Badart
Senior Member
I can't find a front drive shaft for my Dodge W100 4x4. It is a 70-72 frame and drivetrain. When I bought the truck it was missing and I thought it was no big deal, but I can't find one locally. What makes it hard to find is the fact that it is a divorced NP205 transfer case so the drive shaft is almost 43" long and anything made later than 72 is much shorter. The salvage yards tend to cut the Dana 44's out of the trucks first thing and take half of the drive shaft with it.
Here is my plan. Pick up one of the shorter shafts from a later model and cut it and slip over a good piece of 1/4" wall DOM tubing and weld it to get my 42 1/2" that I need. I have access to a lathe at work and get the alignment and fit perfect. I am not too worried about balancing it, because it doesn't turn until the transfer case or hubs are locked and it will only be used offroad. This is a low buck project, because all of my money goes into my dart at this point. What do you think?
Here is my plan. Pick up one of the shorter shafts from a later model and cut it and slip over a good piece of 1/4" wall DOM tubing and weld it to get my 42 1/2" that I need. I have access to a lathe at work and get the alignment and fit perfect. I am not too worried about balancing it, because it doesn't turn until the transfer case or hubs are locked and it will only be used offroad. This is a low buck project, because all of my money goes into my dart at this point. What do you think?
