Replacing the Rear Driveshafts
Once the truck was lifted and I saw how sharp the angles were for the rear two piece drive shaft, I contacted Jess at High Angle Driveline for help. Jess was very easy to work with and extremely knowledgeable in his field. I shot several photos of the drive train as it was at the time. I took several measurements as well as counted splines to ensure the new components will bolt in without any problems. The decision was made to completely replace the rear drive shafts and the yoke on the differential with one ton gear. Since the truck was without a rear slip yoke for the transfer case, Jess was able to take care of there too. In about a week, the new replacement two piece drive shaft assembly, complete with a CV joint located just beyond the carrier bearing, arrived. This allowed the driveline to handle the extreme angles without any problems.
One of the big concerns was the steep driveline angle with having a lift of over eight inches. With the factory driveshaft, the truck would have significant take-off shutter. The obvious solution would be to lower the carrier bearing, but that would just generate unwanted vibrations at speeds over 40mph. The new superduty driveline from High Angle eliminates all of these complications.
Once the battery case was completed, the Douglas batteries installed and the speedometer gear added to the 1356 rear output shaft, I was able to install the High Angle Driveline brand rear driveshafts. They installed very easily. I first cleaned and painted the shafts to keep looking new. Next, I slid the slip yoke into the transfer case and using grade 8 bolts, I secured the carrier bearing to the factory mounting bracket. Next, I used four ARP brand stainless steel ½” bolts to mate the rear section to the flange. Once in place, the rear u-joint was secured to the new Spicer yoke. Thanks to Jess at High Angle Driveline, we have an extreme duty driveline that can take all we can throw at it. If you’re even considering lifting your truck, High Angle Driveline needs to be on your list.