Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train Anyone successfully adapt a T-5 to a torque tube?

I have a '46 Chevy 1/2 ton, has a '55-'62 235 in it (newer pressure lubricated). It currently has the 3 speed without overdrive. Currently has a 4.11 ring/pinion in it, but I'll upgrade to a 3.55 first, no matter if I keep or swap out the current 3 speed.

Is it possible to adapt a T-5 manual to my truck without too many modifications?

I see some folks with '47-'55 (Advanced Design) incorporating a newer open driveshaft from the '56-'60 (Task Force Design) to allow for that.

I haven't found any info about people doing this on a torque tube.

Hot Rod Works has this conversion, but this is for the older 235 in the passenger car which wasn't pressure lubricated.

https://www.hotrodworks.com/product/1940-1954-chevrolet-t5-transmission-adapter/

Any comments?

My '53 has a T-5 and a 3.55 limited slip Dana 44 from a '68 GMC 1/2 ton. I think that is far easier than using the closed driveline especially since you wand to change the gears any way. I had to weld on new spring perches and modify a drive shaft. It is also easy when doing this to set the rear wheels in the center of the wheel cut out in the rear fenders. The hardest part is getting the E-brake to work. If you can find the right stuff you can also go to 2 1/2X 11 brakes.

The more I find out, the more I am leaning towards leaving the original 3-speed trans, swap out the 3.55 ring/pinion and drive it like that until I want to take on something more involved.

I don't know if I will ever attempt an s10 conversion with a v8, but I might. If I do I would probably go with a 327 most likely. And that would be where I would want to start swapping out the rear end and driveshaft most likely.

Thanks for your input...I'm also coming to the conclusion that I shouldn't do too much to it until I drive it for a bit to get a better feel of the limitations it has as-is.

In the late 60s I had a '49 3100 with a '58 235. It had a 3 speed column shift and 4.11 gears. It was fairly comfortable up to about 55mph. At 60-65 the engine started making noise in the valve train and not fun to drive there. I traded it in on a new 1970 Blazer. I still have the Blazer.
I got my present '53 in 1976 and built a 270 GMC for it. It also had 4.11s in it with a truck 4 speed. Because of the mods to the engine and the cam I used it likes to run a 3,000 rpm. so 60-65 was in it's comfort range.
I put a Saginaw 4 speed in it and the Dana 44 with 3.55 gears. The comfort range went up to 65-70 mph. Now it has a T-5. With 29" tires 3000 rpm is 90 mph. It will cruse all day at 2,200 rpm at about 70-75 and 80 is not hard on it. I drive it hard and it's still used as a truck. A few years ago I made a 4,000 mile round trip from here to Austin, Texas via Ventura, California in one week. No problems at all except for water in the cab from some really wet Texas storms. You don't notice that much in Nevada.
There was an Over Drive unit made by Truckstill (I think) that fit into the closed driveline. I have only seen one and have been following that pickup for years. At some point I'm sure a younger family member will stick a V8 with an auto trans in it.

I would like to go at least 60 mph on the freeway, else one becomes an obstacle and upsets people.

I suspect some of my problems are due to a needed torque tube bushing, but the transmission will need to be looked at also. There is no reason not to upgrade the 4.11 if one plans to drive their pickup, unless one is driving up steep hills all the time.



Wow, that's XLNT. I would be doing the snoopy dance if my '46 did that...I'm ok with 65-70, that's plenty fast for me. In fact, I try to keep it at 70 max on road trips.


I would probably think about doing that to mine also, rather than going with an aftermarket overdrive, I bet it's not a cheap unit.

The big question is how much power one needs. Honestly I am wanting to slow down my life a bit, drive slower, smell the buds, err...I mean flowers along the way...my pickup is destined for Lake County, for better or worse, driving around Soda Bay over to pickup some hardware and lumber, driving back around the lake...if I was a truck I'd like that life...better than sitting in a dark barn...

If you put in3.55 rear end gears and run 28.5" to 30" tires on the back you'l be good at 60-65 mph. You'll need to change your speedo gear.
The Tuuckstill OD unit is a pipe dream. Like I say I have only seen one complete unit and any one found would have to be gone through. There is a lot of linkage involved. There is a company that makes a unit designed for Model As. They may make one for Chevys.
With any of the OD transmissions I know of you'll be better off going to an open drive shaft.
Something else to consider if any sustained highway speeds are planned the front wheel caged ball bearings should be replace with the tapered roller kits offered by after market venders.

BOTP,

Didn't mean to fall off the face of the earth on 'ya, just been busy wrestling with my flat bed hitch and trailer. I went down to the yard yesterday, but it was pouring rain, so I came back home. The trailer however is a tilt-top that will haul my pickup and I'm gonna use that to get it weighed and haul it to the DMV after so I can get the VIN verified. Everything else is taken care of already.

That said, the tires are either 28.8" or 28.9", one is the OEM 6.00x16 Bias Ply and the other is my 235/75r15 radials. I figure it's very close to factory tire diameter. This raises a question I believe you can answer, that being, the wheels on my pickup are 6 bolt, and the original rim is 5 bolt I believe. I think this means at *minimum* that the shafts and/or wheel hubs have been changed to accommodate that. Isn't that thinking correct?


