Do all the fourth gen aluminum drive shafts fit the third gens???

 

T56s, 700R4s, and 4L60Es al use the same length shaft, so they are interchangeable between 3rd and 4th gens. I'm not sure if the T5 cars use the same shaft or not. The early cars that used Saginaw 4-speeds, T-10s, or TH350s (or cars that have been converted to these transmissions) aren't the same. The 4th gen shaft would be too short.

 

I beleive the LT1 shafts are a direct swap, but the LS1 shaft may be slightly diff., still can be made to work though.

 

Good point. I was only speaking for the LT1 shafts. I can't say for sure if the LS1 shafts are the same length.

 

I would think LS1 shafts are the same, only because I doubt GM would take the time and money to reconfigure mounting point on the trans(making it longer or shorter that the LT1 shaft)

Kevin

 

That's a good point, but why did they bother to recongigure the car with the LS1 engine when it was going to be taken out of production in 4 years anyway?

Are the LT1 and LS1 shafts the same length? Does anyone know for certain?

BTW, the LS1 and LT1 T56s are different anyway. The LS1 version doesn't have a mounting boss for the clutch fork stud, because LS1s use a hydraulic throwout bearing. Plus the bellhousings are different from LS1 to LT1, and GM did spend the time and effort to redesign that. The input shaft is also different, which is why the good trans for the 3rd gen swap is the LT1 style trans from an earlier car.

 

The LT1 & 1LE (2 3/4" dia) and LS1 (3" dia) Aluminum Dr shafts are the same length and will fit all 3rd gen cars with a 5 sp manual & 700R4 auto.

 

Well 5 years to be exact, also I was refeting to the 4L60E.

Kevin

 

Don't even bother with an LT1 shaft unless it is an 1LE. It is a crap steel vibrating mess like any other 3rd gen shaft. Go right for an aluminum LS1 shaft out of an T56 3.42 or A4 3.23 car.

 

The LS1 shafts are the weakest of all aluminum f-body shafts.

LT1s got the same aluminum driveshaft whether they were a 1LE or just a 6 speed model.

 

Most third and fourth gens are the same length, as long as you have a T-5, 700r4/4l60, or T-56, an ls1 driveshaft will fit,(IIRC, the only diff is if you have a th200c or the saginaw 4spd. those won't fit, but i could be wrong)
I've got a 99 formula shaft in mine.
It's a small, but noticeable difference, and better driveability IMO
look on www.car-part.com and you can find one in the salvage yard, i got mine for $100
plus the ls1 shaft is thicker in diameter than the third gen shaft, and 1le 4th gen lt1

 

LT1's had a steel shaft. Only the 1LE cars had an aluminum shaft. My M6 '95 car has every GM option minus 1LE and it has a steel shaft. LS1 shafts have propelled cars into the 9's. For a street car they can't be beet. They are also lighter than any f-bod aluminum shaft as well.

 

LS1 driveshafts are lighter because of thinner wall thickness. They break a lot sooner than the 9s in many cases for that very reason.

Just because your one LT1 F-body had a steel shaft doesn't mean that none got them from GM. Plenty of LT1 F-bodies got aluminum shafts. You just got shafted, no pun intended. One car doesn't suffice for a blanket statement like that.

 

Info: The LT1 Aluminum dr shaft is a 1LE in 4 th Gen Cars (93-97).
Same size and material just a different name LT1.

 

Well I dug a little farther in hopes of finding out what the deal is with these driveshafts. Apparently, the only way to get an aluminum shaft in an LT1 was if you had serious vibration problems. You could bring the car in and GM would replace it with a balanced aluminum one. Some people even have a steel shaft on their 1LE cars. This seems to be more confusing than I thought. I have read tons and tons of posts on CZ28 and this seems to be the consensus that I gather and that no aluminum shaft was used as stock OEM. Whether it holds any weight or not is what I am still researching for.

jmd,

Were the cars you saw with aluminum shafts later models ('96 and '97)? Maybe GM made the switch after so many complaints.

 

I believe none came factory. The only way a non-1LE lt1 fbody ever got the aluminum driveshaft was due to the recall on the steel shafts so they replaced them with the aluminum 1LE driveshafts.

 

As for the original topic. All LT1 and LS1 driveshafts bolt right up to a thirdgen unless you have a saginaw 4 speed. I am personally running a 99 LS1 driveshaft and no fabrication was necessary, bolted right up.

 

ok first time ive done this but this topic has been coverd thousands of times with the big word search

 

I think that the 82-83 cars that had the 3spd auto (th200c?? i think that's what its called) will not fit, b/c it is diff. size tranny than the 700r4

 

I have an 88 trans-am GTA 350tpi with the ws6 perf package....will an ls1 shaft work on my car?

 

YES, Read above......

 

Yes. Fourth gens are bastard children of third gens.

 

Do you have a problem with reading comprehension??? Look at all the Posts on this subject.

