Propshaft Shortening ?

[smallfry]

Now I know the correct answer to this is actually NOTHING, but how much do you guys think i could sensibly get away with in shortening a rear propshaft on a 90 ?

Unfortunately my gearbox seems to be growing in length.

Unless I can find a less bulky steering box setup and all that it entails, a shorter propshaft would seem the lesser of the two evils

[Bowie69]

How is your gearbox growing?

Propshaft clinic will do it for you.

[miketomcat]

How short do you need it def td5 front prop is 627mm running length just need re phasing.

Mike

[smallfry]

I am going through the options of how best to install a Lexus 1UZFE engine and its gearbox or an alternative, and in order to do this without reinventing the wheel, the easist option would be to shorten the rear prop around 100mm.

I dont really WANT to do this, as I know they really are better off being as long as possible, but I just wondered what the general opinion was and whether i would get away with it

Basically, the major problem with physically fitting it all is that the friggin steering box is too tall and bulky.

The other option would be to change the steering for something else. A P38 setup maybe, but of course this would one modification too far for the insurance people I would imagine.

I know it will eat up joints more often, but i guess i could always carry a spare prop !

Mike, I have not put a tape measure on it yet, but thanks for the info !

[Soren Frimodt]

I wouldn't worry about shortening it 100mm, it won't be as short as the factory one on a 80" and on mine it does by no means go through more u-joints than any other propshaft I have/had. So long as you do not combine it with putting in the gearbox super high or have a massive lift on the suspension I think you will be fine.

Do however remember to post up as you put in the engine! For some reason I have seen that engine put into almost every form of 4x4 here in Denmark, but never a Landy!

[De Ranged]

What transfercase are you using.... the reason I ask is one way to relieve the problem is to use a transfercase that drops the rear output down

The most common case to use on the 1UZ trans is one from a 1kz surf, catch is for your situation the rear output is inline with the trans output... putting it up high

I'm uncertain on how much angle the defender UJ's can handle but there is an early hilux rear DS that has joints that will happily run to 30 degrees... I just can't remember the model

[smallfry]

Soren. I do not know why either. Maybe its because they are japanese. Or maybe because THEY say there is no bottom end torque.........

I have only seen one here, not far from me actually, but it is a very unsatisfactory conversion IMO.

De Ranged. I deliberately DONT want to use a Surf transfer box because of the high rear output and propshaft angles. If I had a long wheelbase vehicle i think it would be acceptable, but as the setup is also longer, this would make the propshaft even shorter ! Also, the ratio is 1.1, which would make the overall gearing too high with my big wheels I fear.

I thought about using a Landcruiser transfer box (80 model ?) which would be better, but these do not have a brake on them AFAIK, and more importantly, they seem to be rarely available here and outrageously expensive. To me anyways

[Soren Frimodt]

Smallfry, I've just been under the 80" with a tape measure. Resting at ride height I have 55mm's of difference in height from the output on the transfer box to the input on the diff, so not much, you may well have more. BUT my prop is only 390mm's long at ride height! I doubt yours will be that short? You could calculate the angle on my setup and use that as a reference point then see how long your prop would need to be to have the same angle. Remember that a big contributor as to why this short a prop can work is that the engine and gearbox are located way lower than on a coiler.

[De Ranged]

Don't stress your engine choice they work well... I have a couple of mates running them and they work well but to be honest if I didn't have one sitting on the shed floor and I wanted to do the v8 thing I'd go LS1 similar price to buy way more power and none of the silly little issues for mounting like the factory comp only being able to run with the standard auto

You do know the trick with using a 1kz trans output shaft in the 1uz trans to shorten it up, think there used to be a write up on lexus.com this was a while ago that I seen it lol was in a hilux

I'm not certain about the 80 series transfercase .... but on a positive note if you got an 80 wreck then you have a good choice of axles to stand up to the lexus

Your next option is what I'm doing with my toy, making something else fit.... in my case a LT95 transfercase to a GM trans.... this requires alot of engineering and isn't realistic for anyone short of those in the trade.... as the cost of the machining will make it too expensive (making the more powerfull LS1 a better option)

I don't mean to bag your idea but why not a Rover V8, it could be as simple as the stage 1 setup.... don't know your legal situation but over here if it came out factory there is very little stress converting to that.... then if you want efi Mega Squirt it from what I've seen there is a section here that pretty much paint by numbers how to

[Jon White]

I run shortened ones on my truck and have done for years. I do them myself it's easy enough.

I personally don't bother with balancing them, neither do I bother with wheel balancing.

Jon