Chevy 49 to 54 interchanging Torque Tube

I have searched but found nothing on interchanging the Torque Tubes in the rear end housings . I have the Shop manual and looks to have rivets holding this together please correct me if im wrong . I am in the process of changing out my 49 rear end to a 51-54 rear end . I found a 52 locally (havent bought it yet) , but the Torque Tube has been cut off during there disassembly. My quesion is if my tube will work in the 52 rear end and if so what is the correct way to do this ? This will make my final descision on to buy this or not . Thanks

 

I do not see why it would not. I believe you would probably have drill the rivits and push that section left behind out then install the new one with either rivits or weld it in. dealers choice on that. I believe the only difference with those tubes was length for doors or two doors.

 

I really dont unerstand how this works . Removing the torque tube only from the rear end housing ! I see there are rivets and bolts with locking nuts on them . Ok if i drill the rivets out how will i replace them ? I need to use my torque tube in the other rear end which they have cut the tube off. I want to achieve the 51-54 brake setup as well as the gears from the automatic which this other rear end came out of . I really need some help here before i purchase this rear end and cant use it ? Thanks , im planning on getting this rear end this sat so................ any help asap i would greatly appreciate thanks

 

You don't want to try changing out the tube/shaft from your rear to the later one. a better idea is to install the later gears into your torque tube assy. Will be a easier/cheaper deal guaranteed.

 

Ya know, if this were mine, I'd just go find a PG rear end out of a tri-5 car and bolt it in there. While you're at it, get the driveshaft too. Yes, you'll have to change the tranny, or at least the tailshaft of the one you've got now but all in all that seems like less work with a better result than what you're thinking about.

This also gives you lots of tranny options, like maybe a Saginaw 4-speed or a T-5.

If you really want to keep the torque tube why couldn't you cut yours to the proper length and just weld it onto the new one? I've heard of shortening torque tubes so I would think this could be done.

 

Can you change the tailshaft on these trannys?

Thanks

Dave

 

my goal is to gain the bendix brake set up and the gearing of the auto from a 51 to 54

 

too bad u cant Just swap the hole thing, dissconect from the tranny, 49 54 closed rears all interchangable.u have to go swapping the center sections. like the kit they sell from patricks

 

In other words, pass on the one with the cut off tube. There should be plenty out there from open driveline conversions.

Find yourself a complete rear preferably from a powerglide car. They would have the 3:55 gear.

 

x2 on that ,since the po cut the tube in half on the 52 rear all you can save is the axle housing,for the brakes ,if the 52 was a pg car(3.55gears) i would take the ring,pinion and anything useful and swap the gear set into my 49 center section then put that in the 52 axle housing( make sence, im a terrible typer) but if the 52 rear was out of a stick car the gearsare gonna be 4.11 -, -like 54 fierro said lookfor a pg rear 51-54 so you get the good brakes -50 pg still had those huck brakes --keep us posted -car looks cool

 

lol i didnt my brakes were good ? haha . its a pain in the ass if this is your only car and or only rod ... just put a dual res and call it a day ... who needs brakes ..i creep i dont drive

 

I've sent you another P.M. The idea here is to keep your current torquetube assembly (that includes the torque tube/third member, only as a single "unit) and replace your rear end housing/brake backing plates with the one that the torque tube has been partially cut off of. However, if it were me, and since you have to remove the axles anyway, I'd just remove the backing plate rivits and swap backing plates, then BOLT/NUT it back together. Is the other rear end/torque tube a Powerglide geared unit? IF it is, you may want to swap the gears out also. Again, if it were me, I'd just swap the backing plates after pulling the axles. Why remove the stock rear end housing and have to deal with how it's bolted in the car, with the pivots and all? It just seems like a lot of unnecessary work. KISS method, so-to-speak. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Switching the backing plates was my 1st idea , but then i was told on here that the backing plates off the 52 (51-54) would NOT fit the 49 center section housing! I also was told they would, so what to do ? If you was to go back through some of my threads i have recently posted youll see what im talking about . Im getting alot of mixed up imfo and i honestly dont know whats right and whats wrong? I do appreciate everyones help and input . I understand what im trying to do isnt a everyday thing and some might just be thinking certain parts will work . It would be really nice to know 200% what will and what wont work. I do know the 10000% way to do it is to find a good rear end from a 53-54 pass car (powerglide) complete drum to drum and bolt it in . Thanks again for everyones help . Im sorry if i sound frustrated , im not just trying to get this ol car up and running without waisting $ and time.

