The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Another not so bright question

Ok. I'm losing my mind.

I asked about lowering my newest 54 1/2T in another post.

Well, I just bought it a week ago, and it was pretty dark.

I finally got it into the garage today, and started checking it out close.

Well. What kind of rearend and driveshaft should a 54 have?
Torque-tube and ?

Well. Mine doesn't.

It has what appears to be a 12bolt and a normal driveshaft. Well, there's 12 bolts showing anyhow.

So now I'm not sure what I have. I counted, and there's 10 leafs in the spring pack. And they appear to be at or slightly wider than 1 3/4, but not 2in. wide leafs.

Now I'm pretty sure this isn't stock. I thought it should've had a torque-tube set-up, right?

Talk to me. What should it have if stock?

Thanks

yes Tim, you should have the closed drive, sounds like the po did some mods: rear, driveshaft, and no doubt trans as well - didn't ask?

Bill

Well. I know the previous owner, and I was more concerned with the quaility of the cab, doors and hood etc.

He said it started, didn't smoke, drove minus the brakes, and had a good title.
It was dark, and I get trigger happy!

Once I checked the body out, I dished the dough and brought it home.

Well, now to figure out exactly what I have under there...
I guess this is a plus! LOL

aaah, didn't yer daddy ever tell "don't buy a truck on a dark night"
now ya know why folks around here say the 'not so bright question' is the one not asked!

Bill

Could it be a '55 first series? I was told recently the open driveline was one of the changes made with the '55. Please correct me if I'm getting faulty info here.
Speed

I'd guess the truck has had more than one owner over the years.. even if somebody had done the upgrade in the early 70's that still would have been 35 years ago.

In fact, i'm suprised MORE of the trucks haven't gotten that upgrade.

Unless the guy you bought it from was a well read stovebolt nut, I doubt most folks would know that it should have had a torque tube driveshaft.

Unless your going for a 100% original resto, which I assume your not since you were asking about lowering it, i'd consider it a blessing.. since a upgrade from torque tube probably means better rear end gearing for higher top speed.

does anyone have a picture of a torque tube set-up? i kinda have an understanding of what this looks like but still am not sure and did both chevy and gmc have it? and was it on all trucks or just 1/2 tons? and does anyone know its purpose perhaps? sorry if thats too many questions i just really like learning about all this and theres still lots i need to learn
Nate

It's titled a 54, and the plate on the drivers door sill matches.

No, the previous owner only bought it and brought it to Ohio from S. carolina to rob the fenders and bed for his high-dollar rebuild.

It was a nice, complete, drivable truck. I bought it, with his "weathered" fenders and no bed box.

I found a nice bed for it, and am going to get it tomorrow.

Against many nay-sayers, I'm building a 50's styled "shoptruck".

I like slightly weathered, beat-down looking shoptrucks.

I had a cool 54 that I sold, that was pretty low but usable, weathered, but subframed, discs, new wiring, exhaust, sbc/auto, etc.
I miss it.
Hell, I hauled 2 Buick nailheads and a dynaflow in it with no problem even lowered.

I'll try to post pics of it and my "nice" 53 gmc that I built and sold in the gallery.

Thanks
Tim

Nothin' wrong with a slightly weathered, beat-down looking shoptruck! That way you ain't gotta worry about scratching up your $4,000 paintjob, or get nervous as a coon dog poopin' razorblades when it rains on it.

OldIronChevy,

The "torque tube" setup looks like a regular setup, except the u-joints aren't exposed.. they appear at a glance to be INSIDE the driveshaft.

Well.. and the driveshaft dosen't spin like you'd expect a driveshaft to spin, either.. in fact, it dosen't spin at all.. the spinning action happens INSIDE the shaft. (if that makes any sence).

About the only advantage i've seen with that setup is if you happen to run over a pile of barb wire lurking in the tall grass, you don't have to worry about it getting sucked up by a spinning driveshaft and getting all tangled up.

Disadvantages? Seems like the u-joints in the torque tube setup aren't as strong (maybe because they're smaller?) and if you blow out a u-joint and keep driving it, it'll blow out the tail side of the tranny!

OldIronChevy,

I have a 3/4 ton Chevy with a torque tube. I am not sure of its significance. I thought I have a few pics of mine. They are not of the torque tube itself but you can see it on one and the drive shaft in the other. The torque tube ids basically a hollow tube that attaches to the back of the tranny. It has a shaft inside it that attaches via universal joint to the tranny shaft. There is a universal at the other end to which the driveshaft connects. (complicated description... it looks complicated too...I didn't know what it was until I took it apart.

Sorry I can't control the size of my pics. They are either huge or tiny. The first one shows the back end of the torque tube where the housing mounts to the frame. The second one shows the driveshaft comiong out of the back side of the housing and going to the rear end.

Hope this helps


[img]http://home.comcast.net/~rguarino1/wsb/media/1242986/site1014.jpg[/img] [img]http://home.comcast.net/~rguarino1/wsb/media/1242986/site1013.jpg[/img]

Here's a little something I slapped together to illustrate how the torque tube deal works.. at least it works this way on both the '50 1/2 ton and '46 1/2 ton.

[img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/torquetube.gif[/img]

As you can see, the actual spinny driveshaft thing is a shaft within the.. well, I guess the "torque tube" deal.

Keep in mind, i'm no expert, just a shade tree hack who's had the misfortune of having to work on TWO of these things.

learn something new all the time wonder if there was lots of complaints about this set up by mechanics and owners around the times when the set up was new
Nate