KE20 - W55 - Tailshaft help.

[Hurricane]

tryed a bit of a search but nothing helpfull yet.

put a w55 in my ke20 this week.

wanting to know what i can use to make a strong single peice tail shaft to go between the w55 and my r31 diff.

any help i would love.

cheers, dan

[Grega]

dan - how long a shaft do you need?
i had mine made by universal driveshaft services in north melbourne - top job.
but i can see you want to make your own.
theres gotta be something with a long enough shaft on the market you can use to cut down and make work - eg : back part of the commodore tailshaft however the commo tailshaft (vn type) is only a small OD - my celica one I had made is 2.75" thick wall tube stock.
only other thing i'd suggest is finding someone who supplies this kind of steel to make your own - welding it up and getting the balance right would be a difficult task though, stopping warpage ect

[RPM016T]

I've had 3 tailshafts made up for my KE15. First was a T50 box to KE10 diff, they used the standard KE10 tube then lathed up a fitting for the T50 joint. Second one was a T50 box to an R31 rear end, they upgraded the shaft with new tubing and fitted both ends that time. Third time was W57 to R31 rear end, that time they just used the latest tailshaft and modded the gearbox end again. So basically, jsut go to a wrecker and get an R31 tailshaft if you want to save money, that way they can just shorten it and modify the end. Last time it cost me around $150ish to be modded and balanced.

If you do have a crack at it, make sure its only the rear joint you play around with. Won't turn your car into a death trap if it breaks then!!!

[Hurricane]

right now ive got a ke30 BW tailshaft, cut it down and just redrilled the diff end to sute the r31 flange.

i can make the shaft myself, ive got a lathe and all.
ive made some with me bro before and they have never vibrated or broken

all i really need is two ends with good sized uni's and then get/make a tube to sute.

ive got a 2 section tailshaft out of a celica with the right gearbox end but the uni's look like they no bigger than a ke30 unit.

so if posible i was anfter some thing with biggger uni's.

dan.

[Grega]

ah right
isn't there a mob up in nsw that do new yoke sections for gearboxes. hardy or someone?
my ta22 has holden unis in it - although i'm using the D series celica diff

[Hurricane]

i think the early holdens, like hq with six's use the same uni's as the ke30 and possible ta22? im pritty sure im running them now.

[Grega]

i think mine is a 1 tonner uni.....memories fading now...