The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop What is that little square thingy on the torque tube?

Everyone knows what I'm talking about. It's that retangular thing which is welded onto the bottomside of the tube way up front near the ujoint. Is it for 3/4 ton application? Though I have never used it I'm just wondering.

That is where the "E" brake return spring ataches

No, No, No,....I don't think so... The direction of the E brake rod is way over to the drivers side of the truck. Having the spring attach to the torque tube "maka no sensa". It must be related to another tonnage instead of 1/2 ton.

Geez, maybe I need to take a picture of what I'm talkin about?

Years ago, I remember an old mechanic talking about a "ballast" that was welded to the torque tube to upset the resonance of the tube. Without it, the tube 'sings' at certain speeds. Could that be what he was referring to?

I have wondered about that bracket also. The parking brake return spring on my '52 does NOT attach at that point. Perhaps it was designed by an engineer who wanted restorers 50 years later to ask "what the heck was this for?".

It also may have been used as an attachment point during factory assembly.

I saw that square peg but am still looking for the round hole...

Craig - shoot us a picture, please!

Come to think of it, it is only on passenger cars that the spring is attached to that spot. I'm not sure why they put it on trucks?

I know what you are talking about, but do not know the purpose. I thought it might be positioned to protect the end of the torque tube from hitting the ground when not attached to the tranny, but it does not do that. Perhaps its only function is like your belly button now - to collect dirt!

Parking brake return spring for most 1/2, 3/4, and 1 ton Advance Design Trucks.

http://home.nycap.rr.com/lederman/images/pkgbrkspring.jpg

Tim

Tim, I have a 49 1/2 ton and my E brake rod does not have the tab as pictured in the assembly manual that you posted. I have the spring attached to the crossmember but don't know where it attaches to the activator rod. Any ideas?

Its the E-brake return spring on sedans. My '54 uses the big spring between there and the "pull bar" that attaches to the two parking brake cables. A rod from my E-brake handle (not a pedal as shown) pulls on the "pull bar" to engage brake. Then the return spring anchored on torque tube returns the "pull bar" to its disengaged position.

Rwise:
The parking brake control rod is made up of two pieces, with a joint between them. The spring connects to that joint. If it does not reach that far, it is because you do not have the extension needed from the spring to the joint. It is just a heavy piece of wire with hooks on the ends. If you need it's exact length, let me know and I will measure the one on my 49.

Brian, Thanks, I do not have the wire extension and would appreciate a measurement in case I have to make one. Thanks again.

Look just right of the chain on the torque tube and you'll all see what I'm yakin' about.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/111968325/111971596ZnsMWQ

That wire is 9 inches, top of loop to top of loop. It looks the diameter of coat hanger wire, but those loops have to be pretty strong, to not be straightened by the spring tension.

cmayna That spot that your are refering to is the Johnson Rod factory allignment boss. Once the Johnson Rod had been installed at the factory the next step was to allign it to the truck.

cmayna, I think you are talking about the weight they use to balence the touque tube. Mike

Johnson Rod ???

Craig
Please don't encourage him.
(it was a joke)

Slomoe that's just silly. cmayna if you go to the FAQ section there is a write up on how to adjust your Johnson Rod. Of course this is how to do it a home, the factory had specialized equiptment for this proceedure.

My Johnson rod is the only part rusted solid on my truck. I guess they never used it.

GM ENGINEERS PUT THAT THERE TO SNAG ON YOUR COAT OR JACKET WHEN YOU ROLL UNDER YOUR TRUCK. IN OTHER WORDS - I HAVE NO CLUE. GOOD QUESTION I MUST SAY.

I looked in my factory shop manual and my factory assembly manual. Then I looked at my '48 1/2 ton. It is most definitely not where the e-brake spring attached. The e-brake spring is attached to a crossmember closer to the rear end and then to a tab on the e-brake rod that goes to the rear, and that agrees with the factory assembly manual.

Then I went out and looked at my torque tube. I have the same piece on mine, and it's obvious that nothing was attached to it (no wear marks or signs of something attached.) I don't know what it's there for, but it's definitely *not* for balancing the driveshaft because the outside of the torque tube never turned. The driveshaft was inside the outer tube, so putting "weights" on the outside housing would accomplish nothing.

I'll ask my friend Wally if he knows what it was there for. My best guess is a jack point. If you removed the torque tube assembly (which would include the rear end, driveshaft and both wheels), you could rest the front of the assembly on that point with a jackstand that had a pin in it that would fit through the slot and keep it from rolling off the jackstand.

I spoke to my friend Wally today, and he told me that the square piece with the slot was used as a mounting point for "radius rods". These rods were mounted from that point to a mounting point on each side of the rear axle (forming a triangle between the raidus rod, the torque tube and one side of the rear axle) and were used to keep the rear axle from "walking". He said they were used on one ton and bigger trucks as well as powered farm wagons and other heavier equipment.

I asked him why they would be on a 1/2 ton truck's torque tube, and said that they were on all torque tubes because then the tubes were manufactured they never knew what vehicle they would be used in.

I told him what my best guess was (a place for a jack with a pin) and he said that they were sometimes used that way because they were convenient.

hmmmm . . . 1 ton and bigger trucks always had open drivelines.

If the torque tubes could be used on any number of vehicles and they were shared with cars and cars used the point as a e-brake return spring anchor . . . that might explain it.

In all seriousness I would guess that it was used as some sort of aid in the build process of the driveline. But hey that is just my guess.

Ken, the big trucks (1 ton and up) still had the torque tubes until 1941.