4-link -2link a torquetube ?-51 chevy

i have done a search ,on this and still have some questions , , im going to bag my 51 chevy ,im keeping the stock torquetube rear (powerglide ) i have already notched it , i have looked at pics of the 4link setups that some of my fellow hambers have done to their 49-52 chevys (great work i must say ) - but they had converted to opendrive, i also looked at happyhoppys 2link pics , right now the car has the stock springs and 4inch blocks , ,dont like the scrubline issue ,

i wont be slammin this car on the frame , and im not cuttin my wheelwells , im just gonna lower it down a nother 3 inches , i will also be baggin the stock frontend

my question is 2link with panhard bar or 4link - thanks --joe

here is the car

how it is now


here is what im looking to get to

 

alot of people hate 2 links and will argue articulation.....but unless you plan on rock crawling a 4link is really not needed for "on-road" use . My buddy is going to be doing a 2 link of sorts on my 50 chevy. It will throw off the look of a parallel 4 link with bushings instead of shackles and u-bolts. But will let the axle travel like a 4 link and also work like traction bars. I'll have some pictures up in a few weeks to explain his idea better.

 

Joe,

Do a "Title only" search for NASCAR suspension, there was some heavy discussuon on this subject . Basically I'm talking trailing arms with a panhard bar. Same setup used on most Chevy pickups thru 1972. I don't think with the longer arms you will have the extereme pinion angle changes. Also, this style of setup is less intrusive into the bottom of the rear seat area of the car. ( I know that is not a big deal but it is one less thing to deal with) Todd

 

The problem with dropping the car that much is that the torque tube only pivots at the transmission. Unless the 2-link bars are the same length and pivot at the same point as the torque tube, you're going to break something. The bars and the rear/torque tube need to travel on the same plane when you have that much suspension travel

Open drive fixes the binding issue because it can pivot at the trans and at the rear. Which is why you can run shorter bars. 2 links(trailing arms) will still have pinion angle issues. a 4 link will be easier to fine tune your pinion angle. The NASCAR reference is good, however they use triangulated versions that allows articulation. BUT they dont have massive amounts of suspension travel that changes the pinion angle much which is why they work well in that situation.

 

nrchopshop i understand what you are saying about the torquetube piviting only at the trans , i was thinking of making my bottom bars and using bushings at both ends ,i did a basic layout at work , with the bars 48inches long and it seemed like they would work , movin up 3 inches at the rear with the front of the bar staying put on the centerline (am i wording this right ) am i missing something ! -joe

 

Joe,

One of the other things I've heard mentioned with lowering the car alot with the torque tube is there are lubrication issues. I ripped my stock driveline out so I can't say anything based on experience. It was just discussed on Chevytalk. Todd

 

Wouldn't it be easier to just change to open drive? then the suspension would be alot easier and the options are endless.

 

todd i read that also , im not planning on driving it when its down , just wanna beable to dropit when parked , rais it up when im driving --joe

 

toast , right now im gonna run the torque tube , it cruises great , im also keepin the six (59 235 runs great ) , like i said im interested in some options for the torquetube ,other than stackin blocks and yanking leaves , --joe

 

Keeping the torque tube and doing anything that you have mentioned will make for dangerous situation.

2 link, 4 link with a torque tube will bind.<< see that? Keeping the torque tube eliminates most of the options that you are wanting to do.

Either convert to open drive, or leave it as it is and enjoy it.

 

4 link will not work with a torque tube because it will not let the rear end pivot as it needs to. Happy Hoppy's or Evil1's two link with pivots on both ends of the bars is the way to go when running a torque tube.

 

here is a pic of my 2 link with a pan hard bar Works great

 

Anymore pics of this setup?? Thanks Todd

 

Joe, can you use early Ford style rear wishbones or something similar. Make brackets that mount to the torque tube housing and allow them to move with the rear housing like Ford did?

Then, instead of a panhard, make a bar that mounts on anti sway bar bushings, and runs two links down to the housing. This bar will act like a torsion bar and help control body roll etc... I have some pics somewhere of this style setup. supposed to work great.

 

you will notice the swivel arrangement on the rear hsg where it bolts to the leaf spring. this is necessary because of the torque tube. you can get away with pulling leafs because the torque tube will not allow axle wind up. you could probably get away with a 2 link and a panhard bar if you retain the swivel perch.

