C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

[Alan D.]

The subject has appeared before however the search has still left me without a decision.
Now my original drive shaft has a longitudinal line over the entire tube (Mar64)
So I must assume the tube was welded along that line.
Would that welding process leave approximately a 1/2" wide strip along the line of a black/blue tone?

Have a shop which suggested to retube my yokes to that type of material which they had in stock. Appears to be same diameter, but will check. Note; shop will balance it.

Now did the bluing from the yoke being welded show?

The yokes should look like a raw casting, correct? Anyone have picture of those subjects.

Do not think I want to retube mine since its original yet old, but not opposed to finding some yokes and having one made if the tube is correct.

[John D.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Alan, So the drive shaft is made from seamed tubing. Most of the tubing you see has a seam of some kind.
Highly unlikely your drive shaft shop will have the same seamed tubing. Now if it was available than Yogi and others would be using it.
In my town there is a shop that specializes in drive shafts and balancing of such. I have no clue how they even stay in business. Good luck, JD
PS Sorry I don't have the answer. One answer is the boys can't see the driveshaft anyhow. Most of them can't fit under the car. Yeah I know. Me either.

[Dan H.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Alan, paint your original one chassis black and get some rest!

[Michael H.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Alan, paint your original chassis black and get some rest!

Agree.

[Alan D.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Picked up another drive shaft which had an area protected by under coating.
Now the raw metal shows two black/blue areas which one sees on a split tube around the weld points.
The tube also has a longitudinal line over the entire length however it is not in the center of the two black/blue areas, but below those.

I would say that an original drive shaft would have these black/blue areas - perhaps one or two. Note the available replacement tubes (split) at a drive shaft shop also show such a black/blue strip. (2" tubes are available).

My guess would be that the repo drive shafts do not represent a typical production shaft however I've only looked at two so far. Do not think GM would have polished the material, but would have just welded on the yokes, balanced, paint marked, and installed.

[Ronald L.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

My head hurts trying to understand what you are trying to say.

Can you edit picture and point to these areas - even drop that text on the photo?

I know of no steel shaft that is not seam welded - these days. They start with flat strip and roll it up & seam weld at perhaps 50 to 100 feet per minute. Then that tube is chopped off and the ends welded on, yes weld leaves splatter and some discoloration depending upon the quality, metal etc.

So where are you trying to go? If you have an original rusted shaft, clean up the rust, pop a little clear on it and relax, you are never going to get the original look, much less it will rust in front of your eyes and back then it was pretty typical that underbody parts rusted real fast. St Louis is in the rust belt!

[Michael H.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

I would say that an original drive shaft would have these black/blue areas - perhaps one or two.

For 63-64, the drive shaft would originally have been coated with chassis black so, the seam wouldn't be an issue.
I suppose it would be for 65 and later, though.

[Bob R.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

All 63 and 64 corvette suspensions and rear differential were blacked out with the frame. The drive shaft and the rear suspension should be black.

[Alan D.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Ronald,
Past archives seemed to indicate that the issue of a solid tube v welded split tube was not settled! Soooo

The original drive shaft shown in the picture seems to confirm that the tube originally used was the welded type. I say that for two reasons, the existence of the light blue/black line (2) as shown and further that the two original shafts both have a line where the split would be.

For some reason got stuck in the natural mode for the drive shaft like 65 up. Ahh that's what you guys told me from day one, whoops

[John H.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Driveshafts and half-shafts were made at Chevrolet-Warren; yokes were both purchased from Spicer and made in-house at Chevrolet-Detroit Forge, and the tubes were cut from conventional seam-welded tubing. Having spent many years with Chevrolet Engineering and Manufacturing, I can't imagine Chevrolet ever spending the money for premium DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) seamless tubing for anything.

[Gary S.]

Re: C2 Drive Shaft Finishing

Driveshafts and half-shafts were made at Chevrolet-Warren; yokes were both purchased from Spicer and made in-house at Chevrolet-Detroit Forge, and the tubes were cut from conventional seam-welded tubing. Having spent many years with Chevrolet Engineering and Manufacturing, I can't imagine Chevrolet ever spending the money for premium DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) seamless tubing for anything.

John...thanks for your valuable post. It seems to make the best sense for sure. There was a C2 half shaft with the yoke cut off laying at a vendor's spot at the Florida meet last week. You could see the bluish weld about 1/4" wide full length on the inside and the weld was smooth inside like it is on the outside.