The front 2 pieces of the 3-piece steel propeller shaft installed on a 8.5-ton truck were redesigned with a 1 -piece composite propeller shaft with steel yokes and spline parts to get the reduction of weight and the improvement of NVH characteristics. Based on the analysis of bending vibration, strength and cure-induced residual stresses of the composite propeller shaft, proper composite materials and stacking sequences were selected. The composite propeller shaft requires a reliable joining method between the shaft and steel end parts through a steel connector. From 3-D contact stress analyses of the laminated composite shaft with bolted Joints, the 3-row mechanical joint which satisfies the torque transmission capability has been designed. Several full-scale composite shafts were fabricated and tested to verify the design analyses. The design requirements are shown to be satisfied. With the newly designed composite shaft, the weight reduction more than 50% and improvements in NVH characteristics have been achieved.