Posted by Chris Davis on February 04, 1999 at 17:11:53:
When I bought my project M37 the rear drive shaft was removed and bent beyond saving. Last week I finished building a replacement drive shaft, hooked it up, and discovered I had a broken axle. :(
I pulled both axle shafts, short one was fine, long one sheared at the splines. I had to pull the differential to get the spline end out, but I wanted to check for damage anyway. Everything looks ok, and turns free, so I'm not worried about the differential itself.
So now I need a long axle shaft. I work at a machine shop, so we could make a new splined end and weld it on, but we are worried about the stress point this creates. Has anyone out there had experience with welding these shafts? Is it a common repair, or do I need to just replace it?
If replacement is the best option, does anyone have one for sale or trade? I've got an M37 Engine, Transmission, starter, regulator, etc. for barter.
Thanks,
Chris Davis
'52 M37
Lake Forest, CA