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Front Drive Shaft (4406) question

This is how I measured, overall length fully compressed I have 34 3/4 in.
 

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OK, here is what I have.

f150 shaft top,
double cardan I have been using bottom

021_zps7aef72b6.jpg


I hope the shorter yoke on the bottom will work if the top one is too long. This picture shows how much shorter it is

020_zps73966d44.jpg


Dale, in your picture it appears you have the transfer case flange on the wrong end. The slip yoke should be used closest to the differential. In the f150 it uses a flange at both ends-

About the f150 drive shaft. I plan on sandblasting and powdercoating it. Does anyone have input on how the drive shaft balance weights re attached? Do you think they will make it through some heat cycles?
 












I'm currently running a double cardan rear shift and I too have no vibration at all with the front shaft removed. My front shaft I believe is the F150 one single cardan. Since I had no vibration at all when I first did the swap I believe my problem is in the front differential. It's began after about a 400 mile round trip wheeling run and I also started hearing a slight popping sound upon acceleration from a dead stop. I removed the front shaft and it is dead smooth up to 90 mph! I believe the single cardan is the way to go for a non super lifted setup
 






I'd be careful about heat around the driveshaft weight. Went down to the garage, wire brushed my front F150 shaft a bit to see if it was welded... Appears not. From what I've looked up, some of them are attached with adhesive. If you were to put any heat to it, you might consider having it tacked on and checked for balance, although I doubt a couple small tacks would affect the balance by much. If the weight isn't made of steel though, that'd be an issue with welding it.
 






That's good to know, I'm gonna check mine!
 






FWIW, I went through an attempt to install both a single carden and double-cardan front shaft. Both had issues.

I then took angle measurements, and the output of the t-case actually angles upward. Obviously pointing the wrong way for even a double-cardan to work.

Possibly with a double-cardan on both ends may get rid of any vibes.

There also had to have been an additional change when Ford went from the double-cardan front shaft to GKN CV front shaft, as the lengths are different; the former being longer by an inch or two.

With that in mind, is it possible the t-case mount/bushing has collapsed/is collapsing from the added weight of the 4406? That could cause the nose of the t-case to point skyward which would then screw up the angle of the driveline.
 






With that in mind, is it possible the t-case mount/bushing has collapsed/is collapsing from the added weight of the 4406? That could cause the nose of the t-case to point skyward which would then screw up the angle of the driveline.

i can say no to that one. i have a polly trans mount from a mustang in mine, and i still have a vibration.
 






I just did the 4406 conversion also. With the rear double cardon shaft i had no vibration issues. With the traditional u joint shaft from an f150 in the front i am having the same vibration issues. I put in new joints and it got a little better. The thing i noticed was that the shaft just barely collapses enough to get it in between the flange and yoke. I am wondering if while driving that it may not have enough space between the two and it may be applying pressure longitudinally creating the vibration. If i can't figure this out, it will just be one more reason to do the SAS.
As far as the weights go on the drive shaft the factory ones are spot welded on and after years of rust they tend to fall off when cleaning them up, i had that happen to one on the front shaft. I scribed the out line of where it was, cleaned up the rust at the ends, did the same to the weight, ground a little bit more off the weight to make up the difference of the weld and tacked it on both ends.
 






FWIW, I went through an attempt to install both a single carden and double-cardan front shaft. Both had issues.

I then took angle measurements, and the output of the t-case actually angles upward. Obviously pointing the wrong way for even a double-cardan to work.

Possibly with a double-cardan on both ends may get rid of any vibes.

There also had to have been an additional change when Ford went from the double-cardan front shaft to GKN CV front shaft, as the lengths are different; the former being longer by an inch or two.

With that in mind, is it possible the t-case mount/bushing has collapsed/is collapsing from the added weight of the 4406? That could cause the nose of the t-case to point skyward which would then screw up the angle of the driveline.

Mine is the same way, nose up. However, I bet if you check any 4WD truck it will be the same way. The front output has to be on the same plane as the crankshaft, thus the same as the rear output shaft. My 4406 is only 3/16" from the floor so my angle can not be reduce anymore.

