Project: 1995 s10 SAS

[crazy91s10]

i like the idea baggey.... i do think you should adapt chris's idea though of making it function like a stock tailgate. i think constantly pulling it up just to open it will get old pretty quick.

[Baggey22]

That's not a bad idea Chris. I just got the idea while I was flying home from my trip. I was thinking about all the cool trucks I saw and drew it up quickly on a napkin. So I haven't actually looked at the truck yet to see if the idea is even plausible, and like I said I don't use the bed much so even if I can't do your idea it's not that big of a deal. I just want something better than a nylon net that is held onto my bed by 4 sheet metal screws.

[ChrisInVT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

I just want something better than a nylon net that is held onto my bed by 4 sheet metal screws.

Yeah, that doesn't even sound like it works all that well

[Baggey22]

So bad news. I was counting on a CV joint to put on my rear drive shaft to come in today so I could drive Sally to my apartment and start the tail gate but it didn't come in. So my truck is still a lawn ornament, WHICH SUCKS. The more and more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards just making a square tube rear DS just to get the truck done so I can have some fun with it.
Question about the square tube: since I have a rear slip yoke can't I just make a solid rear DS? Just get a piece thats longer than what I have now and weld my ends onto it? Or should I just make a slip square tube one?

[ChrisInVT]

That's exactly why I don't mess with my stuff until winter. Don't want to kill all my wheeling time with fixing time.

[Baggey22]

Well I had to do this. Your transfer case had a shorter output shaft than mine. So it screwed up my rear drive shaft. Not a big deal, it's an easy fix. Just waiting for parts sucks

[wrekd]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

So bad news. I was counting on a CV joint to put on my rear drive shaft to come in today so I could drive Sally to my apartment and start the tail gate but it didn't come in. So my truck is still a lawn ornament, WHICH SUCKS. The more and more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards just making a square tube rear DS just to get the truck done so I can have some fun with it.
Question about the square tube: since I have a rear slip yoke can't I just make a solid rear DS? Just get a piece thats longer than what I have now and weld my ends onto it? Or should I just make a slip square tube one?

Yeah you could do that. Or instead of square tube for the rear you could go to home depot and just get some sch40 and make one. And since you still have the slip yoke, you dont have to have a slip in the driveshaft.

[wrekd]

Why do you need a cv joint at the rear shaft?

[Baggey22]

It was the easiest fix. When I swapped the NP233 to the NP231 the driveshaft wasn't long enough because the NP231 output shaft is shorter than the NP233. So I was going to put a CV joint on the original drive shaft because it only needs like 2" to work.
So what do people think? Solid square tube or slip square tube?
Because I don't have time to go out to a junk yard and find another s10 with a CV drive shaft to fix it that way. Unless someone has an old s10/Blazer CV joint laying around to donate to my offroading cause.

[wrekd]

As far as I know no s-10 ever came with a CV driveshaft because they all ran a slip yoke.

Heres what I did to lengthen my driveshaft 2 inches. Its ghetto but its holding up great. Cut your driveshaft in half, get a piece of 3" exhaust pipe, slide one end in and then the other till you get the length you need then Weld her up and youll be good.

Before anyone says that wont be strong enough. If youve ever cut apart your driveshaft its about the same thickness as exhaust tubing. The exhaust tubing might actually be a little thicker.

[Baggey22]

Can I get pictures of that Wrekd?

[wrekd]

Yeah ill try to snap some tomorrow if I remember. Im going on a 3 day fishing trip wednesday and packing and doin all little stuff and everything. But I'll try to remember.

[ChrisInVT]

I dunno, I wouldn't trust an exhaust pipe section much for my driveshaft...

[wrekd]

We pretty much sleeved the whole driveshaft with 3" exhaust pipe. Ive beat on it good a couple of times and it took it like a champ. Plus it cheap and easy to do, and I pretty much have a double walled driveshaft.

[Baggey22]

So how long of a piece of exhaust pipe did you use? a short one or one that was almost the whole length of the drive shaft?

[wrekd]

Its almost the whole length of the driveshaft but you could get away with a shorter piece. We just used that much cause I had it layin around from when we put a catback on my dads truck.

[Tim99Zr2]

where are these tires?

[Baggey22]

Thanks Wrekd
Tim - I was on the other side of the country for 3 weeks, the tires are still in the bed of my truck. They'll be going on as soon as I figure out this drive shaft problem.

[Tim99Zr2]

your gay..

[Baggey22]

I'm not gay, I'm just busy. I'm gonna try to get the drive shaft done tomorrow.

