Driveshaft swap

[AdamDude04]

Anyone know if it's possible to swap out a driveshaft assembly?

I have an 89, 302, XLT 4x4, E4OD with an annoying 3 joint Cardan Driveshaft.

I for one, can not replace the u-joints on the upper end that connects into the tranny (two u-joints up there).. and my buddy, who basicly took apart an F100 and put it back together with a cummins oil burner in it, won't touch it either - So I'm left with a shop to do it, or to buy a new driveshaft.

However, shop (Only one I could find in Sacramento) quoted me $300-350 to replace just the u-joints! I could buy a totaly new driveshaft with the u-joints in place for $270 at the local autopart store. However, that's WAY too much to spend everytime u-joints need replacement.

So is there a way to convert it to a single, typical driveshaft that uses just TWO joints, instead of THREE joints???

..I'm not worried about the benifit of the cardan driveshaft..I don't plan to lift, and I never offroad hard in this truck.

 

[92broncomann]

How hard is it to replace the U Joints in the CV?? Really... I mean granted it takes a little while longer, it's not rocket science. Take it apart one U Joint at a time. I could spend less than an hour on my drive shaft and have all U Joints replaced and have it headed back into the truck.

In any event, I'm sure it's possible to swap out any driveshaft with any number up U Joints but why. The driveshaft in the bronco is specially designed for the truck to provide maximum articulation of the suspension and axles.

92BM

 

[AdamDude04]

How hard is it to replace the U Joints in the CV?? Really... I mean granted it takes a little while longer, it's not rocket science. Take it apart one U Joint at a time. I could spend less than an hour on my drive shaft and have all U Joints replaced and have it headed back into the truck.

In any event, I'm sure it's possible to swap out any driveshaft with any number up U Joints but why. The driveshaft in the bronco is specially designed for the truck to provide maximum articulation of the suspension and axles.

92BM

Well to my understanding, there is a special joint in the middle.. you ***** that up, you're SOL. Now I can replace a u-joint - Easy as cake. However my current situation, I only have 1 truck. I'm 1200 miles from home, and all the new vehicles are at that location. Leaving me with limited options. Yes I could tackle the task at hand and hope for the best, or worst case I have to fork out $300 to have them fix my problem and put new joints in, or pay $279 for a whole new shaft with joints installed (two-three day wait period) or find a solution so in the future I don't need to deal with such problems that could be cost-worthy.

But yes, if I was at home I'd replace the joints (at least try my best) as I have few other car keys sitting on the kitchen table to get me around lol

 

[Krafty]

its the stuff in the middle of the DC joint, (its not a CV) that is the pain, I rebuilt mine in my 81 a couple of times, getting it apart was fine, the key was making sure everything is seated properly when you put it back together. but I really hated it so here is what I did.

you find another f150 or bronco with the same transfer case as yours is now, pull out the front drive shaft and transfercase yoke. in the 81 I was able to compress the driveshaft enough to make it fit in the rear. I didn't have a donor truck so I just swapped the front shaft for the rear shaft.

if you take the rear shaft and yoke out of a short box f150 you can also take it to a driveshaft shop and get them to shorten it to fit.