Anyone running a 68 charger with 1971 4 speed?52.07"driveshaft about 1 inch long

[javakmcharger68]

Anyone running a 68 charger with 1971 charger 4 speed (8 3/4 rear)?52.07"driveshaft about 1" to 1 1/2" inch too long.

Just wanted to confirm if this is a known issue. With weight off the back wheels the driveshaft is jammed tight in 4 speed and if I had a 1/4" more I could get the back u-joint in but of course this would not be good to hook up.

Looks like I will be cutting driveshaft but asking in case there might be another issue causing problem. 383 11" bellhousing & 71 4 speed.
Any input would be appreciated.

On another note sad that the car that I got 4 speed out of years ago is gone. 71 charger RT 440 4 speed (18 spline) white vinyl roof and original plum crazy. White interior with power windows

[metallicareload99]

Are you measuring center of U-joint to centre of Ujoint?  If I remember correctly, 52.07" is the correct length for a 1968 Dodge 2 door hardtop with a 8.75" rear and A-833 or A727.  I'm 90% sure that's what I took out and replaced with a shorter driveshaft, center to center, when I put a Dana 60 in my 68 Charger with an A-833

[Kern Dog]

The one I just took out of my '70 is 52" even. It was a 727 and 8 3/4" axle.
Of course, It is not a stock shaft. It is the stock one shortened from when I had a 318/904 combination.

[javakmcharger68]

Thank you for the replies. I guess my question is if the 71 833 is a touch longer than a 68 833 4 speed transmission. Page 4 of posted 4 speed swap seems to make me believe tailshaft is longer and causing issue.

[metallicareload99]

Thank you for the replies. I guess my question is if the 71 833 is a touch longer than a 68 833 4 speed transmission. Page 4 of posted 4 speed swap seems to make me believe tailshaft is longer and causing issue.

All B-body A-833 transmissions + bellhousing should be the same length as long as they are for the same body. They "should" be the same length. I measured the old drive shaft I used and it is just over 52". Has the rear axle been relocated on your car?

[70 sublime]

Has your car ever had much work done to it ?

I wonder what the front rear end spring hangers you have ?

Some were longer or shorter and that would move the rear end closer if you have the short ones in the car 

[Kern Dog]

The 71-74 B body 833 is the same length but has the shifter mount further to the rear. Aside from that, it is similar.

[BSB67]

You can only assess the correct length of the drive shaft with car being supported by the tires/suspension

[Kern Dog]

Uhhh.....False. Okay, maybe sometimes but not always. Read on.
I measured for the drive shaft for the Tremec 5 speed I am swapping in. I got the exact same measurement with the tires hanging as I did with the car on it's weight. Exactly. 58 9/16".
It would probably be different on a car with longer suspension travel but who else has measured and posted about it? Besides, in every stock Mopar that I have seen in junkyards, the trans end has always been at least 1 1/2" sticking out from the tailshaft seal, most often more than that. It seems to me that the factory was pretty conservative by using long trans yokes and letting them stick out a bit.
Go ahead and measure as people have suggested but just for fun, measure it with the axle at full droop too just to see for yourself.

[javakmcharger68]

Thank you for all the replies.
When car had back tires off the ground if I pushed yoke all the way in 4 speed (squashing the rear seal) I could almost get the ujoint in, but very obvious that would not work without doing damage if run. I set the car on all four tires and measured using driveshaft and I need about 1 1/4" taken off driveshaft.

The front spring hangers are 3 1/4" long when measured. Full length not to mount hole. I could not see them being any shorter if there is a short and long type so perhaps that is the issue. Anyone able to confirm if there length is the same?
Thanks again

[BSB67]

Careful to not confuse the dust boot for the seal? 

[58pwrwgn]

There is a 1 inch difference in wheel base between dodge and Plymouth. I believe that it is accounted for by different length front spring hanger and changing the location of the rear hanger. My front hanger is 3 1/8 from the front to leaf spring bolt circle, but it isn't original to the car.

[58pwrwgn]

Another  thought. B body springs are 22 inches from the front eye to the axle. Super stock springs are 20 and when used in a b body require a longer front hanger.

[Alaskan_TA]

A 1971 Charger has a 115 inch wheel base, a 68 has a 117 inch wheel base.

Drive shaft lengths are application specific and the appropriate lengths are listed in the FSM in chapter 16.