Identical P30 chassis do not always share the same parts!

[Rickf1985]

As some of you know I have a 1989 Winnebago Chieftain and a 1990 Pace arrow. Both are 31 footers and both are the same engine and transmission. Same transmission mounted emergency brake and same wheelbase. The Winnebago was made in 88 and the Pace in 89. Now do you think they would use the same drive shafts? You already know where this is headed just from the intro. I took out the rear shaft from the Pace to swap into the Winnie to check out a vibration and low and behold the splines on the slip joint are different. Great, so I go back to get the center section shaft and I find that the pace has a long front shaft, short second shaft and then the rear shaft which is the right length but wrong spline.
SO, Overall the drive shafts are the same length, they are just laid out differently. Go figure.

And they are not interchangeable since there is crossmember in the same place between the two chassis to mount the center support bearing to. So major differences between one year.

[EldoradoBill]

Seems late 80s-early 90s were transitional years for GM chassis. Look up any mechanical part, more choices than Baskin-Robbins  Hm? I had to buy a cheapie set of calipers to measure everything just to get parts to do my brakes and replace the U-Joints


Bill

[Rickf1985]

Probably lowest bidder on parts for each year but I would think it would be cheapest to keep the same driveline over the entire run. I will have to check Stepvan parts and see what they show for shafts, if they show them at all.

[beaverman]

Rick, what year did the P30 go from a GM in house to being farmed to workhorse?

[Rickf1985]

Not sure, sometime in the mid to late 90's I believe.

[BrianB]

Rick,

My 86 Chieftain is also 31 foot. But I don't think the frame was that long from GM. I can tell that the frame was lengthened by about 12 inches *in front* of the rear axle. So that means that the driveshaft could not be the same as from factory.

I know that my wheelbase doesn't match any of the one listed for that year in the GM parts diagrams.

[Rickf1985]

The frame extensions in front of the rear axle are factory GM extensions for the standard wheelbases. The motorhome companies added extensions to the rear of the frames behind the axle and this was usually very poorly done. If you look at the extension you are referring to it is a very well done fishplate add on.

[bluebird]

My Daybreak had a 216" wheelbase, and the frame was extended mid way between the front and rear axle. They did a very good job on it though.

[Rickf1985]

That is the factory frame extension I believe. The coach manufacturers made additions after the rear axle. Most likely to avoid liability from anything suspension related happening and being blamed on them. And with the extensions I have seen I can see why! N:(