Joining two driveshafts from different cars?

Updated: 09 Dec 2024

Is it possible to join a BMW driveshaft with a Lada driveshaft?
Asking because I am thinking of swapping the Lada engine for a Volvo one and using a BMW gearbox (with an adapter).

The idea

The only 2 problems I forsee are:

Length. May(Will) have to cut it and shorten it.
U-joint may not fit.
I know what you are thinking: “No way, the u-joints are totally different”…

But it turns out that’s not quite the case…
Lada U-Joint: 23.8x61.3 mm
BMW U-Joint: 24x63 mm

So- Will it fit?

The extra 1 mm each side I hope will allow me to put clips to keep it in place because BMW decided to (weld?) the U-Joints on their driveshafts(???) but people have found ways to change them instead of buying new driveshafts.

Comments

Bisforbuild on youtube tried something similar when building his 2jz swapped brz. Can’t remember what went wrong but he explained a decent bit about driveshafts

Thanks, but he had it made for him by some company and he didn’t give details about how they did it.

I would take it to a driveshaft shop, those things are precision balanced and you definitely don’t want it breaking and pole-vaulting your car. Custom driveshafts really aren’t diy friendly.

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Yeah, but would it be possible.
It’s no good if all they can do is tell me “not possible”

It’s possible, it’s a matter of if it is justifiable to do. How much fabricating or metal working would be involved and cost. And the second challenge would be ensuring it is properly balanced, which I imagine would get quite a bit more involved with a driveshaft consisting of two completely different ends from different manfactuers under different specs.

I have heard both parts of a drifeshaft are balanced separately, so it doesn’t matter how it’s assembled.
I have no idea if that’s true, I just read it in some bmw forum.