[tfpets]

If your new 231 has a shorter output than the 233 did then might have the same problem I did when we were building my brothers...you must have the 231 with the small/short yolk...the problem we had with that one is that there wasnt enough slip for the amount of travel in the rear...in other words if you get the driveline to the proper length so it doesnt bottom out on up travel then it will fall out of the t-case on down travel, and if you get it set in the right spot to have enough yolk in the t-case on down travel then it will bottom out long before you get all of your up travel...that is why we had to find the other style 231 (which is the same yolk as a 233)...you might recall this pic of the 2 different 231's...


This is the short output 231 (notice the ribs on the output housing)


This is the long output 231 (again notice the ribs on the output housing)


I strongly suggest you figure out which one you are dealing with before you waste time/money on something that probably wont work!!

[Baggey22]

I have the shorter one. It came out of Chris's parts truck. So you're saying it doesn't have the correct amount of slip?

[tfpets]

I hate to say it, but thats what we found...its just to short...in a stock or slightly lifted aplication it is ok because the driveline is nearly pointing straight back, but once you go so far as spring over axle and get the driveline at that much of an angle it needs a lot more room to move in and out...I guess that would be geometry?...but that is why we decided really quickly to go with the long one! And even at that the long one is still kinda tricky...the driveline has to be JUST RIGHT...it still has enough travel that it can go in to far or out to far if the driveline is even a 1/2 inch off either way...

[DieselS10]

Does the older 207 t-case have the long output? I might have been real lucky with my old setup, because other than bending it bashing it on the rocks, it never gave me any trouble and that was with an axle flip, 2" blocks, and 3" springs.

[ChrisInVT]

I thought it was the longer one since it came out of a standard cab longbed? I thought the shorter one was only for x-cabs that have the carrier bearing with the split driveshaft?


Edit: Hmm, it does look like the shorter one... I guess I stand corrected.

[tfpets]

Honestly I think the difference is in years...my brothers red blazer was a 90 with the short shaft and his 92 has the long one...it seems to be that it changed in 91 or 92...Im not saying its impossible but it does make it more difficult...the fact that your truck is longer might make it more possible, but in the end the longer one would certainly be easier to deal with!

[ChrisInVT]

he could always run an intermediate shaft with a carrier bearing like an x-cab since he has a longbed and not a shortbed.

[Baggey22]

Run a what?

Would running a rear square drive shaft work? I know they don't balace worth crap but I'd rather not dump more money into a new transfer case. If it has a lot of slip will it slip before the slip yoke of the Tcase? I don't drive it on the street much, just to trails and back and I always go back roads so I can go slow.

[Tim99Zr2]

yes, if you dont plan on going over 20 mph

[tfpets]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

Run a what?

Would running a rear square drive shaft work? I know they don't balace worth crap but I'd rather not dump more money into a new transfer case. If it has a lot of slip will it slip before the slip yoke of the Tcase? I don't drive it on the street much, just to trails and back and I always go back roads so I can go slow.

Running a square driveline would be ok BUT pointless at this point...you cant have a slip driveline and a slip yolk...the driveline will just slip together and the yolk will come out of the t-case...you could get a slip yolk eliminator for a 231 but that would cost more than another tcase...I just dont know what to suggest on a tight budget?? Maybe put together what you can with what you have and dont wheel it...if it were me I would be out at the junkyard looking for a driveline thats just the right length out of something with the right u-joints...thats how I ended up with a camaro driveline in my truck...and keep an eye out for the long output 231 when you can afford it! But once you get a long output 231 you will be back to the same driveline you were using with the 233!

[ChrisInVT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

Run a what?

I'll get you a picture - you may be able to do this with some of the pre-existing parts that I gave you - but you'll need the carrier bearing and the crossmember from an x-cab. I'll get you pics to show you what I'm talking about.

[Baggey22]

Pictures are good. Thanks Chris

[tfpets]

2 problems with running a carrier/2 peice driveline...#1 there is no way it will move far enough for his application...it will need to move forward and back about 3 inches or more and a carrier usually only moves about 1/2 inch if that! #2 this would put the back half of the shaft at a stupid crazy angle, just about straight down...there is enough of an angle as it is without pushing the mainshaft back nearly 2 ft...it would be like having tripled or maybe quadrupled tcases!!

[Baggey22]

So basically the only way to make it work is to either get an SYE or a new Tcase. Both of which require $$

[ChrisInVT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

Pictures are good. Thanks Chris

I went outside around 8:50 and took a bunch of pics, then I ended up out there working until 11:15... I jsut cant go out there for nothing without getting sucked into something else. I'll have the pics uploaded and posted on here tomorrow.

Quote: Originally Posted by tfpets

2 problems with running a carrier/2 peice driveline...#1 there is no way it will move far enough for his application...it will need to move forward and back about 3 inches or more and a carrier usually only moves about 1/2 inch if that! #2 this would put the back half of the shaft at a stupid crazy angle, just about straight down...there is enough of an angle as it is without pushing the mainshaft back nearly 2 ft...it would be like having tripled or maybe quadrupled tcases!!