I do plan that, so will look into that. Should the rear bearings be replaced also if they're caged ball bearings? I believe the original bearings are in there, but don't know until I get everything apart, which most likely won't happen on the front until I get the ring/pinion installed.

Thanks for noting that, could be important, IMO.

I've been wrestling with the brakes, and unfortunately it's been raining west of you, could be raining in Reno also...today is starting to come down like a cow p!$$ing on a flat rock..I need to get the oxy-acet bottles out and give it a heating...if this rain would ever clear...

Your truck should have six lugs. At some point in the 70s I think two wheel drive 1/2 ton GM pickups went to 5 lugs. My '53 pickup and my '70 Blazer use the same drums front and back.
The rear axle bearings are fine if in good condition. Those old rear ends are pretty tough.

7.00-7:50X16 6ply tires will make it look like a real truck. Many years ago I ran 6:50x16 front and 7:00x16 on the rear with split rims. That was a great old work truck look. I just put 7.00x15 6 ply rated mud and snows on the rear for winter. I like the look and they do well on my 2 mile dirt road.

In '52-'53 Chevy went to Bendix brakes. They are better than the previous one and easier to adjust but I don't know if the conversion is worth it. I think everything from the backing plates out would have to be changed. I am trying to figure out if the '49 front drums will work with the later drums, part of my roadster build.

It is snowing here tonight.

Oh, I didn't realize that and just figured someone had replaced them as I believe the wheels would need to be replaced to use radials...I could be wrong, another assumption...


A friend told me that I should go ahead and do the ring/pinion without buying the bearings as the bearings don't seem to fail too often, but I have seen others say that the pinion bearing gets trashed. He said the wheel bearings are pretty tough also...so that's 2 of you, I will head that advice...but I will change the front bearings at your recommendation.


I probably won't swap too much around in the way of tires and wheels, unless I find a deal on some...and especially since I have radials on it already.


I've heard from others about this, but I was also wondering how much advantage the newer brakes would provide, it seems the brakes will lock up with the hucks, just that they seem to require a bit more maintenance.


Beats fire most days of the week, but snow can cause it's share of problems as well...my pickup will be moving to Lake County to live out the rest of his life...or should I say, the rest of *MY* life...LOL

It's just pouring rain here, supposed to be raining until next week. That probably means more snow for you up there!

EDIT: Holy flock sheepman, it's starting to come down and the wind has picked up to about 40-50 knots, time to breech the main, take down the jib, and batten down the hatches! This could be a long night...

If I was taking the rear end apart to change the ring and pinion I'd put all new beatings and seals in it. Just because it's apart anyway.

Yeah, I thought that too and a friend told me that he's rebuilt several and the bearings are typically in pretty good shape.

There's an installation kit for the ring/pinion that include the bearings for the rear axles, but it's about $400. I wanted to try and re-use any of the bearings I could, but your comment about the tapered bearings caused a rethink on that.

From what you were saying the front was more important, and I can do the bearings after the ring/pinion.

I got my truck and trailer in working order today. I will use it to haul the pickup to the scale and to the DMV to get the VIN verified, then I will take it home in, hopefully, a couple weeks to get the ring/pinion in. I suspect it will take a bit longer as I need to visit my Mom next week, she's 6 hours away...

Beater,

I have struggled with this and did want to upgrade, but prices are all over the map. The problem is that most all of these bearings seem to be made in China. The cost of them are anywhere from $189 for a full front wheel bearing kit at The Filling Station, to $120 at Jim Carter, $120 at Classic Parts, and $57 w/shipping from a guy on ebay. If I'm getting Chinese parts I might as well go with the cheap guy. The other vendors want almost as much just for the seals.

Any comments on import bearings? It seems almost impossible to get US made bearings and/or seals these days. I recently had to replace bearing seals on my lathe and the Timken seals were imported...so even Timken is going overseas, very discerning...

I looked around when I got mine. I was working at Car Quest at the time. The outer bearings and races are a standard tapered roller bearing set. The inners are just like the later tapered roller inners except there is a built in spacer. At the time I didn't have the tools to play with it. I think a standard Timken or other bearing with a spacer could be made to work. I think the seal is stock. I'd have to look at it all again. I think the price is a rip off except sometimes you just have to pay more just to have a low demand part available.

I think that inline overdrive you are talking about (or were...) would be a Ruckstell. These were people who made 2-speed rear axles for T-model Fords as well.

In addition, there was in the T-model range, probably from the factory, an 'underdrive' for trucks that went into the driveline. It can be reversed (a friend of mine has done that on a K-model Ford) to give a taller ratio.

The OD I was talking about is the Truckstell. A simple Google search will bring up more information than you'll want to read. The one I know about is still around I think, but the family will scrap it before they'd sell it.

Hi Ray Bell . . . I found a lot of Ruckstell information when researching my Truckstell overdrive.

The folks at Chaffin's Garage give the back story on the inventor of this two speed rear-end.

And here's a link to a circa '26 Owners Manual for the so called Ruckstell Axle.

This technology is a hundred years old!

regards,
stock49