Cuda Driveshaft - Dented! Oh No!

[Yellow71Cuda]

Hey guys,

So the drive line place I brought some parts to called me today with bad news.  I brought them my 8 3/4 chunk to replace the bearings and seals, and press new bearings on my axles.  I also figured it would be a good idea to give them my driveshaft, to have them balance it.  Well, they said it can't be balanced due to a dent (it's been sitting in my garage for quite some time, and I really didn't inspect it well before giving it to them). 

They told me they can make a new driveshaft, but I really wanted to keep things looking factory original.

Thoughts?  Anyone have a good used original they want to sell? 

   

[Cuda Cody]

There's no numbers on a drive line (that I recall) so making a new one is not a big deal.  I would tell them to go for it!  Make a new one.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Get a new one made up. They'll probably go ahead and reuse your ends anyway and weld a new tube between them.

[Yellow71Cuda]

There's no numbers on a drive line (that I recall) so making a new one is not a big deal.  I would tell them to go for it!  Make a new one.

Hi Cody.  I like the idea of a new driveshaft in regard to peace of mind, but I think the appearance would be different due to the original shaft having that taper down to a smaller diameter toward the rear of the car.

[6bblgt]

& they do have part numbers stamped in them  many are tough to find/read after 48+ years

[aussiemark]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-MOPAR-CUDA-DRIVESHAFT-HEMI-440-7290-UNIVERSAL-JOINT-DANA-SPICER-60-9-3-4-/202482532111?nma=true&si=XQAO6GH2E%252FLmwUNzRaDpDIDkB7U%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
I did see this a while ago and in 2 of the photos there are some numbers stamped into the tube, this is a NOS shaft and not a production one so these numbers may not have been used on shafts that went into cars. Maybe best to have a new tube made up with your ends and tell them not to discard your old dented tube, take it home and clean it up and carefully look for any stamped numbers if you find them using the old tube as a guide carefully replicate them onto the new part.

[aussiemark]

& they do have part numbers stamped in them  many are tough to find/read after 48+ years

You posted this while I was still typing looks like they do have numbers after all.

[Jim AAR]

The dent will more than likely NOT affect the performance of the driveshaft. The driveshaft would have been balanced when it was made and having a dent would not change that. The only issue would be the visible dent.

As it is very easy to remove and replace a driveshaft, I would just try it with the new U-Joints, drive it and see if you have any vibrations, you'll know right away if the shaft got warped from the dent 

[aussiemark]

I wonder if the dent could be removed some how?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

The dent will more than likely NOT affect the performance of the driveshaft. The driveshaft would have been balanced when it was made and having a dent would not change that. The only issue would be the visible dent.

As it is very easy to remove and replace a driveshaft, I would just try it with the new U-Joints, drive it and see if you have any vibrations, you'll know right away if the shaft got warped from the dent 

In my opinion, the driveshaft is as strong as it is because the uniform diameter. It's thin wall tubing that hits well above it's weight due to the geometry, not by the base material or material thickness.

The dent will make a pretty significant stress riser, which may not be a problem for putting around or getting home, but I would never use one in harsh conditions.

[Rich G.]

I wonder if you couldn't use that tool that welds the studs on for pulling dents out and then you grind the stud off. You probably have to get the tube cherry red with a torch before the metal would move.

[Yellow71Cuda]

I wonder if you couldn't use that tool that welds the studs on for pulling dents out and then you grind the stud off. You probably have to get the tube cherry red with a torch before the metal would move.

I was thinking that too!

[YellowThumper]

Have an entire new one made to use. Keep the old if you want original.
With a dent like that I would put money on the table that it is bent. With a dent like that on a true cylinder the surrounding metal had to go somewhere.

Fix? Drill a small hole in opposite side to put a bar thru. Heat dent and tap it out. Then plug weld hole. Cosmetic repair only. I would still go with new.

Mike.

[Yellow71Cuda]

I appreciate the feedback from everyone.  I wasn't expecting this drive shaft issue.  Am I being crazy thinking about looking for a good, used original?     

[aussiemark]

I was thinking of the weld stud type dent removal tool also, another way is to drill, tap and add an air fitting (anywhere on the tube) then add air pressure inside the tube then heat the edge of the dent and the air pressure will push the dent up and you add heat where you need it to rise as you go and use an air line to cool and prevent it coming out too far. But get the shaft spun in a lathe before you do anything to be sure it is just a compression dent and the shaft is not bent at all.