When did Chevy switch from torque tubes to open drivelines? Specifically, would a stock '52 Chevy coupe have an open driveline? Thanks.

-Jeff

Torque tube through 1954 on cars and pickups and until mid 1940 on ton and a halfs.

My 54 210 had a torque tube. Still got it sittin in the side yard if ya want it.

Dont want it, and cant even give it away!! LOL

Thanks,
Dan

I have never seen a torque tube. Can someone explain to us youngins how they work and what it looks like.

Dear Cabbie;

Save it for the axles. In time someone will need one.

JM.....

I wouldnt mind storing it if I had more room. Any one else interested in storing it? I really cant think of why I would put one back into a car.

Thanks,
Dan Nelson

Dear Dan;

Only good for someone with a totally stock car that broke an axle etc.

Otherwise It's just iron.

If you need the roon put in the 12PN as a 'freebie'.

John M.....

The purest form of a torque tube rear end would be as on Peugeots up to the end of the 404 sedan run...

The term refers to the method of containing the torque that's applied from the pinion to the crownwheel... or in the Peugeot's case, from the worm to the bronze wheel, as it's worm drive.

So as the power is applied, the pinion tries to climb up the crownwheel, but as you know it doesn't and it forces the crownwheel to turn. But there's still a torque reaction, and in conventional rear ends that's contained by either the leaf springs or some other arrangement of arms that control the rear axle's movement.

The torque tube is a solid tube that surrounds the tail shaft, mounting on a ball socket attached to the rear of the gearbox, usually, with a universal joint within that socket that's taking the drive from the gearbox to the tail shaft.

So as you apply power, this tube takes the tractive force that's pushing the car along and it transmits that to what necessarily is a substantial mount at that ball socket. It also has that torque reaction trying to lift the car... or push the rear wheels down onto the roadway, improving traction compared to other suspensions.

With this type of rear end, there are some kind of radius arms required to triangulate the axle housings and the torque tube, and there needs to be some kind of transverse location of the axle.

If there are leaf springs, they will do as well as they do on a conventional leaf-sprung rear end, though they need to have shackles at both ends so that the longitudinal location is left to the torque tube. If there are coil springs, a Watts Link or a Panhard rod are usually used.

And why is Peugeot's application the purest form?

Well, because there is hardly any twisting force applied to the rear axle. With a conventional CWP there is, resulting in it being easier to break traction with the right hand wheel than the left in most circumstances as that pinion is on the right and trying to climb up that side of the crownwheel. The worm drive has the worm centralised under (or over in some cases) and driving without that side to side torque reaction.

Worm drives were popular until the thirties, but as far as I know Peugeot were the only car makers to continue with them this side of WW2. Some trucks retained them for a while too, and earthmoving machinery and mining equipment often uses them.

You've probably seen them in toys...