Difference between B/B vs S/B half shafts

[IH2LOSE]

So I am doing my normal thing while out of town and cant sleep and have internet acess (parusing ebay vette auctions) And I see a car listed and it describes it has correct b/b short shafts.

Does anybody know the difference between the two? Or do you think he is just speaking of the axel stubs having bolted caps instead of u joints.

As always thanks

 

[WayneC]

I'm not an expert on the subject, but I believe they ARE the same except for the U-joint caps.

The shafts started out in the 1963 model as a smaller diameter, and they were enlarged when the big blocks came in 1965. Thereafter, the same shaft was used for all models through 1974, and the newer (fatter) shaft was also used as the replacement part for all 63 to 74 Corvettes. My parts book dated 1976 lists only one part number (3872908) for 63 to 74.

 

[66427-450]

I believe the BB 1/2 shafts were stress relieved in some way (bead/shot blasted?), in an attempt to upgrade their strength.

Didn't they have an olive green stripe around them to distinguish them form SB shafts?

(PS: I also think they were all the same dia (in midyears that is)

 

[JohnZ]

Midyear half-shafts were identical between SB and BB except that the BB shafts were shot-peened (and originally identified with the daub of green paint so St. Louis could tell them apart).