Using the drawing in CCI's post the overall length should be 18.5 inches and the length from the outside of the bells is 10.75. It may be needed to reduce each of those another .25 inches. I cut mine with a hacksaw and then used a file to dress the ends. Piece of cake. Becareful with the M96 in that if you raise the spreader all the way up---no reason to do that--the top link arm will contact and possibly bend that piece of sheet metal that covers the rear frame cross member on the BX, the piece that has the top link retainer. Your shaft should be cut so that it does not bind when full up and does not slip off when full down, in practice, your spreader will be set level on the drawbars--drawbars level approx. and the top link adjusted to tilt the spreader slightly up in the rear. Cut the same amount off of each section of shaft to achieve the proper overall length. Set the shaft with the locknut--per the manual from Herd, such that there is no or very little free play when the shaft is pulled on--ie--the PTO shaft should be pushed all the way on to the input shaft and then the set nut tightened down--this prevents overloading the drive gears.
Sorry it took so long, I was out of town on buisness last week and running behind.
J