I’m looking for a little bit of information on doing an open drive shaft conversion We have a customer with a 1946 Chevrolet coupe with a 1957 235 Motor, 3 speed standard transmission, and stock rear end. What he is wanting to do it put a turbo 350 transmission on the 235 and convert the rear end to open drive. I have searched online and haven’t found much on doing the conversion. I was wondering if anyone here has done it or could point me towards the parts needed to do the job. Thanks
http://www.inliners.org/buffalo/ Just one source. There are a couple other manufactures of adapter plates. For the rear late 50s Chevy truck. I think Nissan has a 6 lug rear as well as Chevy luv. I believe the later c10s are too wide. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The engine to transmission adapter isn’t the part I’m having trouble with. It’s basically the rear end yolk which will allow an open drive shaft. The customer does not want to remove the stock rear end.
There is a transition year 54-55-56 that the pumpkin will swap with. More work than it’s worth in my opinion. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Wont happen that way without machining some parts. I know of no commercially available adapters to do this. Its been a problem for 60 years
Go over this thread I started. I've been slowly working on this up grade. Your going to have to put a different rearend in. There's nothing to swap in the axle tube. Hope this helps. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/help-1947-chevy-fleetline-3-speed-swap.1019127/
Not much about the original rear end that is worth saving. Also, the way the stock axle mounts to the springs will have to be changed. The originals have a pivot to allow the axle housing to rotate with the torque tube. With open drive that is wholly unworkable......needs conventional spring pads. Were this car mine, I would change the rear end to a suitable open drive from a later Chevy or other GM car with 4 3/4" bolt circle and change the front hubs to match. '49/'50 front hubs and drums are a bolt on to the stock Huck brakes. '51 thru '54 Chevy Bendix brakes are a better choice if one uses the backing plates as well as the hub/drum. Ray
Use 62-64 hubs and you get roller bearings also . This is a good swap , I ran a 37 coupe for 1000s of miles no issues . 66-67 Nova is a great rear for the swap . Wanting to stay with stock wheels , Toyota Pickup works good . Take a good look at how the rear axle mounts to the springs . Center pin has to be offset in later axle swap correct wheel base issues Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I am wondering if the pumpkin for later open drive trucks fits the torque tube housing.... that would be the only way to keep the stock rear. then he would have truck gears, so a ring and pinion would be in order. it is better to swap the rear for something else.
Even then, the unaddressed (by OP) issues remain with the pivoting attachment to the stock spring pack. Why not simply retrofit a cast iron 'glide? Sounds like the owner just doesn't want to shift anymore....
I appreciate all the input. The owner wants to use a turbo 350 trans that he already has. As far as the rear end I agree it would probably be easiest to swap it to a later rear end however, the owner does not wish to change from the stock rear end. He has put decent money into the existing one and wants to use it. He drives the car almost daily and takes it on long tours. I think he is ready to be finished with the shifting part of things. Looking for more comfort.
Either he doesn't know enough to understand why his way doesn't work in this case or he is just stubborn. If the former, maybe he can be educated....,if the latter...you might consider declining the job. Ray
These guys are giving straight and good advice, I put a 70 Ford 1/2 ton rear in my 48, a 69 to 74 Nova rear is great also especially with a 3:08 ratio with the six banger and 350 turbo trans.
Yes. The locating pins are a little too far forward or back, but there are blocks that allow you to move the rear end the inch or so to locate the wheel in the center of the wheel/fender opening. I ran 235 or 255/15 tires on Corvette rallys and had just a little occasional tire rub on the inside.
??? He's willing to spend the $$$ with an engine and trans swap, but not a rear end swap? I'm not totally familiar with a 46 Chevrolet car rear end, but it looks like, at leastwise by what I see on E-Bay, the torque-tube is the same 41-50, and if 50 is the case, then 51-54 should also be the same. That means the axle shafts have the same end splines, but a 46 has a 6 bolt flange/brake drum. IF all that's true (^^^^^), then there IS a way to keep the stock 6 bolt wheels, hubs, brakes. But, it ain't cheap, as it involves using the third member from a 53-54, and 55 SIX CYLINDER CORVETTE's (NOT the 55 V-8 version). That third member should accept the stock 46 axles and related parts. You would then need to find a way of "locking down" the axle pivots used with a torque-tube rear-end. Make sense? There is a 1953-55 Corvette third member currently on E-Bay for $999.99 and that's CHEAP!!!!! They're usually at least twice that and more.Talk the guy into a 55-57 Chevrolet complete rear end, and re-position the spring pin locating hole, and some adapters to mount the 6 bolt wheels. You could also use any rear end that's about 60" wide, and use wheel adapters. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
OK here is the cliff notes version then. Look up a thread from a guy here that put a BW overdrive on is torque tube in his 37 Chevy coupe. he basically cut the torque tube and put the OD guts on the front of the pumpkin then put the torque tube back on. So it appears to me that your customer needs to do this on the other end of the torque tube: I have never measured for exact dimensions but there are 2 things that need to happen. The is torque tube/transmission length needs to be shortened to the correct length and the "propeller shaft" needs to be shortened a like amount. Then the splines on the propeller shaft and trans need to be made compatable. If you have ever looked at the 37-54 chevy propeller shafts they have a taper so more than likely a whole new propeller shaft needs to be fabricated with correct splines as noted above. Then the little bell that is on the torque tube needs to have a compatible bell on the back of the transmission. so have that made and connect it to the tailshaft housing, bolt it all together and it should work Or relay the message from Hnstray post 13
^^^^This was most likely a Truckstell, Tip Toe overdrive, that was an aftermarket unit, and usually dealer installed, conversion. Probably not a BW unit; those were attached to various 3-speed transmissions that did't have torque-tubes. NO electrics (governor or solenoid) to this overdrive, everything was strictly manually done with cables (two I believe). They are still out there, but usually not complete; there have been some threads here on the HAMB, and over on ChevyTalk.Org; probably some other sites as well. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
See in this pic of one for sale here in Bakersfield. I believe the pumpkin will bolt right in. But you will need to use the Axles also because the splines are different. This one is says it fits 1955-1959. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
...if he wants to get the $ value out of the original rearend, he just needs to leave the car as is,...he'll spend a bunch more $, time & labor trying to keep that orig. rearend in there and going to an auto trans.,...just swap to an open drive and be back on the road in no time.
It wasnt a Truckstell. I had had a couple Truckstells so I am familiar with it. the guy I was referring to actually put a BW OD right to the back of the torquetube. I wish I could remember more abut it. It was probably 10 years ago or longer when I saw it. But it was cool
There is a guy in instagram that I believe sells a kit to do an open drive conversion. IT will require new axle pads and a change of the pumpkin. I believe his name on instagram is baycityproductions. You might want to check with him. Honestly the cheapest and easiest way would be to just swap a 55-66 truck rear end into it.
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