Drive shaft for my 1966 Midget

[TonimusMaximus]

Just out of curiosity, what is the Toyota shaft out of? Below are the Midget u-joint specs, and yes, it is still available.

Type Plain Round Length Axis 1 2.41 In. Length Axis 2 2.41 In. Solid Shaft No Bearing Cap Type Rounded Plain Grade Type Performance Snap Rings Included Yes Lock Ring Location End Of Cap Inside Yoke Lock-Up Yes Material Steel Greasable Yes Mounting Hardware Included Yes Outside Yoke Lock Up No Bearing Cap Axis 1 Diameter 0.938 In.

 

[mickri]

U joints are available from several suppliers. What I was referring to was the part that the U joint attaches to. My mistake for incorrect terminology. No idea what that is called. I checked a couple of the midget parts suppliers and none of them sell the drive shaft. Doesn't matter because I have 2 midget drive shafts.

The engine and transmission are out of a 1982 toyota corolla sr5. I bought a complete running car for the donor and stripped everything off of it that I thought I might need for the swap. The toyota drive shaft is two parts with a support bearing. I'll take everything to the drive line shop.

 

[Bob Korves]

No idea what that is called.

Yoke.

 

[GoceKU]

I've dealt with this couple of times, better option is to shorten the toyota driveshaft, and just make a simple adapter to adapt the yoke to the MG diff.

 

[mickri]

The toyota drive shaft has two shafts with a support bearing between them. The second longer shaft starts out at one diameter and then increases to a larger diameter. At the differential end the yoke is on a smaller diameter shaft that slips inside the bigger shaft with some type of flexible rubber like material that holds the two shafts together. It will be up to the drive line shop how they want to make the drive shaft.

 

[john.k]

Sometimes shafts like pictured have a rubber bushing bonded between the tubes to dampen vibration,and annoying harmonics.....Ive done hundreds of truck shafts,where noise isnt an issue,but cars are a whole different story.( not out of balance vibration BTW,but torque induced)....sometimes universals need to be out of phase for vibration reduction,sometimes at odd angles,not just 0 or 180.

 

[Latinrascalrg1]

John K....I think maybe you are referring to the Harmonic Vibration?

 

[john.k]

More than likely...........did a truck once used to break tailshafts repeatedly,apparently the shaft length was just right for a harmonic to set in at engine governed revs.....critical vibration period,or something.Cured it by putting a big fluid type damper on one of the flanges.....cost heaps.

 

[GoceKU]

In this case you'll be better off going to the junkyard with your original spline york and finding the closest one you can get, and shorten it or is you need an inch just make a spacer for the diff side. Knowing Toyota they use standard components there will be a lot of compatibility. Here is a picture of the hackwork i had to do on my projects just to get it done :

http://www.505turbo.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2016_12/DSC_0010JPG.jpg.12e08a4f86dbafd403980fd3156d9ae0.jpg

 

[mickri]

The toyota end is not the problem. The drive line components on MG midgets were mostly designed in the 1940's and 50's and carried forward to use on the midgets. Nothing was standard back then. Junkyard scrounging is not really an option for me. It's a 100 mile round trip to the nearest junk yards of any size. That gets expensive in both fuel and time. And I would still have to take those components to a drive line shop.