Shortening Drive shaft

30psi · #1 21-06-2007, 14:58

You only need to shorten the passenger side shaft by about 5mm, then deepen the existing groove and it will look just like the passenger side S13 unit.

Then use another passenger shaft because its short but strip the CV joint off of it and fit the S13 one to it. The spider assemblies and splines inside the CV joint exactly match.

Don't go getting custom shafts it will work out too expensive. Might as well buy a proper mech diff for the same money

JackieFan · #2 21-06-2007, 15:13

I took photos of the output shafts next to each other so I'll have to dig them out and nose again. I've got all the bit's to do it the way you did it's just that when I looked at the shafts they seemed so different that I didn't even start messing with them.

When the driveshaft is stripped down is there still splines visable after the spider joints?

30psi · #3 21-06-2007, 15:23

Shouldn't be splines visible after the spider assembly, maybe only a small amount. What version shafts are you using? ie mk1 or mk2?

JackieFan · #4 21-06-2007, 15:41

Shame, I was just trying to think of smart ass ways of shortening the actual drive shaft without chopping it down the middle. Need to get it sorted for JAE!!

s13eater · #5 21-06-2007, 16:16

feck me if i can do them, then i'am sure you can mate

,i think i shortend mine by 8mm and same as mart says, just swap the end off of the s13 shaft onto the s12 shaft, its so you have a flanged end on the s12 shaft.

30psi · #6 21-06-2007, 17:05

Was it 8mm? I can't remember what I did but just by looking at the passenger S13 shaft shows you exactly what to do.

If it looks like this afterwards then you're on the right track:

JackieFan · #7 22-06-2007, 08:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by s13eater

feck me if i can do them, then I'm sure you can mate

,i think i shortened mine by 8mm and same as mart says, just swap the end off of the s13 shaft onto the s12 shaft, its so you have a flanged end on the s12 shaft.

I'm happy with swapping the CV joint, it's just the modding of the S12 output shaft to fit in the vLSD that I didn't like the look of. I must admit I really took one look at it and thought "sod it I'll just shorten the drive shaft" because at the time it seemed like a better option. I'll pop the S13 output shaft from the diff again at the weekend and have another look at it and see if I can sort it. If it works there'll be a vLSD conversion in the 12 costing the princely sum of £60! Bargain.... If I don't fuck it up!