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2005, 05:08:01 PM »

desert racing.

uncljpl4x4, its not just the end corners of the shaft taking the torque, the whole length of tube in tube is taking equal distribution of torque.

Bend a thin wall stock driveshaft and twist it like a charro, churro?You know. Even .188 wall round tube has the potential to twist. Square tube won't. Well at least not at the same torque value.

:
Bend a sqaure shaft, yea right!, and keep going. 1/4" thick wall, doubled!
C'mon, no debate. Sorry, doubting Thomas's, i'm convinced. And I haven't even made one yet.

unclejpl4x4 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 05, 2005, 05:58:47 PM »

Duffil · « **Reply #22 on:** May 05, 2005, 07:33:58 PM »

as long as time and care are taken when positioning the yokes on the tube, it really doesn't vibrate bad, even at highway speed...in a jeep anyway...my buddy runs homemade square shafts front AND rear...but i guess 13 inches really couldn't vibrate terribly...i rode in this thing to the Con from here and it rode good.
sorry for rambling...

rockhound · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2005, 07:50:18 PM »

looks like the majority run 2" and 2 1/2 " tube. WT, any problems with your setup?

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2005, 07:56:42 PM »

Nope just a lighter shaft and smaller diameter to avoid hitting eveything with it. Cheaper too.

rockhound · « **Reply #25 on:** May 05, 2005, 08:07:11 PM »

that's what I thought

Ramrod · « **Reply #26 on:** May 06, 2005, 02:27:09 PM »

I run a square drive shaft in the front of my truck. The best way to do it is to use a cv from an 85 or older truck and the yoke from a 86 and newer. You do this because the older yoke is stronger and has more travel and the newer yoke is the same. I will post pics of the yoke difference and possibly the a picture of the older yoke I tried to use on mine.

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #27 on:** May 06, 2005, 03:59:36 PM »

Firts gens havent got much more available angularity than an ifs cv. I dont use a cv joint in my front shafts if I can help it at all. I use a cv in the fear and straight u-joints on both onds of the front shaft. The first gen yokes have very little available angularity and there isnt enough meat on them to clearance them to have much travel.

mxpro_156 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 06, 2005, 04:55:17 PM »

Is it just me or is every pic of a square shaft on something that was flipped?...

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #29 on:** May 06, 2005, 04:57:50 PM »

LOL yea when your not affraid of your sissy round/ expensive front shaft getting bent or pulling apart your not affraid to push it a bit more than the average joe....

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