The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Broke my axle today

1950 suburban all original.

Well, I broke an axle today. Didnt even realize it could happen just driving down the road. Luckily I was taking off from a stop when it went. I got it up on Jack stands and I realized that I could just PULL THE WHEEL AND AXLE OUT BY HAND. That is pretty scary....

People tell me that new rear ends have a safer design where the axle won't just fall out if it breaks? If it's a safer design, I would like to explore adding a modern rear end.

1. I have an enclosed driveshaft and small original 3 speed transmission. Is it possible to convert to a open driveshaft that will accept a modern rear end?

2. Are modern rearends safer that old originals (ibalways assumed people swapped them out for modern gear ratios)

3. What modern rear end mates well?

Thanks!

Your easiest solution is to find a good used torque tube rear end. There are plenty of them out there as long as you find it before it gets scrapped. They are very often offered for free or for scrap price.
Many of these trucks got parked or abandoned due to engine failure at relatively low mileage which means that most of the rear ends are fine.

I've got one lined up. You are right, probably the easiest.

I am glad to hear that you are staying stock. I get excited when I crawl under a pretty AD and see the torque tube still there. I have 2 ADs on the road, but neither have torque tubes.
Looks like Carl needs another truck...

I'm with you on the torque tube! I've had people try to convince me to swap to later drive train components, They don't get it when I say that I would rather retain the original set up instead of a V8 with automatic tranny and S 10 rear end.

If anyone shakes their head (or scratches their heads) and/or laughs when you say "torque tube", tell them that a torque-tube driveshaft was/is so good that Corvettes, Porsches, Mercedes, and Jaguars used/use a torque-tube drive shaft.

Interesting. My buddy's '63 Corvette didn't use a torque tube drive shaft. It uses trailing arms to soak up torque developed by the rear wheels. The differential is bolted directly to the chassis, and has half shafts with u-joints between the differential and the rear wheels.
Lots of different ways to counter wheel torque and spring wrap-up, torque tubes being just one. Others are 4-link, ladder bars, etc.

Corvette did not use them in all/most years.
Neither did Chevrolet trucks, nor did any other make that I posted above.

The link that I provided above shows "Since 1996 the Chevrolet Corvette has used a torque tube since the introduction of the C5 version in the 1997 model year."