VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Okie bushing dimensions

Just attempted to swap in an oakie bushing into my 53 bel air and it seems it’s too big for my driveshaft. I bought it off of chevsofthe40s. Does anyone have a link to the correct bushing and/or know the dimensions need for the okie to press fit in the tube ?

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/452084/torque-tube-okie-bushing.html#Post452084 Click on link.

Read this thread and watch the video in the second post.

You will see that it is a common problem for the bushing to be too tight.

Thank you, I have been referring to his video too. My best bet is to grind it down little by little till it fits

It needs to be a snug fit. They manufacture them large to provide some material that can be removed for a snug fit as it's a universal type part and each torque tube can be a slightly different dimension after 60,70,80 years of people wrenching on them.

It's useless if it's a sloppy fit so remove material gradually and uniformly all around the diameter...

“Uniformly” is the key word! You need to keep the inside diameter of the rear bushing centered in the tube. Otherwise you will force the driveshaft off-center. That will create vibrations and wear the rear bushing quicker than normal.

Perhaps you should insert a piece of round stock in the rear bushing of the Oakie. Then let the Oakie rotate on that round while you lightly grind material off the outside diameter. Put a little oil on the round. Do not let things start spinning very fast.

This is a poor guy’s version of a center-less grinder or a grinding attachment to a lathe.

Note that the torque tube on a 1950 and prior is smaller tha a 1951 and up. Do ou have a smaller torque tube from a 1950 in your car? the 1950 was 1 13/16 in diameter? and the 1951 and up 3 1/4"

I have never installed an Okie bushing and, therefore, can't add much advice or input here.

Having said the above, I have never understood why one would use one instead merely pulling the old bushing and whatever is in the shaft such as a seal and install new ones of those instead.

Seems to me that the okie is more labor intense and agrevating to install and wouldn't do anymore than the original setup.

I don't know if it is necessary to install the locking pin when using an okie as it would be with an original bushing but that can't be too much trouble.

So, what is the advantage in using an okie?

Thanks,

Charlie

BTW: I have several of the original NOS replacement bushings around here as well as some okies. Don't know about the separate seals though although they shouldn't be too hard to fine from a vendor.

BTW: Go to "Jayhawker" on Youtube for a good video on installing an okie. I think it was in a 47/48 he put installed one.

I'd always had pretty well the same questions as you Charlie, that why I finally tore my torque tube apart last month and posted pictures.

Usually this whole area is only touched when you have an oil leak. The oil seal is behind the rear bushing, which is obviously behind the front bushing so you need to remove and replace all three items which would be a ton of work if this was still attached to the car.

The Oakie only requires removing the front dowel pin and bushing. The Oakie is quite long and replaces the front bushing but also adds a new additional rear bushing and seal. So not only does it save messing with the original seal and rear bushing, but it adds another one of each.

The Oakie bushing surfaces and the seal are also now riding on virgin areas of the propeller shaft so you have a better chance of a tight fit and solving the leaks. The bushing surfaces of the Oakie are also much bigger with more contact area than the originals so this helps as well.

The front dowel pin does not need to be replaced with an Oakie, unless the Oakie does not fit snugly. They usually require pounding in so are indeed snug.