Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[J. Robinson]

One god "bap" with a hammer and the yoke pops out of the tube! Now the tube goes to the chop saw to have the necessary length removed (23 7/8 inches for my roadster).

Next, position the yoke so that the marks made earlier on it and the tube line up. After a couple of solid taps to get it started, stand it on end and slam it down on the concrete floor a few times to get the yoke into the tube. (Some drive shafts, like GM metrics and older Chevy, go together fairly easy, but these mid-80's Camaro / Firebird shafts are a really tight "swedged" fit.)

At this point it is necessary to have a good U-joint in place, so I installed the one I'm using. (It's an "adapter" U-joint that has different dimensions across the bearings because I am using a GM engine, trans, drive shaft and a Ford 8" rear end.) If the yoke falls out of the tube while you are wrestling with the U-joint it's OK. It goes back together fairly easy now. Finish installing the joint into the yoke and put it back together. If the yoke just won't stay put at all, put a small tack-weld on it.

With the U-joint installed, bolt the drive shaft in place in the car and jack up a rear wheel so you can spin it (both wheels if you have a posi rear). Clamp a long screw driver, welding rod, paint stick, or something similar in a position so that it almost touches the drive shaft right in front of where the yoke and tube will be welded. Spin the rear wheel slowly and watch the shaft to see if it runs true in relation to the stick. (This is an old blacksmith's trick to check run-out on a shaft or wheel; you could use a dial indicator instead if you want.) Use a hammer to "persuade" the driveshaft & yoke to move around until it runs true. When you are satisfied, put at least 3 tack-welds around the yoke & tube. Check the run-out one more time to make sure the welds didn't draw it off center. If everything is still true, weld it all the way around.

The last thing is to weld the weight back on the shaft according to the line you scribed earlier. That's it.