Short driveshafts.

[maddog]

Depending on where I put the motor, my driveshaft is gonna be real short.
Possibly as short as 16" maybe as long as 24"

What kind of special problems will this create?
What are the things that must be done to make this work?
What should I be thinking about that I am NOT thinking about?

Thanks once again.

Maddog - specializing in very broad questions for the purpose of drawing out as much information from RRR gearheads as is possible.

 

[motomech]

well theshorter the driveshaft is the more you have to watch the angles
a factory jeep wrangler rear driveshaft is very short
its a little bit over a foot long

short driveshafts arnt a bad thing i say just watch and make shure its aligned properly and go for it

 

[R Pope]

Regardless of the length, don't set it up so straight that the u-joints don't "work" a bit in operation. They will last a lot longer if they flex a little all the time.

 

[Gastrick]

Yea Maddog, the short driveshaft is no problem as long as you watch the angles. Don't set your engine/tranny at a radically different height than your rear so the angle of the shaft itself doesn't end up being too steep.

Just curious, what's the wheelbase going to be in your Topo?

 

[Bonehead]

Also, the shorter the shaft the More movement it has during the suspension cycle. This "slip" probably won't be much of a factor, with the travel you will be getting, but on things like Jeeps, it does become a factor.