I looked at a brand new F150 and noticed that Ford is now using that ball style coupling on both ends of the front drive shaft. That has to be to eliminate vibration. I have an idea of custom adapting a stock explorer 97-01 drive shaft to the 4406 and see how that fairs for vibration.
 






I had to trim mine to finally get it in , I pulled it apart at the slip joint and a little at a time trimmed both sides till it fit like the OE, I did take it for a ride with the hubs locked and I had no problems
 






I have rebulit my rear drive shaft, the front drive shaft, and now my transfer case and I still have a vibration only with the front drive shaft in over 70mph. I'm going to do some more measuring and geometry but i think our problem lies in the fact that the 4406 is ~1 inch wider than the 4405 (AWD) transfercase and it is throwing our U-joint angles off causing a vibration. From my quick math by having the front output of the transfercase moved towards the left 1 inch, that increases the angle by about 1.7 degrees. That doesn't sound like a lot but I could be just enough.

I wonder if a custom front shaft that has a double carden on each end would fix this problem. I've also thought about adapting a 97 - 01 explorer front drive shaft to work with this transfercase. Mayb the ball style would reduce vibration? I looked at a new F150 front drive shaft and they come with the ball style joint on both ends of the shaft.. curious.

Tim, you did tell me the 4406 is about 1 inch wider at the output shaft than the stock V6 or AWD case right?
 






This kind of wear is unavoidable on a drive shaft running at a fixed shallow angle. Even if it is kept well greased.

This is obviously an extreme example. But even the smallest dimples will cause popping.

zzzzzzzz7_zps1f3c9f75.jpg
 






im trying to remember andy. i think it was. it sucks to, because i just burred my spare case, but i will dig it back out and double check.
here might be another problem. i am thinking your next plan might be to move the trans over on the mount. it may open a whole new can of worms, because you would stress they exhaust system, as well as there might be clearance issues up front with the fan, and fan shroud for us guys running mechanical fans
 






FR, I can't even imagine how much vibration that was causing!

Tim, the only thing left that has changed is the width of the transfer case.. It has to be that.
 






FR, I can't even imagine how much vibration that was causing!

Tim, the only thing left that has changed is the width of the transfer case.. It has to be that.

I still say you guys need to look at the AVM hub conversion , the hub is tiny and might work with after market wheels, but besides that mine doesn't vibrate with them locked, I trimmed the slip joint just enough that the joint is not compressed /bottomed out and when i installed it I bolted the t-case end first then when I put the diff end up I have about an inch between the u-joint and the yoke and i actually extend the slip joint to seat the u-joint in the yoke, there is plenty of splined shaft in the slip joint , not saying its the cure but my results seem to point at it,
 






here is my 2 cents (for what its worth). i me and delexploder are in a way different from you all because we are both v8 sports with 4406's. first i had single u joint shafts both front and rear. had a vibration (and tried both style f150 shafts as well). i then went to a d/c front shaft and single rear shaft. still vibration. i then went to both dc front and rear drive shafts (double at the transfer case, single at the diff). STILL had a vibration!. i pulled the double out of the front, put the single back in, and kept the dc in the rear. fast forward a year, helping dono with his 4406 swap he used a single rear, and i gave him my double front shaft. he has put miles on it, and to this day he has no vibrations.
its enough to drive you mad!
 






This is on my mounty, I haven't started my sport yet, but yea its crazy, my front shaft came from a 97 expedition 4.6 auto with a 4406 e shift, it didn't fit at all till I cut it, im sure my sport will be a pain too, but its got manual hubs also so for me if I get the vibration it won't matter as much because I ride arount in true 2wd,
 






Just measured my 4406 e-shift and one of my 4405s , center of the input to center of the front output, the 4406 is roughly an inch wider / front shaft is outbord on the case end aprox one inch,
 



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Well i trimmed about 3/4" off of the yoke splines yesterday and it didn't help at all. I'm wondering if it's the shaft or the front diff on mine. It does have 209,000 miles on it now. The extra mass of the drive shaft and internals of the t-case being driven by the coast side of the ring and pinion could be having a negative effect???
 






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