Hi Fred,

Very good to talk with you tonight. Looks like you have this thread well on it's way. I like your list of mods and agree with your plans, but I was wondering about the replacement drive shaft. Do you think the flexible nature of the hose coupling in the drive system serves a purpose other than absorbing minor alignment issues? I am just wondering if it might provide some type of necessary shock absorber function. Testing of a custom solid shaft will answer that question, but I wonder if vibration or durability will be improved or degraded by removing the semi-flexible coupling with the engine. I am no engineer so I have no idea, just wondering.

I envy your gear, mine are the original air up, spring down affairs. You are lucky to have the air up/air down arrangement. Those brass air cylinders should be more durable than the 30 year old brittle plastic ones that came with my kit.

Keep Rocky Dog in plenty of cold ones and have him keep snapping on the pictures as you work on this project.

Cheers,
Forest