MTFCA Forum

Birdhaven makes shorten shafts for the KC Warford.
They maybe able to help.

They have been made special for auxiliary transmissions. However almost every one of the different transmissions was a different length, by anywhere from a half inch to several inches. So no one shortened driveshaft can fit more than a few transmissions.
Generally, driveshafts were shortened by re-machining one end or the other. Which end usually depended upon whether the shop was better set up for the keyed taper or the straight square.
I once did one myself, with a bench grinder and hand tools! I used an era crankshaft cutting tool to cut the forward end to fit the torque tube's front bushing, then using a bench grinder with home-made go-no-go gauges carefully shaped the square to a perfect fit for the U-joint.
It CAN be done!

All of those things have to be shortened. The tubes I cut and machine the ends square, then weld. On the shafts I cut the front end off and machine the bushing surface and u joint square back on in the right spot.

Erik Barrett wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 12, 2022 2:00 am

All of those things have to be shortened. The tubes I cut and machine the ends square, then weld. On the shafts I cut the front end off and machine the bushing surface and u joint square back on in the right spot.

I would add that I assemble the D/S & tube before welding the tube back together. When cooled its a quick check for any possible misalignment by feeling for any binding.

For the radius rods, I cut them to length by removing part of the front end; the threaded parts are often no good anyway. Then I buy some 9/16" x 6" bolts, cut the heads off, bend them to fit, and weld them into the radius rods.

Whatever you do, DO NOT cut and weld the driveshaft! It's not if it will fail, but when it will fail(and it will), then you have no brakes. Do as was posted, machine either end to fit. Dave