The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Torque tube ball

Here is another one in my long line of questions to try and figure out how this torque tube works.

On the torque that I want to install in my truck I see that the ball is nicked up a bit from previous U joint failures. About 18 inches behind the ball I see a collar/nut that attaches the short piece of tube with the ball to the rest of the tube.

How easy is it to exchange balls? Is it just a matter of undoing the collar and exchanging the ball piece?

Tony M,

It's a fairly straight forward procedure to remove the ball/bell from the shaft. First, loosen the collar (this loosens the seal) and slide the collar towards the rear. Then, slide the ball/bell to the rear. This makes it easier to remove the ball-joint rear yoke. Slide the yoke forward to remove it (this is often more difficult than it sounds). Once the u-joint yoke is off the driveshaft, the bell (and the collar) can be easily slid forward and off.

Jim Carter sells new and used ball/bell. Be sure the mating surface for the ball at the rear of the transmission is as smooth as you can get it (this area is often gouged).

Oh yeah, before you try to slide the bell/ball collar rearwards, clean the outer surface of the driveshaft as much as possible.

Good luck,
Tim

Thanks,
how much damage is too much on the ball? I am assuming it is the outside of the ball that is important? Most of the scratches and dings are on the inside of the ball.

Exactly what Tim said

Tony M,

You're right. The outside of the ball/bell needs to be in good enough shape so it can be sealed and at the same time move/rotate smoothly. The inside of the ball does not have to be smooth and pretty (no one sees it ).

Use a new seal kit (NAPA and others can get them) and follow the installation instructions in the Shop Manual ("Universal Joint Ball Adjustment" in the Transmission section) .

Tim

I've found that the ball (or U-joint bell, whatever) usually wears to fit its retainer, and the rear of its tranny over the 40 odd years it was together. When installing a new gasket kit with a ball (bell) you must test fit on back of tranny using ball retainer, ball, and gasket kit with no t-tube installed in ball. The verifies proper fit and prevents binding or leaking.

Also, Ive had several different balls with my '54 Bel-Air. The trick is to clean the outer surface of the ball "sphere", the inside of large retainer that fits over ball and bolts to back of tranny, and the tranny pocket the ball fits into. If you have any noise or vibration during test driving after installation, rotate the entire bell 90 degrees and test drive again. For some reason, rotating the ball can affect the fit between the front U-joint and the okie bushing, increasing or decreasing driveline vibration to some degree. May have something to do with worn balls or other parts or something.

Also clean end of torque tube that ball slides on. Reduces oil leaks from ball seal. I had to pump my ball seal full of gasekt maker and locktite the screw-on endcap to keep it from coming unscrewed and leaking oil.

You can grind the burrs inside the ball smooth, flush out the metal shavings afterward. Shop manual should have notes on all this stuff.

OH- Make sure to tighten those 4 little U-joint bolts, use red loc-tite and bend over the little tab retainers on the bolt heads. Those things make a hell of a racket when they come unscrewed.

good luck

chip

Thanks guys, that helped a lot. This is my plan.

I am taking the torque tube and center section with 3.90 out of my 54. I will take my newly acquired torque tube with 3.55 installed and put my own bell on it. I will reinstall it to my truck.

I guess it sounds like a good idea if I mark the position of the bell before removal? That way I can reinstall it the same way.

I have studied the sections in the manual but you guys answered the questions I had left. It looks pretty straight forward and this way I don't have to do the actual pinion installation with it's tedious adjustments and special tools.

I am so happy with this tube I got from JOKER! Thank you, thank you! You don't know the trouble this guy went through packing and loading. I owe him big.

I will be glad when you get it all together and see how you like it, are you going to use the patricks transmission? haven' you heard that pay backs are.... good luck....Fred

I am not going to use the transmission in this truck since it has a great working 3 speed on the column and I want to keep it as stock as possible. But, I will use it as I am planning to fix up other trucks after this one is finished. The Offenhauser dual intake will go on for sure though.

I know my truck would be better with the 4 speed but it shifts so smooth. I have never had an old truck where the column shifter was so tight. I would also like to be able to drive my girls around without the shifter in the way after I upgrade my seatbelts a bit.

As soon as these spring showers leave me alone I will make the driveline switch.

Tony, even with my 4 speed, it still seem like it needed another gear, at 60 plus, it still ran
about 3,000 rpm. but it was pretty quick with it, once in fourth, it really wanted to keep moveing, good luck with it, I understand wanting to keep it org, at least my looks stock, other then it being lowered, my grimlin went away, has not stalled in 4 days,later....Fred

Well, the final drive on the 4 speed's fourth gear and the 3 speed's third gear are the same. So, freeway rpm's will be the same as yours was. The advantage of a 4 speed is in the better spaced shift points.

My truck is about like yours. Slightly lowered, dual exhaust and this summer dual carbs. Otherwise it will be mainly stock.

If mine didn't shift so nice the 4 speed would go in for sure.

TonyM,

Do you normally use 1st gear? I think the last time I used 1st gear was in 1974 when I pulled a friend's Volkswagen Beetle out of a ravine (and won a bet for a case of beer).

As you said, the gear spacing between 2nd-3rd on the 4-sp (3.58 to 1.71) is better than between 1st-2nd on the 3-speed (3.17 to 1.75).

Tim

Tim, you have it reversed. My truck has the 3 speed and yes I always use first. But it is very strong in all three gears.
The 4 speed I got from Joker is, I believe, the Saginaw with the evenly spaced shift points. Not the tranny with the granny low. To install this tranny with the stock torque tube you use the Patrick's tranny kit and shifter. Which I also got from Joker.
I think this has the 3.11 low.

I just removed the bell tube with great difficulty. Upon inspection it appears the toruqe tube is lightly threaded at the transimmsion end of the tube, about 4 inches worth. Is this correct? I thouht it should have been a smooth finish. The bell tube appears to be smooth inside. Help please

Wow, this is a very old post. No, the end of the TT is not threaded. It may look like it because people have twisted the bell tube off so many times that it has cut threads on the TT.