Whats the going rate for shortening a driveshaft? I think I got....shafted

[Elliot W]

WARNING: Partial Rant

I'm putting together an LS with a 5 speed trans (NV3500) 2WD in a SWB. The truck did not come with a driveshaft/drivetrain when I got it. I found an S10 NV3500 on craigslist. The guy sold me an aluminum driveshaft for $25 too that I knew I'd have to shorten. I installed the trans and got the shaft shorten by a local machine shop for $95 but they could not balance it as they aren't a driveshaft shop. Sounded all like a good deal until the transmission turned out to be junk. I found another NV3500 from a Sierra and went to put it in. I knew the s10 trans had different gearing than the 1/2 truck transmissions, but I did not know the 1/2 trans was almost 2 inches shorted than the s10 trans, or that it took a different slip yoke, or that the shifter location is in a different location (I know, I'm amateur)....I now needed a longer driveshaft. Looking online, a new custom shaft would be about $500, so I thought I could do better getting one used and shortening it. Maybe I'd get lucky and find one the right length and with the right slip yoke at the junk yard. Not so lucky, but I found one I could shorten, and this one didn't have the dumb nylon u joint clips the first one had. I paid $75 for the shaft. Then I bought the slip yoke online for $80. I took the shaft to a driveshaft shop (now there is a local one where I moved to). They charged $300 for shortening it, adding 2 u joints, and balancing. Seems high to me, but if you can't tell already, I'm building blind over here. To be fair, if someone gave me $300, its not like I could shorten a shaft. Plus, they seemed to have done a nice job and even polished this thing. Its the shiniest part on the truck. Photos include the shaft next to the older shaft thats too short for reference.

Apologies for the rant. But did I get taken for a ride or is that price reasonable?

Thanks for listening/reading.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[WP29P4A]

I just paid $120 to have mine balanced, so $300 for shortening, u-joints and balancing seems about right. I somehow managed to toss one of the weights the first time out and they re-balanced it again under warranty.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Sounds on par.

 

[scrap--metal]

Last year I was quoted $240 - $280 JUST IN LABOR to cut, shorten/lengthen, and balance a driveshaft. No U-joints, no slip yoke, and no new tube itself. I wasn't going to pay that, so I found a NOS driveshaft on eBay and had it shipped to my door for just under $200.

You did fine for $300.

 

[Originalthor]

Thats a good price. I've paid 300 for a aluminum shaft to be balanced and 450 for a two piece shafts to be balanced. I think each one had a u joint replaced too.

 

[ali_c20]

Shorten and balance of 2 driveshafts 800.

 

[85K304SPD]

Ahhh, nobody said an LS swap was cheap. $300 sounds pretty good for all that they did. Anything involving aluminum is always more expensive. At least it wont vibrate.

 

[nvrenuf]

Interesting how things are different regionally, I'm in south Alabama. I took a driveshaft to a local driveline shop and paid much less than what some of y'all have paid.

Here's the driveshaft

You must be registered for see images attach

I cut the old CV head off and took the tube and slip yoke assembly to the shop:

* they "had" to cut the tubing square so they cut another 1/2" off (the equivalent of cutting a yoke off)
* weld on the new CV head (I brought with me)
* install the single 1410 Spicer joint
* balance the assembly

All of this cost me right at $150. That said, all of mine was mild steel, I'm sure aluminum driveshaft work cost more.

 

[Elliot W]

Thanks all for the input. Turns out I'm probably just cheap and too committed to making this budget build as minimal as possible.

 

[SquareRoot]

At the end of it all you came out with a polished shaft! Happy endings

 

[SquareRoot]

WARNING: Partial Rant

I'm putting together an LS with a 5 speed trans (NV3500) 2WD in a SWB. The truck did not come with a driveshaft/drivetrain when I got it. I found an S10 NV3500 on craigslist. The guy sold me an aluminum driveshaft for $25 too that I knew I'd have to shorten. I installed the trans and got the shaft shorten by a local machine shop for $95 but they could not balance it as they aren't a driveshaft shop. Sounded all like a good deal until the transmission turned out to be junk. I found another NV3500 from a Sierra and went to put it in. I knew the s10 trans had different gearing than the 1/2 truck transmissions, but I did not know the 1/2 trans was almost 2 inches shorted than the s10 trans, or that it took a different slip yoke, or that the shifter location is in a different location (I know, I'm amateur)....I now needed a longer driveshaft. Looking online, a new custom shaft would be about $500, so I thought I could do better getting one used and shortening it. Maybe I'd get lucky and find one the right length and with the right slip yoke at the junk yard. Not so lucky, but I found one I could shorten, and this one didn't have the dumb nylon u joint clips the first one had. I paid $75 for the shaft. Then I bought the slip yoke online for $80. I took the shaft to a driveshaft shop (now there is a local one where I moved to). They charged $300 for shortening it, adding 2 u joints, and balancing. Seems high to me, but if you can't tell already, I'm building blind over here. To be fair, if someone gave me $300, its not like I could shorten a shaft. Plus, they seemed to have done a nice job and even polished this thing. Its the shiniest part on the truck. Photos include the shaft next to the older shaft thats too short for reference.

Apologies for the rant. But did I get taken for a ride or is that price reasonable?

Thanks for listening/reading.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Elliot,

How long is that shaft? I'm surprised you don't have a two piece shaft with a manual trans in a 2wd long bed? As soon as I swap my T case over from the 208 to 205, I'll be needing new shafts. According to my measurements, that puts it at like 65+ inches. Nobody will make me a shaft over 63 inches due to whipping (vibration) issues. I'm planning on a two piece setup cause I ain't spending 700-800 bucks on a big fat aluminum shaft.

 

[SquareRoot]

Interesting how things are different regionally, I'm in south Alabama. I took a driveshaft to a local driveline shop and paid much less than what some of y'all have paid.

Here's the driveshaft

You must be registered for see images attach

I cut the old CV head off and took the tube and slip yoke assembly to the shop:

* they "had" to cut the tubing square so they cut another 1/2" off (the equivalent of cutting a yoke off)
* weld on the new CV head (I brought with me)
* install the single 1410 Spicer joint
* balance the assembly

All of this cost me right at $150. That said, all of mine was mild steel, I'm sure aluminum driveshaft work cost more.

Please tell me that's the front shaft?

 

[Frankenchevy]

Please tell me that's the front shaft?

It is.

If you change your mind, I had an aluminum 5” x .125” DS built by Texas Driveshaft Specialists with 1480 u joints and it was right around $1000 shipped to my door. It is top notch and I am super picky about welding, etc.

It was for my older Cummins crew cab longbed that had a clapped out two piece I didn’t feel like rebuilding. If I decide to pull the nv4500 and go with a 4l80e behind my 383, I’ll have them build front and rears for the square.

 

[nvrenuf]

Please tell me that's the front shaft?

It is.

The shaft I posted is in the rear of my Blazer, it's approximately 35" installed.

 

[SquareRoot]

The shaft I posted is in the rear of my Blazer, it's approximately 35" installed.

That's crazy! I swear my front shaft looks just like that.