1967 half shafts and drive shafts

[Keith G.]

sb u-joints have a u clamp and bb have 2 bolts and a clamp on the half shafts, now are the main drive shafts set up the same way or do they all have just the u clamps?

[Joe L.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

sb u-joints have a u clamp and bb have 2 bolts and a clamp on the half shafts, now are the main drive shafts set up the same way or do they all have just the u clamps?

Keith-----


All 1963-67 Corvettes use u-bolts on the driveshaft u-joints regardless of whether they are small block or big block. 1968-70 with manual transmission do, too, regardless of whether small block or big block. 1968-70 with automatic transmission and all 1971-76 use steel straps with cap screws for u-joint attachment.

[Tony S.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

Keith. It's the half shafts where you see the differences. SB cars utilize the u-bolts for the half shaft inboard attachment to the side differential yokes. BB's use steel caps and hex bolts. It can be a dead give away on a car born a SB but converted to a BB.

Tony

[Jim T.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

Anthony like Joe Lucia posts, SB in 1970 with turbo 400 uses steel straps at the inboard connection. So I could put a 454 in my 70 and not have to change this.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

Anthony like Joe Lucia posts, SB in 1970 with turbo 400 uses steel straps at the inboard connection. So I could put a 454 in my 70 and not have to change this.

Jim-----


I think you're referring to the NODULAR IRON CAPS rather than STEEL STRAPS. The nodular iron caps were used for some 1970 and later small blocks as well as all 65-74 big blocks. As far as I know, the steel straps were used only on the driveshaft u-joints of 68-70 with THM-400 and all 71-76.

However, as you point out, the nodular iron caps for the inboard half shaft u-joint retention were definitely used for many 1970 and later small blocks and were not just a feature exclusive to big blocks as is widely believed.

A photo of the STEEL STRAP used for the applications I described above is attached.

[Tony S.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

Anthony like Joe Lucia posts, SB in 1970 with turbo 400 uses steel straps at the inboard connection. So I could put a 454 in my 70 and not have to change this.

I thought this post relates to a 67? '65 through '67 BB cars used the steel cap and hex bolts for the half shaft attachment to the differential. As for C3's, you've got me.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

I thought this post relates to a 67? '65 through '67 BB cars used the steel cap and hex bolts for the half shaft attachment to the differential. As for C3's, you've got me.

Anthony-----


No Corvette ever used STEEL caps for the half shaft inner u-joint retention. All of these caps were CAST NODULAR or MALLEABLE iron. All 65+ Corvettes which did use these caps used the same cap----GM #3872909. From 1970 onward, these caps were used for some small blocks as well as all big blocks. These caps were never used for any C2 small blocks, though.

FABRICATED STEEL caps were used for the driveshaft u-bolt retention for 68-70 Corvettes with THM-400 as well as all 71-76 Corvettes. These are pictured in my previous post. These were all GM #3882979.

By the way, replacement half shaft u-joint retaining caps available from International Axle ARE steel (and are configured slightly differently than the original caps). However, NONE of the original GM caps were manufactured of steel. The GM caps are also long-since GM discontinued.

[Tony S.]

Re: 1967 half shafts and drive shafts

Joe...Joe...Joe.