The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Torque Tube and rear axle question

Hello, i'm new to this site and have a question. I"ve got a fairly stock '54 chevy half ton. The torque tube is leaking and in need of repair. Is there a way to replace the torque tube with an open driveshaft without replacing the rear axle and tranny or is replacing the only way to go.

Welcome aboard Penfold.

Probable the easiest (read cheapest) thing to do is to get a factory service manual for your truck from one of the many vendors listed in the links section.

With the book in hand, (I'm assuming you don't already have such a manual!) you can then see that it's a pretty straight forward job to replace the seals in the ball joint at the back of the transmission which is the most likely spot for it to leak. Any parts you might need are also readily available from many of the vendors on this site.

If your unsure of your mechanical abilities, not to worry, this place is full of helpful people willing to help you.

Changing to an open driveshaft generally involves a change of transmission and rear end plus having a driveshaft shortened / built. This upgrade is usually done because the owner wants upgraded brake s and/or a desire for a more freeway friendly rear end gear ratio or wants to go to 5-lug wheels.

replacing the torque tube with an open drive adapted to the original diff has been done ,, BUT ,, it is a significant engineering exercise and not worth the effort .
The replacement of the original with a '55 pickup unit is less work than the above , and is a good option to consider , ( I am biased , I have done this to my '40 , and am in the process of doing it to a '37).
Fixing the leaks you have is not all that hard ,, you say it needs repairs ,, what is the trouble there ? ,, maybe it is just a small fix too .