[jspatz1]

If this is your first experience with live axles and with a new drive arrangement, it might be a good idea to build it initially with spacers and collars. There is a very good chance you will make changes and adjustments as you go along, which is easily done with spacers, but not with ring grooves. Hex shafts are a bit expensive to remake too many times. You can always add grooves and rings and remove excess length when you have the arrangement perfected. Buy a stick of nylon tubing (Mcmaster) which fits your shaft, and you can quickly make custom spacers as needed.