Half shaft questions - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

mach158 · 12-08-2003, 02:50 AM

I have a 89 Chevy silverado 1500 with a 4" inch rancho suspension lift kit i beleive (bought it with it). Anyway the driver side halfshaft was broke and i bought it like that. Anyway i bought a used halfshaft from a guy and it was off his 94-96 chevy 2500 4wd truck but its about 1.5"-2" shorter then the on on my pass. side. Is it possible to use it or am i SOL? I am broke and need 4wd for winter or will the pass side tire still work? Also is it that that trucks halfshaft was shorter or do i need to buy a special halfshaft? Or what do i need here?

Anybody have a half shaft i need and wanna trade for a perfectly fine halfshaft that is alittle shorter?

Maybe someone has something I can use looking for something cheap as this isn't exactly the time of year where i got tons of money to spend and i blew it all on the halfshaft that don't work

SWEET7T · 12-09-2003, 11:08 PM

nope, your passenger tire wont pull. THe differential is 'open', unless the PO put a locker in it. So it will try to spin the inards of the axle but the tire wont pull. Sorry.

I got a little confused on your description. Your left shaft is broke, and you bought a right side shaft for a 3/4-ton?! No way will that work. The 3/4-ton uses heavier running gear than the 1/2-ton.

Try a junkyard for a driver side shaft off of a HALF TON. That or buy a new one. Did it break the shaft, or just the u-joint?! IF it was the u-joint, just get a new one pressed in.

mach158 · 12-09-2003, 11:14 PM

It broke the shaft in the middle, dunno how it did but i bought it like that.

Also sorry for any confusion in my description i will try alittle better. I bought the halfshaft from a guy with a 94-96 2500 i have no idea if it was the right or left half shaft. Compared to My pass side half shaft it is shorter.

I thought both sides were the same length, is this true or is one side shorter then the other? Maybe i did get the right one, the half shaft doesn't look any bigger then the one on my pass side just alittle shorter.

I may be wrong on the truck the guy had i got it from, i don't have the best of memory. Anyway i can double check this?

Blazer1970 · 12-10-2003, 09:32 AM

I believe that 1/2 tons and 6 lug 3/4 tons use the same front driveline components. An 8 lug 3/4 ton uses a bigger differential, and heavier shafts. I am not sure if the shafts are the same length side to side, but I think they are. Have you tried to extend and retract the shaft that you bought? The inner tripod joint allows for a couple of inches of movement in the shaft length which is necessary to keep the shaft from binding when you steer the truck.

mach158 · 12-10-2003, 05:35 PM

I just tried moving the shaft, i can get it to move up and down some at the joint that is closest to where it mounts to the front driveline, the part that connects to the wheel doesn't aloow hardly any.

Also i don't know if this measure means much but i measured where the ruuber boots stops and measured the amount of metal shown between the two and is shorter on the one i have then the one on the truck, perhaps its irrelavent but maybe not.

Would it be possible for someone to go out and measure theirs for me to determine if one side is longer then the other and how much metal is shown between the rubber boots, perhaps the pass side has a non original one?

12-08-2003, 02:50 AM	#1
mach158 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Wapello, Iowa Posts: 47	Half shaft questions I have a 89 Chevy silverado 1500 with a 4" inch rancho suspension lift kit i beleive (bought it with it). Anyway the driver side halfshaft was broke and i bought it like that. Anyway i bought a used halfshaft from a guy and it was off his 94-96 chevy 2500 4wd truck but its about 1.5"-2" shorter then the on on my pass. side. Is it possible to use it or am i SOL? I am broke and need 4wd for winter or will the pass side tire still work? Also is it that that trucks halfshaft was shorter or do i need to buy a special halfshaft? Or what do i need here? Anybody have a half shaft i need and wanna trade for a perfectly fine halfshaft that is alittle shorter? Maybe someone has something I can use looking for something cheap as this isn't exactly the time of year where i got tons of money to spend and i blew it all on the halfshaft that don't work

12-09-2003, 11:08 PM	#2
SWEET7T Try spinnin 4 rear tars Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 757	nope, your passenger tire wont pull. THe differential is 'open', unless the PO put a locker in it. So it will try to spin the inards of the axle but the tire wont pull. Sorry. I got a little confused on your description. Your left shaft is broke, and you bought a right side shaft for a 3/4-ton?! No way will that work. The 3/4-ton uses heavier running gear than the 1/2-ton. Try a junkyard for a driver side shaft off of a HALF TON. That or buy a new one. Did it break the shaft, or just the u-joint?! IF it was the u-joint, just get a new one pressed in. __________________ SWEET7T 1970 C10, 2wd, LB, 307/TH350/3.08. PS, PB

12-10-2003, 09:32 AM	#4
Blazer1970 Registered User Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Old Mission, MI, USA Posts: 2,510	I believe that 1/2 tons and 6 lug 3/4 tons use the same front driveline components. An 8 lug 3/4 ton uses a bigger differential, and heavier shafts. I am not sure if the shafts are the same length side to side, but I think they are. Have you tried to extend and retract the shaft that you bought? The inner tripod joint allows for a couple of inches of movement in the shaft length which is necessary to keep the shaft from binding when you steer the truck. __________________ Tim

12-09-2003, 11:14 PM	#3
mach158 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Wapello, Iowa Posts: 47	It broke the shaft in the middle, dunno how it did but i bought it like that. Also sorry for any confusion in my description i will try alittle better. I bought the halfshaft from a guy with a 94-96 2500 i have no idea if it was the right or left half shaft. Compared to My pass side half shaft it is shorter. I thought both sides were the same length, is this true or is one side shorter then the other? Maybe i did get the right one, the half shaft doesn't look any bigger then the one on my pass side just alittle shorter. I may be wrong on the truck the guy had i got it from, i don't have the best of memory. Anyway i can double check this?

12-10-2003, 05:35 PM	#5
mach158 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Wapello, Iowa Posts: 47	I just tried moving the shaft, i can get it to move up and down some at the joint that is closest to where it mounts to the front driveline, the part that connects to the wheel doesn't aloow hardly any. Also i don't know if this measure means much but i measured where the ruuber boots stops and measured the amount of metal shown between the two and is shorter on the one i have then the one on the truck, perhaps its irrelavent but maybe not. Would it be possible for someone to go out and measure theirs for me to determine if one side is longer then the other and how much metal is shown between the rubber boots, perhaps the pass side has a non original one?



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