Thanks for the reply guys! I feel a lot better now about it.
Lonnie-S wrote:
With a modification of your tunnel structure, you may be OK, but you'll have to check some angles for your driveshaft, or at least simulate the shaft with tubing or some other means.
You can get away with some offset of your driveshaft. However, certain principles must be observed so the the aggregate of the offset in 3 dimensions isn't too much over all, or you'll have balance/vibration issues that can't be solved. I don't want to quote the number from memory, but I'll try to find my reference material later on today.
If the center of your diff input shaft is in the same horizontal plane as the end of your transmission output shaft, then you should be able to absorb 2 degree angle change in your offset of the driveshaft.
It's easier to explain in pictures, rather than English. There are some other potential solutions too like mounting your engine/transmission to point to the diff rather than run down the centerline of the chassis, assuming the angle is small.
The overall message is that you very likely have multiple solutions available. My own build has an offset 3/4" to the passenger side. Other successful builds here do too.
Cheers,
If I can get that information, it would be great! I think the goal I will focus is now to get a 3rd mount point on the diff, so for sure it is as far into the tunnel as it can be and make it as level it is to the transmission output shaft on the horizontal plane. I can point the engine slightly into the rear diff, so I can try to "maximumize" that angle to get something like 2 degrees.
I'm not too key in modifying the frame, so I think this is the best solution for me.