The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1946 Chevy 1/2Ton in Utah - Here We Go

OK - switching gears: Trying to get this torque tube/ring and pinion job completed. Pulled the gears again and I added a .010" shim to the pinion, set the backlash and checking the pattern. With my original two shims, the pattern looked a little high on the tooth. With the .010" shim added, the pattern came down and might be more to the center of the tooth. Here is a before and after picture. I'm not an expert or have any experience with this, but I think I might leave it here. I'll get the tube painted and then re-assemble everything. I'll be glad to get this portion of the project completed.

My 15 minutes today: I was finally able to paint the torque tube. Paint should be dry tomorrow and I'll assemble the ring and pinion for the last time (I hope). I also installed the axle bearings and seals.

Got the wheels powdercoated and added some new 215/85r16 tires. They are tubeless - tire guy said they'll hold air. Just wanted them on hand when it's time to take the frame off the jack stands.

Looks great. Making good progress and a good job.

That's funny seeing the nice new wheels and tires sitting in front of the disassembled body! It gives you lots of motivation to keep working.

Today I installed the pinion shaft pin and mushroomed it over on both sides. I installed the pinion gear in the torque tube and then installed the ring gear and carrier for the last time (I hope). I removed the extra .010" shim and replaced it with a .005" shim. I set the backlash to .005" and patterned the ring gear. (I thought the pattern was a little low with the extra .010" shim.) It brought the pattern up a little on the tooth and I think I like it better. I then installed the leaf spring saddles on the axle and installed the front side of the rear leaf springs. I'll wait for some help to get the rear axle in place.

I'm hoping to get the truck sitting on wheels soon! Yes, a little motivation helps.

Thanks Alvin!

Not much today, but my neighbor stopped by and helped me move the torque tube to the side and get the rear axle sitting on the leaf springs.

Update: I noticed the axle was slightly crooked in picture 2. When I was installing the U-bolts I saw that the leaf spring pin wasn't is the right place. All is good now.

I was able to get the rear shackles installed and added the U-bolts to hold the overload/leaf springs to the axle. I don't know if I really need the overload springs, but that's the way the truck was before I disassembled it. I'll either get the brakes installed or bolt in the torque tube next.

I returned to the tire store to ask a question about my new tires and didn't notice this sign on the building the first time. Just wanted to post a picture - Johnson Tire Service in Springville, Utah.

Nice clean work. Besides 15 minutes a day your also
"do it once, do it right. Thanks for sharing.

Tonight I was ready to install the rear brakes. Got the wheel cylinders in place and cleaned off the Huck brake parts with the wire wheel. Next was the brake shoes and... Wait, where the heck are the brake shoes? I can't find them. Checked my old emails to verify I ordered both front and rear shoes, but was sad to see I only ordered the fronts. Oh well, I'll take a break until after Christmas. Wishing everyone a great holiday!

No brakes shoes until after Christmas, so my 15 minutes today was cleaning the brake parts. Not perfect, but much cleaner.

Nice job 👍

Thanks Kevinski! These parts probably won't see the light of day for many years - hopefully.

Thanks Alvin!

My friend Michael stopped by today and helped me get the torque tube installed. It took a second to get things lined up, but it went back together with no problems. So glad to get this step completed. Now I'll work on the parking brake cables and drum brakes.

Today I worked on getting the parking brake cables installed. I was really wishing for these to be just a bolt on, but life is not fair. First thing I noticed was the new cable did not come with the end connector that hooks on the parking brake lever, so I ordered a couple. Then, I had to remove the flange that holds the cable to the backing plate on the axle. I pried it apart, cleaned it on the wire wheel and then sprayed a little clearcoat on it.

My rear brake shoes showed up - let's get those installed. Got all the parts cleaned and organized. I bought these Huck brake pliers off eBay and they worked great. I had to file out a few holes on the shoes and the pins/bolts slide in OK now. Got the brake pre-setup complete and began the install. I had to pull the parking brake cable and clamped it to keep it from sliding back. Finished with the install, but noticed the brake shoes were not really touching the wheel cylinders. A few taps with a rubber hammer, but not really together at the top. I grab one of my brake drums and could not get it fit. I was frustrated for a while and sat down to catch by breath. Then, I remembered I had the parking brake set. I loosened the clamp to release it and the brake drum now fits. Feeling a little stupid, but the other side went on with no issues. Live and learn. Felt like I got a lot done on this New Year's Day!

I like comparing before and after sometimes. Such a big difference.

When I charged the parking brake cables on my 1941 I ended up cutting a slit in the old connector and slipped it over the new cable. Works well.

Whether your repairs ever see the light of day is irrelevant. The satisfaction is in doing a complete job, and knowing that when you’re done, whatever job you’ve finished is going to look better than factory fresh. I like the before and after shots too. Great work.

Thanks Paul!

Before I throw away the old cables, I'll cut the connectors off. I'll save them just in case I might need them later. Thanks.

I wish the slide-on clips fit a little better. When I slide them on and bend them over, there is some play and I'm afraid they'll slip off. So I used some pliers to squeeze them together for a tighter fit. I've used clips like this years ago and when I bent them I remember them being a tighter fit. I'm more concerned on the center bigger pin since the clip is on the back side and I can't reach it to squeeze it.

I didn’t like those when I did the brakes on my ‘50 but used them anyway. Snap rings seem like a much better idea.

See my response to your other post on the subject in the Drivetrain forum. I used big E clips for the large pins and horseshoe clips for the pins with springs.

I found some stainless steel E-clips at Ace and changed them on the big pins. I think they fit better than the stock/old clips and I have a little more confidence that they won't fall off.

Well, there goes any hopes of a concours win. 😂 That’s a much better “keep the pins where they should be” solution, and one less thing to wonder about as you’re driving your little creampuff down the road.

Ha! Thanks Paul. No show truck here.

When I replaced the clips on the big pins, I did that without removing the brakes. Today I removed the rear brakes and replace the clips on the smaller pins. Then I reassembled/installed and used a new E-clip to hold the bigger center pin. I was wondering why this pin was pushed in from the front and not the back to make it easy to install the clip. Found out that there wasn't enough room on the back side to get the pin in - at least on my application.

Cleaned up the axles this morning and then got them installed. The axles had a little dark line, but it was very smooth. I hit it with some 800 grit sandpaper anyway - no difference. I'll get the rear cover installed tomorrow.

Wow - I finally got the rear axle completed. It was a lot of work and a lot of learning these past few months, but it feels pretty good to have this done. Front axle is almost there - I just need to replace the old ball bearings with new roller bearings and get the hubs installed. I guess we'll see how that goes.

Today I punched out the old ball bearing races from the front hubs, pressed in the new taper bearing races, packed the new bearings with grease and installed the hubs. I'm so happy that I've got this far on my project. I could actually sit the frame on wheels and tires, but that will come later after I get the lever shocks installed and maybe the brake lines.

Update: I did have issues with getting the bearing seal to seat properly. I tried a different set of bearings and seals and everything looks good now.

When I put on the new axle nut cover, it fit pretty loose. So I took a punch and gave each one a few taps to make some dimples and they fit tighter now.

John - The reproductions of those caps are known for their poor fit. Your solution is cool. Thanks for sharing. As always your work is exemplary!

Thanks Dan!

Waiting for parts. Getting the brake master cylinder cleaned up and waiting for the rebuild kit to arrive. Well, I ordered it today, so probably a few days out. I guess I can at least get it painted, but I had to order that too.

Not much work since I was watching football, but I did install the rollers for the parking brake cables. I used someone's suggestion from the Tech Tips section and pick them up at Home Depot in the garage door section.