Driveshaft carrier bearing location

[Dattebayo]

Hi there, I think I may have had an early 86 driveshaft put on my 87 automatic hardbody...

Does anyone know if the front and rear driveshaft halves are the same length and if the carrier bearing mounts at the same location along the shaft?

Thanks~

[Rev_D21]

The front and rear halves will be different lengths on all 2-piece shafts but as long as you swap like for like (ie. reg cab 4 cylinder auto to reg cab 4 cylinder auto) you will be OK. I have an auto shaft from a 1991 reg cab 4cyinder that should work too.

[Dattebayo]

Thanks, it's probably the 3" lowering blocks in the rear that is pushing things torward the front a bit. Otherwise I have no idea why the bearing was so far outside of the ring...

[Rev_D21]

Yes the blocks can do that. I have seen people stack washers to get the carrier back to the correct height after a lowering. Or...you can have a local driveshaft shop make you a one piece using your existing driveshaft and some yoke to yoke measurements.

[Dattebayo]

Well, it's all done. Turns out the bearing holder was mounted backwards and the yoke was bottomed out in the trans...

Gonna relax a little and drive it on the freeway later.

[Dattebayo]

I had a chance to take it out to western MD today, and the ride was just as rough as before.. sigh.
I definitely need to raise the center bearing up about an inch, it's making it rumble like hell when I climb any serious hills. That, and I need tapered blocks. The diff looks like it's pointing at the ground sorta. Ugh, I hate picking up the pieces from someone else's slop work...