The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop HELP seperating torque tube from rear end.

I am stil CONFUSED!

Does the torque tube seperate from the differential? I see the bolts all the way around the front of the axle housing but does it also seperate more forward so you can ship the rear end with all the gears still inside? Or if you seperate it with those bolts will all the gears stay in the axle housing?

I have never taken this apart before and need to know for shipping purposes. I obviously don't want to ship the torque tube, but want more than the housing, I want the whole thing with all the gears. The easiest thing would be if the torque tube was just removable from the whole assembly. But I can't tell from the Manual if this is the case.

For anyone that is interested. To install the 3.55 Patrick's rear end upgrade you need the older housing. I found a used older housing with the 3.55 kit already installed. So, I want to ship the whole thing to me without the torque tube. Patrick's tells me my 54 torque tube will bolt up. I just can't figure out where to have them seperate the torque tube before shipping.

Not sure what you've got, but maybe if I explain how my '54 sedan T-tube is set up it'll help. I pulled my rear apart to swap in a set of 3:55 powerglide sedan gears. 1st, remove tires & brake drums. Next remove rear diff cover and remove center block, spider gears, C clips and axle shaft gears. Pull axles out of housing. Undo the 10 or so bolts (nuts?) at the front of the housing. The diff center section will come out with ring & pinion still installed. Pull center section with torque tube attached from under car. You can undo the carrier bearing caps and the carrier & bearings & ring gear assy will come out. Remember where all parts go. Carrier bearing caps are like rod caps, gotta go back on the way they came off.

Next remove the two or three bolts and jam nuts that are located on front of the center section right where the t-tube goes into c-section. These set the pinion bearing load or location of bearings or something. Bonk the front of the driveshaft with a block of wood or brass hammer or something. After enough beating the pinion bearings will come loose and the pinion & driveshaft assy will slide out the back of the c-section. You'll see two pinion bearings, spacers, washers, etc. The pinion is dowel-pinned or riveted or something to the driveshaft.

Then you can look inside & outside of tube & center section assembly and see whats going on. At least on my car, the t-tube is riveted to the center section. Seems like the tube slides into the center section housing, and then rivets or something hold it together. I don't know if you can cut the rivets and then pull the T-tube out of the center section, then use hardened bolts to reassemble. Seems like you'd have to completely disassemble the unit to undo the tube from center section, even if your model has bolts or rivets or whatever holding it together.

Then like I said, the pinion is pinned to the back of the prop shaft, which is as long as the torque tube. So you'd have to have them separate it or ship it separate or something. Then I don't know if the pinion will fit onto your old prop shaft. And a shop must reassemble the unit to get the clearances correct.

When you figure out the fine details let me know, I'd like to know how it goes together.

good luck

chip

Ok that answered my question. So the torque tube is attached semi permanently to the center section. So the only way to ship the rear axle housing that I need and the pinion set etc inside the center section is to have them disassemble it. Ouch.

What I need from this differential is the early axle housing and all the Patrick's 3.55 parts that come in the $400 kit. The center section and torque tube are dispensable.

What if I have them sawsall the torque tube about a foot in front of the center section? I could then disassemble it here, use my own center section (according to Patricks), use the older axle housing and put in all the guts from the 3.55 kit?

This would sure make it easier on the people on the other end. It is either that or have them disassemble everything and ship the gears and the housing only. Help, I gotta figure this out.

Tony,

I'm not clear if you're shipping or trying to insruct the shipper, but, but maybe you are trying to make this too difficult. When I sold my Patrick's 3.55 to a guy in New Mexico, I just shipped the entire "Chunk" with the torque tube attached. They banded the whole thing to a pallet, and away it went. They charge by weight and the torque tube didn't increase the cost by much (if any). By the way, this was air freight, buyer arranged, he said it was only a little more than by truck.

Went back and edited my post while you were reading it... Changed the names of parts to be more clear. Center section is riveted to torque tube. Gear carrier is the thing that ring gear bolts onto and rides in center section.

Do you need the gear carrier or the center section? If they sawzall it, it'll trash the center section. It may also put metal down in the bearings, requiring disassembly/bearing replacement anyway to clean.

Chip I used your names and then you changed them.
My brother's company has an account with Yellow freight but they said it shouldn't overhang a pallet. It would seem huge with the torque tube attached.

Ok, talked to someone else at Yellow freight. They have a seperate class for axles. The whole thing including torque tube attached should cost around $200 to ship. With my brother's company discount it will be around $150.-

No pallet, they just pick it up. I explained about the big T shape with the torque tube installed, they said it should be alright. Hope it won't get banged around too much. Can't imagine trying to find a 5 x 8 foot pallet to strap it to. Especially since I am here and can't do anything from here.

We will see.

You might want to build a little plywood box around the carrier end of the thing to keep the gears from getting banged up.

Ok I finally have the true information from Patrick and it is good news and different from what I thought.

To change the 54 truck to the 3.55 pinion kit you need just one little part from the inside of an earlier differential. From talking to Patrick's employees I understand in error I needed to change the whole rear end housing.

In fact my rear axle should not be removed. I just slide out the axles as earlier stated to release the pinion and drop the current torque tube with center section attached. All the pertinent gears stay inside of this.

The assembly I am getting has the 3.55 kit already installed. So, without disturbing any settings in the new center section, or any in my old rear end, I join the two and install the torque tube up front. I reinstall my axles and brakes and fill with fluid and freeway, here I come.

Make sure to check the okie bushing in the new t-tube. Also check all bearings, and check axle splines for wear or twisting. An original axle twisted at the splines in my '54, and the rear driver's wheel slid out and put me sideways in the middle of a huge intersection. Further inspection showed that the other axle wasn't far behind. Thats why I did the 3.55 swap.