Not necessarily true. The wheelbase on an the x-cab shortbed is 123, whereas the wheelbase on the standard longbed is 118 and 108 for a standard shortbed. So his truck has a 5" shorter wheelbase than an x-cab.

The carrier bearing crossmember can be mounted as to not create any excessive angles and/or movement. The carrier on my truck moves a little over one inch, and I'm sure it has more to go. I don't know the exact measurements of how much longer the carrier makes the trip to the rear axle, but it may be just enough with the lift that the driveshaft out of a standard shortbed would work. I'd have to take measurements to be sure of it, but something along those lines could work.

[tfpets]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

So basically the only way to make it work is to either get an SYE or a new Tcase. Both of which require $$

Or get a driveline that is just the right length, install some bump stops and limiting straps so it doesnt move far enough for the driveline to fall out/botto m out and only drive it on the road!

[ChrisInVT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggey22

So basically the only way to make it work is to either get an SYE or a new Tcase. Both of which require $$

I wouldn't completely give up hope, I'm sure you can think of something.

And hell, if all else fails I know where there's a 4WD blazer that MIGHT have the long-output t-case

[tfpets]

To bad you are nowhere near me...I have one sitting in my driveway right now and you could go to the junkyard and get one of MANY for $75...

[Baggey22]

TFPETS: Is the one in your driveway a NP231? Cause if it has the long output shaft couldn't you just take the case apart and give me that part of it to put onto my case?
Chris: You should find out if that is a long output one, if so I'll come out and help you take it out.

[ChrisInVT]

Pics of the carrier bearing, crossmember and intermediate shaft I was talking about. I know it's overkill, but I grease the slipjoint once a month (hence the grease EVERYWHERE).






That blazer is about a 45 minute drive from me. it's in Walden, I think it's actually closer to you than it is to me.

[Donahue]

ok, a little advice with the driveshafts. only get a cv rear shaft if you need one for the angle. they do make slip yokes that have a flange for a cv on them, commonly used on jeeps. if you are going to make a driveline, just use round tube because you dont need square. the square part is for the slip, which you DONT want. you need a solid driveline with a slip yoke t-case. a piece of 3" (or what ever size you need) sch 40 would work nicely, and be plenty strong. one more thing, a cv rear shaft would require the pinion to be tipped up at the t-case, straight in line with the driveshaft.

[Baggey22]

I just don't know what to do. I want to get out on the trails like a.s.a.p. and this drive shaft thing is the only thing holding me from getting the truck to my garage so I can finish it. I can make the drive shaft long enough, it just doesn't have enough slip. And the junk yards around me are gold diggers and want WAY too much for stuff around here. That and taking a Tcase out myself doesn't sound like it would be an easy task in a junk yard.
Chris: I map quested how far away Walden was from me. I see that it's not very far past Gates Salvage. Maybe we could meet up and see what it has?

[ChrisInVT]

The junkyards in this state suck.

Ya we can meet and go up there to check it out. We'll have to flip it on it's side or something to see underneath it though.

[Donahue]

if your rear doesnt have enough slip, i would say its time for a SYE

[Baggey22]

Quote: Originally Posted by ChrisInVT

The junkyards in this state suck.

Ya we can meet and go up there to check it out. We'll have to flip it on it's side or something to see underneath it though.

Sounds good. This week is a little crazy for me but I'll check my schedule and get back to you on days I'm free, what days are you free?

Donahue: Where can I get an SYE in case that Blazer doesn't have what I need?

[ChrisInVT]

Any weekday after 4:30 is good for me, I never know what I'm doing on the weekends. Mondays and Tuesdays are usually the best

[DieselS10]

Quote: Originally Posted by tfpets

Or get a driveline that is just the right length, install some bump stops and limiting straps so it doesnt move far enough for the driveline to fall out/botto m out and only drive it on the road!

That's kinda what I've been thinking. Maybe you should stop spending so much time looking for something factory made that may not exist or work. Are there any drive shaft businesses in your area? They can lengthen yours and do like TF said and put limiting staps and bump stops (both of which you'll need anyway). It will be best for you in the long run to do it right once and be done with it.

[Baggey22]

Well regardless I need a longer slip yoke, so if I can get an NP231 with the longer slip yoke I should be all set.

[ChrisInVT]

Alright, well I just got back from meeting with Baggy to look at that blazer in the woods, and unfortunately it's a short output 231. One interesting thing though, is that it's a 5 speed 2.8, so at some point I might have to go back and get myself a 5-speed. Anyway, I took some pics just for shits and giggles.

[Baggey22]

Yea it sucked big time that it didn't have the transfer case I need. I did nab the drive shafts though just to have extras. And Chris got an intake part for his truck.
So does anyone know the RPO code or anything that would help me in my junkyard search for the correct transfer case? Maybe like all ZR2s have the one I want? or something like that?