Ive got a new driveshaft im wanting to put in, and as i was crawling around under the car to get my plan of attack on this i think i noticed a couple different ways to do it: first take off the torque arm, but its trans mounted
and it looks likes its going to be a bear getting the bolts off from the tran.
or second ubolt the exhaust and let it hang which should give me enough room (i hope). anyone that has put in a DS could you give me some advice or suggestions for the easiest approach to doing this
thanks

 

Jack up the rear end with the transmission in neutral, slide the slip yoke into the output shaft of the transmission, bolt up the straps, turning the rear wheels to get access to each bolt.

 

well im trying to figure out a good way to get the old one out, any ideas?
the only way im seeing to go about getting the torque arm off of the trans.
is to lower the trans a little im just trying to avoid this if at all possible or drop the exhaust but i dont know if its going to go down far enough

 

Why do you need to take the torque arm off?

4 bolts hold the rear u-joint to the pinion yoke. take them out, slide the shaft foward enough to let it drop, then pull it back out of the transmission.

 

because theres no room to let it drop, its either the torque arm or the exhaust thats got to be moved out of the way so it can drop

 

What kind of car you working on, anyway?? Can't be a thirdgen F body, the driveshaft comes right out of these cars when the hardware is removed, no hesitation whatsoever.

 

when theres no room for it to go its not coming out, and yes it is a 3rd gen see above pic, my exhaust runs right down the middle of the car and is very close to the torque arm therefore where is the driveshaft going to drop to when its unbolted?? sure i can unbolt the ds but the way my setup is theres no room for movement unless one of the two things i mentioned: torque arm or exhaust is moved...
i dont know how i can be any more clear than that about it, just wondering if anyone else had run into the same problem and what their approach to it was, but if not i guess ill figure it out for myself.

 

It sounds like you have some kind of bad custom exhaust. I'd be trying to get the exhaust out of the way before I'd touch the torque arm.

 

what makes it bad? its actually a very good setup it tucks way up underneath
and doesnt hang down a bit, very well hidden for 3in
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but anyways thats what ill probably do is just unbolt the exhaust and let it hang that should give me enough enough maneuvering room

 

The fact that it obstructs access to the driveshaft.

 

well how often do you switch driveshafts? im sure im not the only one
that has it run that way

 

Down the driveshaft tunnel? Lots of people do, that's stock routing even. There's no need for it to get in the way of the driveshaft though. My cars have 3" exhaust and I can remove the driveshaft easily.

 

but you said i have some kind of bad custom exhaust and now its stock routing for it to run down the middle??? look forget about it i was just trying to get some advice being a newbie and all and usually people are very helpful, im not going to sit here and go back and forth with you on this
if you can be of help please do, otherwise forget it

 

So, what do you want help with?

We can't see your car, you know; you don't have it turned the right way toward the monitor. All we can see is the shiny side, not the rubber side. If you've got some "custom" exhaust on it that doesn't fit like a stock one, how are any of us supposed to know that, or how it doesn't fit, or whatever, if we can't see it?

The stock exhaust runs down the pass side of the tunnel, and the torque arm runs down the driver's side. The drive shaft is in the middle. Plenty of space. If your exhaust doesn't leave space for the drive shaft, then it's a poor-fitting exhaust, by definition. Period. It doesn't fit THE WHOLE car. It interferes with other parts, which the correct routing does not. Or for that matter, a good-quality off-the-shelf 3" cat-back such as a Hooker or something.

Just one more reason NOT to get a custom exhaust, I guess. Right on up there with the people that have a "custom" Y-pipe, and then somehow it's GM's fault that they can't get their starter out.

My advice would therefore be, get rid of the poor-fitting exhaust, and get a good one that fits; and THEN change out your drive shaft, because it will be easy.

 

My advice would therefore be, get rid of the poor-fitting exhaust, and get a good one that fits; and THEN change out your drive shaft, because it will be easy.


seems a little extreme to go through for the ds........oh well thanks anyways

 

Well, you asked.... when we finally had enough info to know what was really going on, that's where it leads... So, whatever.... I guess for you, it'll just be a bigger hassle than it is for the rest of us to swap a DS.

 

You have enough room to drop the drive shaft. If you didn't it would rub on your exhaust any time your suspension drooped. Keep in mind that you don't drop the entire driveshaft strait down. You only need to drop the back of the shaft enough to clear the yoke then feed the driveshaft out the back of the car. On my monte with a x-pipe I have to let the rear end droop to unbolt the shaft then jack the rear end up to let the shaft slide out the back. The exhuast acts as a guide to the back of the tranny. Just get in there and give it a whirl and try some things, I'm 99% sure you're just thinking too hard.