 

Yep, need to see this.

 

here is a link to what i did its a lil ruff looking but it works great...
http://www.evil1customs.com/current_projects/current_projects.htm

 

If you retain the factory pivot point leaf spring mounts and incorporate into the two-link arms as done here by evil1 you don't have the binding issues... but I just noticed dirt tracker said the same thing above...

 

I still have a torque tube in my 51. I lowered mine in the back with raised spring perches , c-d frame , bags , panhard rod and 3 in. blocks.To take care of the extreme angle of the torque tube , I raised the engine and trans 1 1/2 in. with my own mts. . I had to raise the trans hump and I tunneled the driveshaft anyway. There were more clearence issues with the starter, but its no big deal. I remember I wasn't satisfied with just the rearend up against the frame as it wasn't low enough. My raised spring perches helped my scrubline because that front spring mount hangs down enough to get caught on something. You could take a couple of leaves out and reduce the size of lowering block, a cheap soloution for your scrubline. 4 links and all are fine for a open driveline , but you can find a easier way.That torque tube is one BIG link and a traction bar to boot. At least there is only one universal joint to break, and I've never broke one. I got the same driveline as you but I got a 55 235 instead. I wish I had a set of those Lancers!

 

It aint no fun without pics. Heres my spring perches and a pic of how mine sits. I would show the frame and all but that will have to wait till I pull the body again!

 

lets see, I have about 35k miles on my 2 link-torque tube-stock motor and trany set up.
but its not 1st time someone questioned my set up.

 

thanks for the input ,pics ,everyone evel your setup looks really welldone , hoppy i have a few pics of your setup , and im gonna go that rout , my bottom bars will be 46 inches long ,and have bushings at both ends , i will be running them just inside of the framerails ,above the bottom of the frame ,the bags will be over the axle ,with the car dropped the top of the tire will be an inch below the inner wheelwell , like i said i have 4 inch blocks in it in the first pic , and its ok ,but the scrubline thing is scarry ,especially if i get a flat ,i will post pics ,as soon as i can , again thanks to all for the positive advice --joe

 

On a bagged torque tube setup is it possible to make a trans mount that will aim your tailshaft high enough for it not to bind? I got no problem cutting more of the rusty floor out

 

I guess you could shim the trany up off the mount but, I can drive my car about 1.5" inch off the ground without binding and my trany is bolted up stock.

I know a lot of guys say it wont work but, I didn't ask anyone before I did mine.
truth is the bags were done by a shop 1st, (not going to say what shop) I didn't like the way it came out, so I took out everything but the notch and with help from fellow club member, Shaun, we re-did the whole set up.
yes, its a 2 link, yes I have the stock torque tube and 3 speed trany, YES I drive it a lot, and I drive it low and I drag it.
I get guys PM'ing me saying its not possible but, I know evil1 and some others did the same set up and they drive their cars too.

 

Man i may just rip this triangulated 4 link out, it seems to be more trouble than its worth. Maybe my bar length has something to do with it, they are pretty short.

 

my 1st set up had short trailing arms that bolted up to the stock forward spring perch, when on the ground the rear wheels moved forward a lot and they looked off center in the wheel well.
the cause was the short trailing arms, it all came out.

think of an arch, the longer the arms the more gradual the arch and the less the wheels move forward following the arch from ride height to lowered position.
my trailing arms are 43" long and move forward less then 1/4 from ride height to layed out.

got any pic.s off your set up.

 

I raised my engine and trans 1 1/2 in. and had to make my own mounts. If you raise just the back of the trans , your engine will be at a funny angle.The way I did it , I'm almost laying frame in the back and my torque tube is almost at the stock angle and not in a bind.You do run into small clearence issues with the starter hitting the floor(not bad) and the vertical braces on the firewall get a little closer to the intake. My throttle linkage and shifter linkage all just moved their angle a little and still work like original. That took care of my driveline issues.I raised the trans tunnel up along with tunneling the driveshaft hump. I took the trans cover and just bent more radius in it on my knees and it fit right back into place.Its hard to get that extra few inches on these Chevys.

 

no i dont have any pictures of my setup at the moment. So if i make my trailing arms pivot at both ends i should be in better shape? I never noticed the spring perches pivot. Its all getting clearer now!

 

You got any pics of your setup? i don't want to criticize just curious...