Abstract: A shaft connection (10) for rapid mounting and dismounting of a tire building drum by rotating a clamping ring (38) on a sleeve member (20) of a main shaft (14) around an end piece (24) of a drum shaft (12) positioned in the sleeve member (20) to engage or disengage overlapping lugs (42,44) on the clamping ring (38) and end piece (24). Screw members (56,58) connect the clamping ring (38) to a segmental ring (54) in a circumferential slot (68) in the sleeve member (20) for rotating the clamping ring (38). Resilient means (60) are associated with at least some of the screw members (56) and biasing the clamping ring (38) and outer lugs (42) against the inner lugs (44) of the end piece (24) to provide a tight fit between the sleeve member (20) and end piece (24). A central shaft (104) has a sliding connection 112' between a retractable inboard section (116) with a sliding connection (112') with an outboard section (114) for engagement after mounting of the sleeve member (20) over the end piece (24).