Shortening Banjo instructions

I gotta shorten my B body banjo to fit my F body car...Have the shop to do the welding , just need some tech help .. Thanks

After you get done, what do you do about the strings?

I just wind mine up tighter.

The weekend must be here. there is a kit of pucks to line everything up in line (I have it) & you need a 3/4" straight bar. A chop saw will work to shorten the tubes & a guy who has done this made mention that you need to clamp it all inward tightly (I gotta pick his brain some more). For you info I would go on youtube as there are some vids there on doing this. I think keeping everything inline/proper welding/perch angle correct are the critical areas. I ain't attempted it yet so this is all I can offer.

Each weld you put on when you reweld will pull the end toward the weld. You need the fixture to check to see where you are. I used Dye-chem to mark the alignment bushing so I could tell which side was rubbing. It is not obvious unless its way off.

Depending on the year and application of that B body 8 3/4, you may not have to shorten. Currently I have an 80 volare and measured a bunch of stuff and ordered a new S60 from Strange. I believe I used tech archive data to find that 1" less width from a 69 road runner dana would work, so they verified with me that the standard pinion offset would be retained and whipped one up. 1" total reduction in length(1/2 " per side), and I've got 275/50r15 drag radials on it, on 15x8 magnums. Note: the springs are moved in about 3/4 per side on mine so Strange sent pads seperate, so I could figure pinion angle and custom locate them. It works great!

Regardless of all else, you need a jig to keep the ends in alignment. If the shop that's gonna do the welding doesn't have one, look further.

Many (most) of the jigs available now only allow doing one side at a time; I don't care for that, I believe the jig bar should extend through both sides at once.