VS 304 Getrag conversion tail shaft problem

[m1r4ge]

Hi Guys,

I have searched around and can't come up with the answer to this, so if anyone could help it would be much appreciated...

My mate is putting a Getrag 5 speed behind his 304 VS motor, we have the gearbox in but the tail shaft did not fit, so we got a tail shaft from a VT SS, but this also does not fit, it overlaps the diff by about 20mm, and the mount for the tail shaft does not line up.

Has anyone done this before? Will the tail shaft need to get shortened? Will a ute tail shaft fit (my mate seems to think it will, not sure why)?

I have read the comments about Getrag boxes - please don't bother ragging on them here, I don't care how crap they are, the gearbox is in and won't be taken out in a hurry.

[old mate]

i dont THINK a ute tailshaft will fit as they have a slightly longer wheelbase (sedan 2731mm, ute/wagon 2822mm). hmm maybe the front half of a getrag ute tailshaft with the rear half of a sedan shaft?? i couldnt see holden making the front half longer just for ute/wagons.

havent had any luck finding a shaft at the wreckers from a vs ss?

[50LTRv8]

maybe the front half of a getrag ute tailshaft with the rear half of a sedan shaft??

This is what you need to do

[m1r4ge]

Thanks for the help guys. 50LTRv8, have you done this? I would like to make sure before we go and get another tail shaft, don't want to spend any more money on top of what we already have, just to have it not fit again, have you got any measurements? Or, can someone who has a V8 ute with a Getrag take some measurements?

old mate - I wasn't involved in getting the tail shaft, so not sure, however the gearbox came out of a VT, will this have any bearing on what is used?
Also (sorry forgot to add this in the first post...) it is a conversion from an auto box, I'm pretty sure it was the stock box from the car.

[50LTRv8]

Thanks for the help guys. 50LTRv8, have you done this? I would like to make sure before we go and get another tail shaft, don't want to spend any more money on top of what we already have, just to have it not fit again, have you got any measurements? Or, can someone who has a V8 ute with a Getrag take some measurements?

old mate - I wasn't involved in getting the tail shaft, so not sure, however the gearbox came out of a VT, will this have any bearing on what is used?
Also (sorry forgot to add this in the first post...) it is a conversion from an auto box, I'm pretty sure it was the stock box from the car.

Have not done this, but have researched it quite a bit.I am itching to put a getrag in my calais. The tail shafts are interchangeable, you should only have to use the front half from the getrag and your original rear half that is on the car and you should be sweet.

As far a i have read they are a good box, just not as strong as a t 56 and lets face it, not many boxes are at reasnable prices. Another factor for the getrag is not needing to do a diff ratio change.