The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1940-1950 drive shaft bushing/seal in a 51-54 torque tube

I am in the process of rebuilding the rear end of a 1949 3100 and had a question on the torque tube, drive shaft, bushings. I want to put a 1940-1950 bushing in in a 1951 torque tube. Looking in the parts manual it looks like the 1948 to 1954 torque tubes and drive shafts themselves are the same part number. It looks like the only difference is that the 48-50 have slip fit and pinned in drive shaft bushings and the 51-54 have press fit bushings. It looks like the ID of the torque tubes are the same and the OD of the drive shaft are the same.

This leads me to believe that the only difference in the bushings is the OD. I bought a rebuild kit for the 1949 rear end and my torque tube and drive shaft are damaged and pitted beyond use. So I want to use a 1951 3100 torque tube and drive shaft.

I was hoping to get some feedback on if I would run into any issues with using a 1951 torque tube and drive shaft in a 1949 rear end. I would also use a 1940-1950 "okie" bushing in the 1951 rear end but I would drill the bushing and torque tube and pin it as on the 1949 torque tube.

UPDATE: I got both front bearings out and although the parts book says that the torque tubes are the same, the inner diameter of the 1949 was approximately 1.728" and the ID of the 1951 was 1.766" (harbor freight uncalibrated caliper measurement). I do not know how much each torque tube varied from the factory so maybe this is in tolerance but from those measurements only I believe they were made with different nominal inner diameters. The Okie bushing that I got for the 1949 is around 1.725" diameter so I will not be using it in the 1951 rear end as intended.

I am still wondering if I can use the drive shaft and torque tube from the 1951 in the 1949

I would not suggest going through the hassle of drilling for the pin. You have more chances of damaging the tube with no reward for doing so.

I would suggest call Patrick Dyke from Patrick's speed shop. He can tell you exactly what you need and sell it to you.