Am I getting screwed? 8" Donahoe

[trackmagic]

Hey everyone,

Ive got a 2003 F350 CrewCab Longbed 6.0. I ordered the 8" Donahoe kit with carrier bearing drop kit and adjustable pan rod bar. After a couple weeks of waiting it finally arrived at Eastside Custom Trucks in washington to get installed. I have been very skeptical of them but didnt know of anyone else to install it. I called today to come pick up my rig (was already there for a full day), and they told me the rear driveshaft wasnt long enough. I called Donahoe and another offroad shop and they all said it should be long enough. Anyways, I had them take it to a driveline shop to be lengthened because I just need my truck done. Does anyone know if this is crap or if it actually needed to be lengthened. Hopefully 3 days after I drop it off an 8 hour job will be done.

Sorry for the rant, Ryan

[Clay Henry]

Originally Posted by trackmagic

Hey everyone,

Ive got a 2003 F350 CrewCab Longbed 6.0. I ordered the 8" Donahoe kit with carrier bearing drop kit and adjustable pan rod bar. After a couple weeks of waiting it finally arrived at Eastside Custom Trucks in washington to get installed. I have been very skeptical of them but didnt know of anyone else to install it. I called today to come pick up my rig (was already there for a full day), and they told me the rear driveshaft wasnt long enough. I called Donahoe and another offroad shop and they all said it should be long enough. Anyways, I had them take it to a driveline shop to be lengthened because I just need my truck done. Does anyone know if this is crap or if it actually needed to be lengthened. Hopefully 3 days after I drop it off an 8 hour job will be done.

Sorry for the rant, Ryan

Don't know about that one man, someone here surely will know something about that.

[Marty]

With the drop kit it should be close, but I still think it would need to be lengthened. Using a therom I learned in grade school, lets look at it this way. Asquared + Bsquared = Csquared. A = length of truck from trans to directly above where the driveshaft connects, B = length from the driveshaft connection up to the point just mentioned. C = your driveshaft.

If you increase A or B you will obviously have a different length needed for C. However there is leeway available in the driveshaft for a few inches increase or decrease for things like suspension travel, load bearing, etc... That coupled with the carrier drop kit should put it close, but I needed a longer driveshaft on my Mazda with only a 6" lift. It would work, until I got on it or spun the tires and then the rear would move under the torque and the driveshaft would pull out some and the splines would break. I think lengthening the driveshaft is a good idea. An even better idea is to get a once piece driveshaft but that's just me.