Could someone please give me a quick noobie education on when a flange or a yoke should be used to connect the drive shafts to the transfer case. (forget slip yokes here, I talking about splined yokes vs splined flanges.) It seems in general that a flange is used when using a CV jointed drive shaft. But I have seen CV drive shafts that connect to the TC with a yoke. Also I have seen TC's with a flange on one drive shaft and a yoke on the other. What's up with that? Finally, I have never seen this, but is a flange ever used at the axle end?
Let me make sure I understand what you are saying. A flange has two parts right? One is splined and fits on the shaft of the TC or the pinion. The other half has a solid yoke,(no straps or u bolts), that makes up part of the joint. these two sections bolt together.
Correct my terminology here.. a U joint is the entire joint consisting of the plus shaped part and both yokes or is a U joint the plus shaped part only? Are the two Y shaped parts always called yokes or only if they have straps or U bolts?
So am I correct that the whole point behind flanges is that both halves of the u joint are pressed together at the bench, so that both yokes are solid. Because you can't really press the u joint together under the truck. So if you don't use a flange, one of the yokes has to have a strap or a U bolt which is weak.
So when you see the term CV flange, its refering to the design of the yoke part of the flange not the not the mounting surface, correct?
So the strongest drive shaft design would have flanges at both the TC and pinion ends? Could you/Would you use a CV joint at each end also?
Now that you mention it, I have seen the toyota flanges at the axle before. No one I know has rockwells
Let me make sure I understand what you are saying. A flange has two parts right? One is splined and fits on the shaft of the TC or the pinion. The other half has a solid yoke,(no straps or u bolts), that makes up part of the joint. these two sections bolt together.
Yep
Correct my terminology here.. a U joint is the entire joint consisting of the plus shaped part and both yokes or is a U joint the plus shaped part only? Are the two Y shaped parts always called yokes or only if they have straps or U bolts?
The u-joint is just the "plus-shaped" part. The "y-shaped" parts are yokes regardless of the way they are attached.
So am I correct that the whole point behind flanges is that both halves of the u joint are pressed together at the bench, so that both yokes are solid. Because you can't really press the u joint together under the truck. So if you don't use a flange, one of the yokes has to have a strap or a U bolt which is weak.
That is correct
So when you see the term CV flange, its refering to the design of the yoke part of the flange not the not the mounting surface, correct?
Its tough to understand what you mean here but:
A CV flange is generally a flange used at one of the transfer case outputs. Its a common way for CV shafts to be mounted. CV shafts either need to be mounted to a flange or a conventional style yoke.
So the strongest drive shaft design would have flanges at both the TC and pinion ends? Could you/Would you use a CV joint at each end also?
The strongest setup would be to have flanges at both ends.
As for the CV, its only purpose is to decrease the angle on each joint (and hence reduce vibration). There are shafts that use two CV joints.
Giving some thought to some peripheral things that I need to get sent off to shops to have rebuilt. One of those things is driveshafts. Since I am using Superduty axles, I will be using the stock VERY HD driveshafts from the f-450 that I pulled the axles out of. Factory ford transfer case has flanges on the outputs to flanges on the axles. I can go and pull these flanges and install them on the NP205, bolt on. Now then, I am using an NP205 transfer case that has yokes. I can easily change these over to flanges and bolt the driveshafts up but I wonder about the strength comparison. Both front and rear driveshafts have double cardan joints in them at the TC side. Joints are all I believe. So the question is this: Remove the flanges from the driveshafts and go straight to the yoke on the NP205 or add the flanges to the transfer case and run the driveshafts as factory.
One thing to keep in mind, I will be sending them out to have them completely rebuilt as soon as I have a hard length on them. The rear shaft will likely need to be extended, the front will likely be ok length wise but I am having all new joints put in and reconditioned/rebalanced. So it wouldn't be an issue having them converted while they are out at the shop having the other work done. Gimme some input here.
Giving some thought to some peripheral things that I need to get sent off to shops to have rebuilt. One of those things is driveshafts. Since I am using Superduty axles, I will be using the stock VERY HD driveshafts from the f-450 that I pulled the axles out of. Factory ford transfer case has flanges on the outputs to flanges on the axles. I can go and pull these flanges and install them on the NP205, bolt on. Now then, I am using an NP205 transfer case that has yokes. I can easily change these over to flanges and bolt the driveshafts up but I wonder about the strength comparison. Both front and rear driveshafts have double cardan joints in them at the TC side. Joints are all I believe. So the question is this: Remove the flanges from the driveshafts and go straight to the yoke on the NP205 or add the flanges to the transfer case and run the driveshafts as factory.
One thing to keep in mind, I will be sending them out to have them completely rebuilt as soon as I have a hard length on them. The rear shaft will likely need to be extended, the front will likely be ok length wise but I am having all new joints put in and reconditioned/rebalanced. So it wouldn't be an issue having them converted while they are out at the shop having the other work done. Gimme some input here.
Strength no difference, ease of installation go with flange