M37 Centered rear shaft?

[MasterYota]

I know this question has probably been answered a hundred times already, but I don't have access to the search feature, so if someone could humor me and post a link to page that would be great!

I'd like to center the rear drive shaft on my 53 M37 so that the shaft lines up with the new rear diff. I've heard this is cheap and easy, and I've heard that this requires some specific parts. Can anyone give me a basic rundown of how this is done? It looks like a simple job, the drive shaft yoke looks like it will bolt onto the back of the parking brake drum. But I'm sure I'm missing something - I can't be that easy, can it?

Thanks for the help!

[Keith in CO]

centered output

Some good info here:

http://www.uglytruckling.com/Technic...ear%20axle.htm

[Desoto61]

Not sure if this will work but here's the search for "centered rear axle" on the forum, don't think what you're looking for is there.

I think the transfer case yoke attachments are different on the M37 vice the FFPW but the same output yoke on the drum could work. I'm pretty sure you'll have to have the driveshaft length changed, and I'm not sure about the angles. They get steeper when you go off the "upper" output. I think one of the threads talks about having to use a cardain (correct term?) joint to handle the driveshaft angle.



This one was on my FFPW, not sure how it got there it since the uglytruckling site talks about the FFPWs not usually having these. I'm hoping to do the same conversion if I can get the axle I need.

[MasterYota]

I had spoken to Ray at Helitool recently and he said that he never got around to producing the adapter ring to mate the M37 Flange directly to the tcase. The output bolt pattern on the M37 flange looks like a direct swap over to the 4 bolt pattern on the back of the parking brake. I'm just not sure what happens when (or if) those 4 bolts are removed from the brake, so that I can find out if the pattern is the same.

Thanks for the "lookup" Desoto, but the browser won't let me view that page with all the results on it. I guess I'd need a link to the actual forum post:( Thanks for the help anyway!). Your tcase yoke appears to be the earlier WC variant that Ray talks about (uglytruckling) for using with the centered rear axle. Good score!

[MasterYota]

Ok - I'm thinking that a better question to ask would be:

What happens to the park brake assembly when the 4 bolts are removed from the back of the flange area? (the 4 bolts in Desoto's picture).

I'm thinking that it might not be all that difficult to build an adapter ring if the bolt pattern is not the same as the M37 drive shaft flange. The tcase is the only stock piece that I will be re-using in my build-up, and I unfortunatley do not have a manual for it. If someone has an "exploded parts" view of the tcase and parkbrake assembly that they could post up I could probably answer all my own questions.

Thanks in advance!

Ray

[Desoto61]

It's not an exploded view but I took a bunch of pictures of my t-case as I tore it down. They're here if that helps. On mine the four bolts just held the e-brake drum to the yoke assembly.

I'm on vacation this week or I'd post a picture of the drum without the yoke. The yoke on mine was not threaded, there were nuts and lockwashers on the back side that held the drum on.

I don't think anything should be affected. The brake band is attached to a plate behind the drum and sealed to the case. It holds the grease seal for the shaft. Remove the center bolt and the whole assembly should slide out of the case and leave the band in place (assuming your e-brake isn't on).

[MasterYota]

Thanks for the insight and pictures Desoto - they have cleared up some of the mystery! I think I've got a pretty good handle on this idea now.

Thanks!