[78w72]

i'm looking to upgrade my th400 pinion yoke on the front of the driveshaft. what is the best option for an upgrade above stock? i dont need the best most expensive forged one, just a decent priced one that will handle 500-600hp in a 3500lb car running low 11's & maybe get into the high 10's.

ive been running a stock 1974 th400 yoke on a new, little thicker than OEM shaft for a long time & with the car running low 11's, so i know im probably beyond what they were designed for.

[ta man]

There are good heavy duty cast ones..but after I broke my original I went straight to a Strange Chrome Moly input shaft. I just don't trust that cast stuff after the carnage..cracked the tranny case as well.

[73LeMans]

I 2nd the billet yoke. You'll be surprised how thin that floor can be when parts are looking to come through it. No sense in taking the chance. If youre thinking about it now do it once, make it strong and forget about it. I see it as a safety item, so spending a little more to get there is worth it.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by 78w72

one that will handle 500-600hp in a 3500lb car running low 11's & maybe get into the high 10's.

ive been running a stock 1974 th400 yoke on a new, little thicker than OEM shaft for a long time & with the car running low 11's, so i know im probably beyond what they were designed for.

Time for a whole new driveshaft. 1350 U-joints (or stronger.)

[78w72]

Originally Posted by ta man

There are good heavy duty cast ones..but after I broke my original I went straight to a Strange Chrome Moly input shaft. I just don't trust that cast stuff after the carnage..cracked the tranny case as well.

just the guy i wanted to hear from. i remember when you had the issue & was curious what you upgraded to. im about to get some better tires & play with a few things in hope of getting a good launch & know the yoke & Ujoints are the weak link. i will take a look at the strange yoke.

i had a new driveshaft made from a local driveline shop a few years ago while building the car, told them the motor should be 500+hp & they said the size & thickness shaft they use would be good.

im kinda debating just getting a whole new brand name driveshaft for the prices i see vs buying the yoke & having it made locally. i will do some more research, just curious what others were using at this power level. thanks for the input.

[Skip Fix]

Just know also there is some difference in yoke length. The Mark Williams one I used took a sightly longer driveshaft than when I measured using even a factory type yoke.

If you have the common factory 3R u joints they are almost as large as the 1350s.

[ta man]

I went to 3 inch Strange Chrome Moly, CM ends,CM input yoke,CM diff yoke, their good u joint straps. I thought it was a good value.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

Just know also there is some difference in yoke length. The Mark Williams one I used took a sightly longer driveshaft than when I measured using even a factory type yoke.

If you have the common factory 3R u joints they are almost as large as the 1350s.

will keep that in mind. if i go local the driveline shop carries many brands & can tell me what i need to match my current shaft.

its a 72 firebird & has the bigger rear end yoke for the older & bigger ujoints compared to the later years.

[AG]

Originally Posted by ta man

I went to 3 inch Strange Chrome Moly, CM ends,CM input yoke,CM diff yoke, their good u joint straps. I thought it was a good value.

This is what I did. Better to go overkill and never worry, watch the youtube videos of driveshafts coming through the floor on the big end.

[OCMDGTO]

X2 on the Strange setup. I'm not in the same league as you guys but I recently got a whole yoke/driveshaft from them and they are fast and GREAT to deal with. 3 1/2" chromoly w 1350 joints.

[Skip Fix]

I think with the MW yoke the driveshaft was 1/2" longer than my old one with a factory yoke that would not even fit. Swapped from a ST-10 to a TH400.

[george kujanski]

Check your dimensions before you get a shaft or even a new yoke.

My son got a new Strange axle assy and shaft for his 2000 F body..... did some measuring a few days ago and the shaft could be an inch longer....engagement in the trans is about 2.4" and internal clearance from the trans mainshaft to the inside of the yoke is at 1.8".

For better engagement, the shaft should have been an inch longer by our thinking.

In any case, the Strange CM 1350 yoke is 5.5" from yoke end to centerline of the bearing cap.

George

[RAIV55]

There are factory GM forged yokes. They were used in C-K 3/4 & 1 ton trucks and motor home chassis. Need to watch since some were sealed with an O-ring on the output shaft and have a vent hole in the yoke cap. By the way they all came with 1350 u-joints.

[Dragncar]

I run a yoke out of a Oldsmobile station wagon that had a 455 in it. It takes a 1350 U joint. Not sure if its forged or cast, never really looked for it. Its been 10.80 in a heavy car for years. Driveshaft is a 3" Strange .094 wall.
I will check next time up in the air to see if its cast.

[Schurkey]

I didn't think GM ever used a 1350 U-joint in a passenger car.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

I didn't think GM ever used a 1350 U-joint in a passenger car.

I will take some measurements next time its up. The drive line was a 1350 but had it shortened years back. It could have one of those solid conversion U joints. 1350 to whatever the next smaller size it.
Thinking about upgrading to a billet yoke, at least a heavy duty ductile iron.
But the truth is I should drop the bucks for a carbon fiber considering I am throwing a near 700HP engine in it this year and building a 850-900HP IA2 also.
If a steel drive line fails it can just about destroy the car and kill you. Carbon fiber it just goes "poof" and everything is OK.