The to-do list for Project Buckshot is down to its last few items, which means it’s almost time to bust this beast’s cherry and get it out on the road for the first time. But, before we can even pull it out of the shop, we need to transfer power from that 420 H.P. Dominator engine to the wheels – and to do that we’ll need a set of strong drive shafts that can take the skinny pedal pounding whether we be on road, or off.
For us, that meant nothing more than a quick call to our favorite drive shaft shop, Tom Woods (www.4xshaft.com). We’ve been working with Tom for over 10 years and for good reason – he simply builds the very best drive shafts you can get for your 4-wheel drive. But don’t just take our word for it, here are a few examples and benefits you’ll get from every Tom Wood’s custom drive shaft.
 U-Joints – Now standard on all driveshaft’s built by Tom Woods, the Gold Seal universal joint exceed manufacturer load, life and strength requirements. The grease fitting is also placed in the end cap, which not only increases the joint body’s strength, but makes greasing and service easier. Most importantly though, if the u-joint does break they will also warranty damage to the drive shaft. As an added benefit, Tom sends all of his driveshafts’ u-joints pre-greased.
|
 Driveshaft Tube – Tom Woods only uses high quality Drawn Over Mandrel (DOM) tubing which has a yield and tensile strength of nearly double the comparable sized factory cold rolled drive shaft tube. Their driveshafts are also offered in colors of your choice, including a polished clear coat like the ones you see in this article. The tubes are also semi-robotically welded for extra strength.
|
- Sealed Tubes – All of Tom Woods drive shaft tubes are sealed at both ends to ensure contaminants don’t enter the tube body and cause corrosion.
|
- Splines – In most applications, the top of the line drive shaft splines are cut for the full length of the stub. This allows for a bit more than twice the contact area between the slip yoke & spline. This, in and of itself, should give you more than twice the life on these two components. With the booted slip yoke & spline stub, the spline will last almost indefinitely.
|
- Construction “True” – During build, Tom Woods takes the factory allowable tolerances for drive shafts and cuts them in half. The renders a drive shaft with better fit and finish, increases the life-span and durability of the driveshaft, and reduces slop and play. Tom Woods also balances all drive shafts at a speed of 3400 RPM’s.
|
 Boots & Seals– Most driveshafts built by Tom Woods come with the option for a boot or a dust seal. For extreme travel slip yoke configurations where a boot can’t stretch that far a grooved dust seal is available. For standard travel slip yoke configurations (like ours), Tom Woods uses a high quality boot to seal the slip yoke.
|
Ordering and Measuring
In the past, it has been difficult for the do-it-yourselfer to accurately measure and order a set of custom drive shafts via the web or the phone. Without considerable experience in drive shaft measuring, even the most seasoned do-it-yourselfers would typically leave this to a professional. However, Tom Woods has done a superb job in writing what is by far the most comprehensive, yet easy to follow set of instructions I’ve seen. With his instructions in hand, I was able to measure and identify the type of driveshaft, the configuration and the length in less than 15 minutes. A quick call to Tom with the details and we were done.
| Installation – Tom Woods Driveshafts |
| Time: |
20 minutes |
| Tools Needed: |
3/8″ Wrench |
| Difficulty: |
 |
Installation
 Starting with the rear axle first, place the CV-joint end (double cardan, actually) into the transfer case yoke and thread the supplied bolts through the t-case yoke, into the driveshaft. Placing the transfer case into neutral will make installation easier, so be sure to block your wheels and/or put the emergency brake on. Finger tighten these bolts.
|
 Next, move to the rear axle. Rotate the driveshaft until the u-joint aligns with the axle yoke and pull it into place. Then install the u-joint straps and bolts through the axle yoke and into the u-joint body and finger tighten them.
|
Check to make sure everything is aligned and that the u-joint end-caps are seated and aligned with the yoke lips properly. Then tighten the bolts at both ends.
|
Moving to the front axle, the process is identical. First, place the CV-joint end into the transfer case yoke and thread the supplied bolts through the t-case yoke, into the driveshaft.
|
 Next, move to the front axle. Rotate the driveshaft until the u-joint aligns with the axle yoke and pull it into place. Then install the u-joint straps and bolts through the axle yoke and into the u-joint body and finger tighten them.
|
Check to make sure everything is aligned and that the u-joint end-caps are seated and aligned with the yoke lips properly. Then tighten the bolts at both ends.
|
The Verdict
The ordering process with Tom Wood’s 3-step selection program makes even a driveshaft novice an ordering expert in just a few minutes. All you’ll need is the instructions, a pen and a tape measure. The driveshafts themselves are a work of art in their polished and clearcoated DOM attire. They look fantastic now and should keep their shine for years. If they do get scratched on the rocks, just scuff them up and toss on a bit of clear coat to keep it looking great.
The quality of the product is excellent. The super-strong DOM tubing, the high quality Gold Seal U-Joints, the tough, sealed rubber boots and the extra contact splines mean that this is likely the last driveshaft this truck will ever need.
The installation only took about 15-20 minutes to complete and required but a single 3/8” wrench in hand.
Overall, we are (and always have been) pleased with Tom Wood’s Custom Driveshaft products.
| Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts, Inc. |
2147 N. Rulon White Blvd., Suite #103
Ogden, UT 84404
Phone: 1-877-4xShaft (497-4238)
Fax: 1-877-495-6468
Web: www.4xshaft.com |
|
|
|
4x4Review Off Road Magazine
