VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 torque tube

Thanks for the feedback on the torque tube, I'm working on a "52 3100. I rec'd this pkg w/the rear separated from the trans. I'm to the point where I want to get the rear up on the bench.I have the shop manuals,but I guess my brain is getting in the way of my eyes.Does the tube detach from the rear by removing the complete circular bolt pattern. or does it slip out prior to this?

After you pull the axles, and take off the emergency brake stuff. the entire torque tube and differential can be pulled out of the banjo housing. This assembly will then break down , follow the directions in the shop manual, for futher take down, if needed.

The tube and the rear center housing are are married together and are removed from the front of the banjo housing.The ring gear and pinion etc. will come along with the housing.

I just did this on the 52, placed a jack under the tube right in front of the differential housing and gave a pull, slid right out, when I put it back in I had a friend help but by doing the same thing probably could have put it back alone. I am waiting for a break in the weather, got to try out those 3:55 gears, did do a run to town and participated in the St. Patrick's Day parade but want to hit one of the 6,000 foot passes here and see how often I have to shift. With the 4:11 I could pull two of the three in high, one I had to down shift for about 500 feet and then back to high.

Hey Glyn, what was the reason you were changing the gears?

My 52 had the standard 4:11 gears, I cruise/travel with a group that has mostly later model cars and wanted to be able to cruise comfortably at 65 or so. I like the new gears, have to get my mind and the speedometer in sync tho. The car does run quieter and what with local gas prices hope to improve the mileage a little. I found a used 53 PG rear unit at the local salvage yard, cost me $280.00 but was in good shape. Will probably only take about 30,000 miles to amortize the cost through gasoline $ savings.

I have a 1951 Chevrolet with a 216 engine and the stock 4:11 rear end and I drive my car at freeway speeds regularly. On the highway or the freeway I maintain 60 to 65 MPH easily with the stock gears. On the last tour I attended I had the oldest car. I was cruising with a 1958 Cadillac, a 1964 Oldsmobile convertible, and other cars from the 1960's and 1970's. Since my car was the oldest they had me lead the tour. We were going up the mountains and I was leaving everyone behind. Finally had to slow down to let everyone catch up. At a rest stop they requested that I only drive around 50 MPH going up the hills because some of the other cars couldn't keep up and the 1958 Cadillac was one of them. At any rate, I have found that with my 4:11 gears my '51 Chevy can cruise with the best of them and it can maintain highway speeds all day long with no problem.
The higher gear ratio does have advantages however.

:cool2:

I'm not sure the gearing on my 47 Aerosedan but it seems so low. I try not to go over 50 mph because it seems like I shouldn't push it more than that but I would like to be able to travel on the highway around 65 mph. What do you guys suggest? I'm in the same boat as Glyn, the other guys I drive around with don't mind going 50 but sometimes we travel a distance.

If you have a stock rear end, you have the 4:11 gears. If your engine is solid, dont be affraid to push it on the high way. She will go 60-65 no problem. My 47 cruises 65 with no problem.
It took me awhile to get used to those high RPMs too. But thats what these cars were built for. It SOUNDS worse then it is...

Couldn't agree more with FLEET 47! Don't worry about the 4.11 gears. Drive your car at highways speeds....she will love it!

:) :grin:

Alright guys I'll take the advice. The high RPM's is exactly what worries me.

If your engine is in good shape there is no need to be that concerned about the higher RPM's. I have been driving my '51 Chevy at highway speeds since 1960 and she hasn't broken yet!

:) :grin:

Since the 60's-that's awesome. My 216 seems to be pretty strong and in good shape so I'm gonna try those higher RPM'S out. Hopefully I wont be having any rebuild questions in the near future :cry:

Totally agree with all that you said, but winters are long here and we need something to do with our time besides shovel snow and stoke the furnace.

