different trans and drive shaft

[83SN]

I have a 83 Chevy short/narrow, had standard 4 speed, installing 454 w/turbo 400.  Did they have different pinion yoke's for 10 bolt Chevy trucks?
What do i need to tell the driveshaft maker to build a driveline....

Willie
wknox@gracetulsa.com

[Captkaos]

Do you already have a driveshaft? Are you changing the rearends? 
If you already have a driveshaft and you aren't changing rearends, you should measure from the end of the output shaft on the trans to the end of the pinion yoke on the rearend and tell them you are running a TH400.  Which 4speed do you have?  If it is the SM465, I can't remember if it was the TH400 style output.

[83SN]

do not have the driveshaft yet, it was the M20...
Don't plan on changing diff yet 10 bolt, but just counted and the other was a 12 bolt....so possible will upgrade later....

thanks
willie

[VileZambonie]

some TH400's had a bolt on yoke... You'll have to determine which style you have. One thing you can keep in mind is you may be able to cheat by changing U-joints instead of yokes. The 10 bolt and 12 bolt yokes are different but can easily be cheanged as long as you can find a decent autoparts store that doesn't mind looking up a few different application variations for you.

[Captkaos]

I personally wouldn't swap from a 10 to a 12.  It really isn't an upgrade.  It's not like going from a 10bolt car to a 12bolt car.

[VileZambonie]

I've heard a lot of people say the same thing because the pinion gear has a little more beef but every single GM truck rear I've replaced or rebuilt that's been anhialated has been a 10 bolt. I've only broken 2 12 bolts and one was a 3.07 the other was a 2.56 that both couldn't take the sever punishment. I personlly prefer the 12 bolts

[Captkaos]

I exploded a 12bolt in the 81 4x4 I had, and it was nothing fancy.  It just let go one day, shoved the pinion seal out and tore a bunch of teeth off.