[Gregski]

so where are we on this project, let me give you some updates

First I returned the 1988 drive shaft as it was 3 inches too short, and as I learned, the drive line shops do not lengthen tubes, they replace them, so all I could use out of the drive line was maybe the transmission yoke, the U joint at the rear was the wrong size to mate with the differential

so I took today off and hit four junkyards

I picked up this 70" long, long bed driveshaft from a 1976 GMC (here we go again a GMC to GMC transplant) this shaft measures about 3.5" thick in the middle and tapers down to about 2.75 at each end, note that, it is important

Pros: both the spline end in the front and the U joint in the rear are correct (well not exactly, yes the rear is the right diameter 1.063 but at only 3.246" it is too narrow for the diff yoke)

Cons: the shaft is too long and it is damaged [revised: and the rear U joint is too narrow]

Lesson Learned: The drive line place/shop only installs straight pipes and not tappered ones, so I can't use the ends from this shaft to get a new tube installed, I would need new ends, spline yoke and U joint, more on that later, and since I basically exchanged my 88 one for this one, this lesson cost me nothin'