 

Ya no kidding

 

Yep, since gm decided to cut costs, they kept the same floorpan design (and the stupid hump in the pass. side) I guess it is nice though that we can interchange stuff since they got the better engine/tranny combos, but we look better

 

Maybe I actually practiced what I preach here. There are too many threads out there where people claim what came with cars but really have no idea. They read it from a bunch of people who have never owned or worked on these cars and the missinformation spreads like the plague. Plus one or two threads don't suffice when there are so many that say different. Most threads end up in the same dead end blather with a million ambiguous answers. Having been under numerous LT1 cars I have yet to find one with an aluminum shaft. That doesn't mean that a handfull of cars didn't come with them. That is what I am trying to find out.

 

Those too, forgot about that. Thought they used the 700r4 through out all years.

 

With all these years and numbers flying around it's no wonder some people seem like they have comprehension problems--me included. It's good to see this much discussion though.
Next Arlington swap meet I want one of these driveshafts--it's good to know that, overall, the 4th gen aluminum DS will go into my '82 with a '91 WC T5 and I won't lose more than $100 even if I'm wrong--from the info here, that's the most I'll pay.
One thing: the drive shaft from my '82 Suzie Creamcheese 200 automatic was identical to the one from my '91 WC T5 parts car--I used the '91 DS because the U-joints were in better shape.

 

They brought out the 700r4 in 84 for our cars, and i think for 92 they started calling it the 4L60, even though it was the same trans for the most part

good to know though that the slush-o-matic from 82-83 uses the same driveshaft according to rbjones

Anyone know how much to have the u-joints replaced, the ones in my alum shaft are pretty good, but the ones from the steel shaft didn't move too well glad i did the swap

 

I'd recommend going with a good u-joint from Spicer or NAPA. They are usually about $20 each. The shaft takes the same joints front and rear. They are easy to replace if you know what you're doing.

The only potential problem is that GM used these goofy u-joints that don't have retaining clips in them on some applications (3rd gens usually have regular style u-joints though). Instead of clips these u-joints are held in place with some type of plastic that is injected into the ears of the shaft and the yoke through holes, which forms an internal retaining ring that is actually quite tough despite being made from plastic. The best way I've found to replace these style u-joints is to drill into the injection hole with a small drill bit (1/16" or so). Drill into all of the holes and stop when the drilling gets difficult, as you've hit metal. Then take a torch and heat up the u-joint cap (oxy/acetelyne is prefered, but a propane torch will work, it just takes quite a while). Try to avoid directing heat directly at the yoke or driveshaft ears, because the heat can weaken the metal. Eventually the plastic will melt and boil and come squirting out the holes in a long thread. Don't stand directly in front of the caps either, because I've had them shoot out before. Once the plastic stops coming out of the holes you can knock the u-joint out just like any other driveshaft. Support the backside of the shaft with a big socket or an old bearing race. I use a ball peen hammer and smack the opposing cap until it is flush, and then start using a socket that is just smaller than the cap to drive it through until the opposite cap falls off.

Installing the joints is the reverse. Just tap the caps into the bores and guide them onto the cross. Keep the cross inside the cap as you drive it in to prevent the needle bearings from falling out. Once you get one cap seated install the c-clip that goes on the inside of the cap. Then install the opposing cap the same way and seat the c-clip. Then move on to the other two caps (yoke end only, as the axel end the caps just slip on and are retained by straps).

If your driveshaft just uses the clip-over-the-cap style retaining ring all you've got to do is remove the clip with pliers (squeeze the two tangs together and pull the clip out of the groove). Removal and installation is the same as noted above, except that you are fortunate enough not to have to deal with the plastic situation.

If you get into a situation where the retaining clip won't seat you've got one of two potential problems. One is that some of the needle bearings were dislodged and are stuck between the cross and and cap. The other is that the driveshaft ears are bent. If you encounter a bent ear DO NOT ATTEMP TO FIX IT. You will dramatically weaken the shaft if you try to straighten the ear. A shaft with a bent ear is junk. Get another shaft. Also, be careful of junkyard driveshafts. They tend to move cars around with a loader equipped with forks. When the forks hit the tube they dent and bend it. This weakens the shaft dramatically, and usually makes it impossible to balance. Some junkyards pull the shafts first, and put them in racks. If you find one in a rack, inspect it visually. If it doesn't have any scrapes or dents in it then it's a viable candidate.

Once the new u-joints are installed I highly recommend having the shaft balanced. It takes a little longer, and costs about $60 (around here anyway), but it can make a dramatic difference in reducing or eliminating vibrations and ressonance in the car at speed. Most big truck parts shops can balance a shaft for you.

 

Another way to get the plastic out....I just used my blow torch and heated it up real good, the stuff eventually squirms out.

 

sorry geeeze

 

An excellent U-joint story--now I know what to look for.