 

I think you should ONLY look at suggestions by someone who actually has experience with these rear ends. The easiest way, in your case, is to find a complete 51-54 Powerglide rear to swap in, also the hardest in finding the parts. So, take your current rear end out, take the "parts" rear end you have, and combine them accordingly; since the gears/carrier will have to be swapped out to gear the higher ration gears, it would probably be best to have it done "professionally". Or, just swap out your housing, and do the gears later. Butch/56sedanddelivery.

 

Whoa WHOA!! Swap the entire rear end INCLUDING the torque tube! The ENTIRE thing is 100% interchangeable. 1949-1954, the only differences are gearing and brakes. There is NO reason to drill anything and create more work for yourself.

 

Sorry, I just re-read your original post. Pass on that one, unless it's free. Pretty much everyone that builds one of these cars dumps the motor and rear end, so you can get them cheap. I know someone planning to do exactly that, but it won't be anytime soon. Keep looking.

 

Yep. What he said. You will thank yourself for doing the extra work to find a decent, whole 51-54 vs. messing around with swapping all the gears and stuff. It's a total bolt-in, take you a couple hours including bleeding the brakes.

BTW, you do need to drill out the rivets on the torque tubes to work on them (so the axle with the cut tube would only be a good idea if it's free, and even then not really). Grab yourself one of those 49-54 manuals that they reprint. They have a lot of useful info in them for the price.

 

Ive got the manual ( chevrolet shop manual) for my 49 . It is ok but not very defined in my opinion for the Tube that is . As far as the cut tube rearend , it has the 3:55 gears and the brake set up im looking for and is all complete and its about 15 mins from me . That paticular rear end is hard to find around here. Thats why i have been trying to make 2 into 1 . Thanks for all the replys . Has anyone here personaly removed 1 of these tubes and reinstalled it ? If so how did you do it ? Did the service guys back in the days have to remove the tube to access the pinion nut ? There has to be a way , im not worried about extra work to save some cash and time (traveling) a 10 or 18 hour day to get 1 of these rear ends .

 

When I had questions when I (stupidly) took apart one of these rear ends, I got a lot of great help from ChevyTalk.

I say "stupidly" because I tried to separate the torque tube from the rear so I could move it across town, but I removed the wrong bolts and ended up in a position where I'd basically have to completely rebuild the rear which I had neither the tools or know-how to do... but then someone popped up with another rear end... for free.

You COULD unbolt the damaged torque tube from the rear housing, leaving the gear set attached to the tube section. Then do the same thing on your good rear. Then swap rear housings. That way you'd have the brakes you want, but you'd still have the original 4:11 gears ...but could drive it. Should only take a couple of hours, and some new gaskets (FillingStation.com, etc). While you're enjoying driving it, you can keep an eye out for the better rear end. Does that make sense?

 

Check out this picture from the parts manual. The "carrier" (torque tube) is the same part no. from '41 thru '53 so it should be just a matter of attaching your carrier to the '51 housing.

The wierd part is the picture shows the housing/torque tube held together by bolts and nuts. I don't get why yours is rivited in places - must've changed over the years.

