In a world where crap almost never fits, always requires modification to work, and just plain busts your knuckles to handle, it's nice to have an install go smoothly for a change.

The brown truck delivered my Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts for the '68 J2000 the other day. Since I'm running a Dodge Dana 44 and NP208 T-case with funky Saginaw yokes, the company also sent along some replacement Spicer yokes.

To swap the rear T-case yoke I needed to pop out the rear seal and insert a new one with a larger ID. My local Car Quest had the seal and the yoke swaps went down without a hitch.

Then the acid test: would the shafts fit. Let's put it this way: I've never had something I ordered from Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts not fit. These were no exception, which is sort of impressive considering my measurements went out the window thanks to the yoke swap. Will the U-joints be located the same distance from the seal surface, will the yoke bottom more or less on the pinion or T-case shaft splines, etc.

I'm always amazed at what a quality product comes out of that shop. Think I'm going a bit overboard? Then I bet you've never waited a week for a shaft to arrive, only to have it separate and fall apart as you pull the U-joints to the yokes. Or maybe it's too long and would bottom when the suspension compresses, thereby shattering your T-case? Or the company just didn't listen to you and used too large or too small a tubing diameter? I've seen it all and it sucks worse every time.

I don't mean to gush, but I did the shaft installation yesterday in between two other installs that went down as smoothly as a shot of rot gut whiskey. Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts is just one of those companies I can always count on to get the job done right the first time. They're always the right length (meaning they match the measurements I gave), don't come with the yokes out of phase, the U-joints are always pre-lubed, they spin true and in-balance, and they always deliver what I order.

There are a few other companies I put in this category of upper-eschilon manufacturers along with Tom Wood's. Dynatrac, for example is one of 'em. There are others. These are shops and companies that still take pride in their work and who do everything in their power to keep mistakes from going out the delivery door. Sadly, it's becoming a rarity these days. Maybe I'll make a list.