I ran my 38 chevy with a 216 engine form Dayton Ohio to Boston Mass about 23 round trips, non stop except for gas (when I was a student at MIT). This is a one way trip of 860 miles. I would generally hold it at 60 (mostly because my pinion bearing liked to complain a little). Never had any engine problems except adding a quart of oil every 100 miles (before I rebuilt it). After the rebuild I never added oil during the trip.
On one early trip my voltage regulator gave out, early in the trip, and I completed the 860 miles with stopping the engine (even to add oil) only once, to save battery, since the generator also gave out a few minutes after the regualtor (I ran her on the battery alone, adding a quart every 100 miles whether she needed it or not). When I did stop once (worried about the oil level), I pulled off an exit with a hill and parked her at the top, stopped the engine, checked my oil level and then .... ingition on, pushed and rolled down, slipped her into second, popped the clutch, and...away, on my trip.

I might add that most of the trip was completed after dark but I did not use my headlights to save battery. I got behind cars and buses on the interstate (I80) to provide light. One buss did not like me back there since he could not see me and tried to loose me by sustaining 80 MPH for a while. ...You guessed it, I stayed with the bus.

80mph on Bias plys? :o

Could be. I have bias tires on my '51 and I drive it at 65 most of the time and 70 on occasion......and never had a problem with the tires.

:) :grin:

Doesn't sound like fun to me. 65 or 70 - let alone 80mph!

Wanna start the bias-ply vs radial "discussion" again.

HA! Just kidding..... Let's have another cold one instead!

Actually, it is very nice cruising at freeway speeds in your old Chevy and keeping up with the traffic. Not only that, the amazing looks that you get from folks in the newer cars is "fun" as well.

:) :grin:

Back in 1952-54 I drove my 1950 and 1953 Chevrolets 75MPH on crosscountry trips with bias tires.Drove the '55 80 and 90 for long distances as many people did....with no problem other than that the tires would wear out in 20,000 miles at that speed.I don't understand what people think is so bad about bias tires.
I drive my present '50 at 65+ MPH with 20 year old bias with no problems.Wouldn't trust 20 year old radials at higher speeds.I don't like it when the tread peels of and rips off a fender.

Chevynut, you probably drove those distances and speeds without:

Seatbelts
Child restraint seats
Radial 72,000 mile tubeless tires... we only had Bias-ply
INNERTUBED tires
no hazard warning flasher
ever seeing an imported automobile.
having no directional signals except for the standard hand and
arm out the window signaling device.
Self adjusting brakes
4 way electric seats
remote door locks
a package shelf stop light
power steering
DISC brakes
electronic ignition
electronic fuel injection
gasoline credit card or any credit card whatsoever.
federal mandated emmission controls
catylic converter
cars that were designed for what comes out of the tailpipe
rather than what comes out the driveshaft
flourocarbon refregerated A/C
global warming
T.V. computerized weather forecasting
federal or state safety inspection sticker.No online hotel reservations
mobile telephones, when you were away from home you used coins in a public pay telephone.
pay at the pump self serve gas stores (you stayed seated in the
car, the gas station attendant filled the car checked the
engine oil, the water and checked air pressure in your bias-ply
tires with a chrome plated pocket tire pressure gauge. he also
cleaned the floor mat with a whisk broom, washed and wiped the
windshield, took your money, usually a $5 bill and brought you
a receipt and the correct change)

How in the world did we do all this, and without someone from
the government keeping us safe 24-7-52-365?

Where did we go wrong?

Nothing "WRONG" with Bias belted tires but having put well over a million miles on my back side in a car seat I feel that "Radials" are just more right.

OK. If I may ask a dumb question.... Old Blue's got a 216, 4 speed (granny low) with a 4.11 rear end. When I get up to speeds of 35 mph, in 4th gear, she gives off the sound of really needing to be shifted to a higher gear or telling me to back off the speed before she launches into a real conniption and spews tranny parts all over the countryside. Are there different considerations for these 4 speed tannys?
Thanks

I am surprised no one said any thing about 80 MPH in the dark w/o headlights, yet (hour after hour). I guess you all focus on what is wrong with tires rather what is wrong with my head! Well when you are young you can do anything, since you are invincible. Truth is I could see what I was doing, just a mighty bit tired after 860 miles of it.