Double Cardan Joint: Is there a better way?

[MylesNT]

I've rebuilt this thing twice and it just came apart again the other day. I guess I'm not smart enough to pull this job off, so I was thinking, is there a better way? Has technology improved enough over the years to see some kind of replacement for the double cardan? What about a driveshaft out of another vehicle? Will anything work, even if it needs modification? There's a local driveshaft shop who does good work.

Google says no, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

If not, I'll just have the shop rebuild it this time. I'm tired of ******* with it.

Thanks.

 

[nvrenuf]

Sometimes a single joint will do fine, it just depends on what you’re working on / driveshaft angle / willingness to spend money.

 

[MylesNT]

Sometimes a single joint will do fine, it just depends on what you’re working on / driveshaft angle / willingness to spend money.

I would think a single joint would be fine. The truck has 33s on it with an unknown dump truck helper spring under the front for lift. It doesn’t seem to have a very extreme angle or anything. It’s a farm truck so it will see a fair amount of mud but I won’t be flexing over rocks. I’m not concerned with gas mileage, and I can spend a little money.

Would a single joint be a matter of another model/year of truck shaft or are we talking a custom job? I don’t mind spending money, but I’d like to stay reasonable. If the shop could replace all the U joints and cardan for $200 but going to a single would cost me $400, I’d probably just rebuild the cardan. Are there any disadvantages or possible problems with going to a single?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[77 K20]

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http://www.4xshaft.com/

Tom Wood's driveshaft company has quite a bit of info on their website. They built my front and rear driveshafts.

 

[nvrenuf]

You'd likely need to swap the transfer case front output flange to a yoke, this would be +/- $100 by itself. You could take a front driveshaft like your current one and replace the double cardan with a single joint yoke, probably another $100. The trick will be length since the double cardan is about 6"-7" long you'd likely lose around 5" going to a regular yoke, this might make your existing shaft too short. You could retube your shaft or hunt for one that's a workable length (or even too long to cut down).

1310 and 1410 u-joints have greater operating angles than a 1350 so think about this when you gather parts.

 

[nvrenuf]

I just noticed you're from Ala, what part of the state? I'm down close to the bottom.

 

[ajd89]

Ive read that a front shaft out of a mid 2000 dodge 3/4 ton will bolt up to the tcase then you have to get it cut for length. They are double carden but i cant remember why people did the swap maybe better ujoints in them?

Edit post #15
https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/1977-k10-beater.13672/#post-283292

 

[shiftpro]

I've rebuilt this thing twice and it just came apart again the other day. I guess I'm not smart enough to pull this job off, so I was thinking, is there a better way? Has technology improved enough over the years to see some kind of replacement for the double cardan? What about a driveshaft out of another vehicle? Will anything work, even if it needs modification? There's a local driveshaft shop who does good work.

Google says no, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

If not, I'll just have the shop rebuild it this time. I'm tired of ******* with it.

Thanks.

The only reason I can think of that your joint is blowing apart is pilot error... like not getting the clips all the way in. Maybe there is some crap left inside the clip rings that isn't allowing the clip to seat all the way. Lots of these trucks running around with 150,000 miles+ still on the original cardan joint. I'm not saying thee is no room for improvement, just that it is a solid design.

 

[Keith Seymore]

I've rebuilt this thing twice and it just came apart again the other day. I guess I'm not smart enough to pull this job off, so I was thinking, is there a better way? Has technology improved enough over the years to see some kind of replacement for the double cardan? What about a driveshaft out of another vehicle? Will anything work, even if it needs modification? There's a local driveshaft shop who does good work.

Google says no, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

If not, I'll just have the shop rebuild it this time. I'm tired of ******* with it.

Thanks.

Constant Velocity join.

Discussion from another forum:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=765339&highlight=vibration

 

[MylesNT]

Tom Wood's driveshaft company has quite a bit of info on their website. They built my front and rear driveshafts.

I've heard good things from there before. I see they have one to replace mine.

You'd likely need to swap the transfer case front output flange to a yoke, this would be +/- $100 by itself. You could take a front driveshaft like your current one and replace the double cardan with a single joint yoke, probably another $100. The trick will be length since the double cardan is about 6"-7" long you'd likely lose around 5" going to a regular yoke, this might make your existing shaft too short. You could retube your shaft or hunt for one that's a workable length (or even too long to cut down).

1310 and 1410 u-joints have greater operating angles than a 1350 so think about this when you gather parts.

So based on the info posted by @77 K20, swapping to a single joint would also require adjusting the pinion angle to match. That might be a little more than I bargained for. All that stuff is pretty rusted up, getting it apart would be a pain, much less getting the angle right.

I just noticed you're from Ala, what part of the state? I'm down close to the bottom.

I'm in North Alabama. Moulton, about 25 miles from Decatur.

Ive read that a front shaft out of a mid 2000 dodge 3/4 ton will bolt up to the tcase then you have to get it cut for length. They are double carden but i cant remember why people did the swap maybe better ujoints in them?

Edit post #15
https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/1977-k10-beater.13672/#post-283292

Seems they were using the added length for the lift, as well as the upgraded u joints

The only reason I can think of that your joint is blowing apart is pilot error... like not getting the clips all the way in. Maybe there is some crap left inside the clip rings that isn't allowing the clip to seat all the way. Lots of these trucks running around with 150,000 miles+ still on the original cardan joint. I'm not saying thee is no room for improvement, just that it is a solid design.

Oh no doubt. The first time I put it together I just flat out did it wrong. The second time I thought it was right, but here we are 1k miles later and it's apart again. I thought if I could find an upgrade that I could swap in, I would. Otherwise, I'll just have the shop do it. I've cursed and sweated over it enough. It never fails, I'll drop a bearing cap and then the needle bearings are everywhere.

Constant Velocity join.

Discussion from another forum:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=765339&highlight=vibration

I was hoping for something like this, but their site doesn't show any truck options.

It looks like unless I do something pretty custom, I'm stuck with the Double Cardan. Tom's has one for $369, so I'll have to call the driveshaft shop and see what an overhaul will run me. Thanks for the replies and info.