Hope this helps.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_57chevyparts/57cmpc0467.htm

 

O.K., The "torque tube" that is rivited to the third member/carrier assembly/pig (what ever you want to call it) IS NOT THE PROBLEM. You have a GOOD torque tube/third member to use, the one that's currently in your car. Now, on the "parts" rear end, tear it completely apart. To remove the DRIVE SHAFT, loosen/remove the three bolts/nuts that hold the bearing in the third member ( the front part of the cast iron third member). Of course, before you can do that, you have to take off the rear cover, axles, caps, ring gear/carrier assembly, to get to the pinion/drive shaft. There is a pin than keeps the drive shaft "connected" to the pinion shaft, and that ALL comes out of the torque tube in essentially, one piece. You can mix and match all the parts you have to get to where you're going, but it's going to be a lot of work, and you'll need to "set up" the ring and pinion gears once they're in your torque tube/third member. Again, you DO NOT need to remove the rivits that hold the torque tube to the third member, and the pinion/drive shaft come out of the torque tube after loosening/removing the three bolts/nuts that keep the bearing in place. You'll wind up using, YOUR own torque tube/third member, your own drive shaft, the "new" ring and pinion gears, your carrier(or the other one), your caps, the "new" housing/backing plates, whatever axles you want of the two sets, whatever cover of the two you want to use, and the "new" brake parts. You should buy new, ALL the gaskets/seals you're going to need. This will work for you, good luck, and have fun. On a scale of one to ten, on the frustration level, I rate this an 8.5 to nine. See why torque tubes have fallen by the wayside 50-60 years ago; maybe a little less for Nash/Rambler. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

save your self the hassle get your self a rear end out of a 85-91 4wd s-10 blazer fits perfect that what I ran in my 52.

 

That's what I was trying to say. Thanks for the illustration! The tube part is riveted to the carrier, but the carrier/tube assembly can come out as one piece. Then he can swap the bad one for the good one.

Sure, but it will require changing spring perches, buying a driveshaft, and getting a new transmission. If he's going to go through all that, he might as well swap engines, too.

 

Actually, the bolts (screws in the diagram) and nuts, three of them, are what hold the pinion bearing in position. The actual "tube" is rivited to the cast iron third member (they call it carrier- but that refers to the whole tube/3rd member assembly). I'm sure glad I'm not tackling this project, it's doable, but it's an awful lot of work. I'm not even sure if the returns of doing it are worth it. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

very much so , i did think about that too..... Im going to work on getting these 3 :55 in to the mix somehow .

 

Now this is what ill do , thanks very much . Looking at my manual and reading what you have hear it all comes together . I will let you know how this turns out . And yes ill be replacing everything with new . To me its worth it, i dont mind the challenge or the work . I like learning new things and who knows maybe this thread and all the replys from you guys may help another hamber. I am learning alot from everyone here and i enjoy it . thanks again everyone .

 

Im going to look at this rear end hopefully this weekend . My question is what am i looking for to make damn sure its a 3:55 rear end ? Serial #s codes etc........... ? I dont think the rear cover is off of it , so i dont think i will be able to look into it to count gears. And with the torque tube and propeller (driveshaft) being cut off counting rev is more than likely out of the question . Im thinking there has to be #s someplace . I just found it in my manual , should be on the front of the differential carrier right side of vehicle. OK but what #s should i be looking for to tell me year and auto/manual ? My manual shows a pic (example ) GA 329 what does that mean ?

 

Pull the back cover off the rear - on the pinon gear will be 2 numbers seperated by a dash. This will be the number of teeth on the pinion and the ring gear. Do the divsion to get the ratio, then count the teeth yourself to double-check, I don't think ther is any way to tell from numbers on the outside of the rear. From memory I believe 9-37 is a 4:11 don't know what a 3:55 is.

Also - just to repeat; you CANNOT swap backing plates on the rear to convert from Huck brakes to Bendix. Flange to flange dist is different and backing plates have different 'offset to flange', and if I remember correctly the rivet holes are different. Front backing plates are an even swap if you have the right spacers and bolts.

 

FWIW, all 49-54 Chevys have the same wheelbase and the same torque tube, there is no difference in length, not even auto trans to manual.

I'd say grab this rearend if it's cheap just to have the gears - that way now all you need is any 51-54 rearend and you can change out the center section if you need to.


+2 on no interchange on the backing plates, anyone who's actually tried it finds it doesn't work.

 

Thanks for that detailed pic that does help .