I tried unsuccessfully to find the very good discussion by Smokey from Lehigh, IA. back in 2003 and add a little more info to the home built conversion to the torque tube to an open drive line. I did copy the discussion and as I was machining the various parts and especially the pinion yoke, I noticed that the 91 Ford 250 truck flange(yoke) Smokey uses is cast iron. Opps!!! Welding cast iron to the original Ford steel driveshaft coupling is asking for trouble. Brazing isn`t good here either. The yoke needs to be steel not cast iron and after a search thru everything from Jeep to buicks to pickups and everything else....all seem to be cast iron. It is available in steel but as an aftermarket unit. Not the $5.00 one Smokey found on Ebay. Summit has them and in various apps. so that the Ford 250 is not the only choice and I doubt I will go that way. Probably something for a 9 incher will work. I am not thru looking and if someone out there has a cheap source, like a drive line catalog please share. I appreciate Smokey`s original comments and only look to save someone some troubles cause you don`t need your efforts to fall apart.
Are you sure the Ford is cast iron? I'd bet it is forged steel and looks like cast. I don't think it is junk cast iron, it would have broken under a 3/4 ton pickup being abused pulling trailers full of stuff.
The yoke was not machining like steel. So after I chopped off the splined nose, it was easy to explode it on an anvil with a medium hammer. Steel will not shatter and will machine with nice long chips....Not cast iron.
oj. Shocked as you that with all the times I dropped the clutch on my 66 chevelle big block that I never lost a yoke. Found a 12 bolt yoke from a 69 SS I had on the shelf and it too is cast iron.
If you have a 10 spline pinion, the yoke from a big (Champ size) Quickchange will work. They are available in 1310 or 1350 u-joint sizes and steel or aluminum. Might have to modify a seal plate. I have the parts you need.
Gearheadsqce the 40 ford axle I have is a 6 spline. Just incase someone doesn`t know, cast iron does not spark the same as steel at a bench grinder. Steel on the other hand will give a nice brilliant shower of sparks as you grind.
I did that conversion on a Model A banjo, machined and welded. It was easier than I thought and don't remember issues with welding the yoke. I took pictures at the time and lost them in a computer failure, I must've joined the original coupling - 6 spline I think - to a yoke, machined it to pressfit and then welded? Is that how you are doing it? Are you doing a V8 rear? Then you can replace the gearset with an opendrive gearset so the pinion has a tapered shaft and keyway like an axle and use a stock yoke. Post up some pics, this is an interesting conversion to make and others might want to give it a try.
I made up my own conversion and just used a yoke from a '66 ford full size car. I just guessed it would have been a forged part. It welded nice and has been holding up to my Y block for 2 years or so.
Unless I am confused about what you are trying to achieve here, I did that conversion in late 60s with the parts off a '47 or so Ford pickup. The plan was to swap out the connector for the yoke, but it seems like I swapped the whole banjo center sections. Been a while and no one was doing build threads then, let alone taking any pics. Since I was using a Glide in a 1750# car, that rear end lived thru the abuse.
Just like oj above, I made up a yoke from a 6 spine early Ford driveshaft coupler and a U-joint yoke from a '69 (I think) Cougar. The coupler length needs to be shortened. Bored the yoke for a press fit of the coupler, the tigged both ends. Turned a seal plate from aluminum that bolts to the center section and uses the late Ford OE yoke seal. Yoke is held on splined shaft by a 3/8" retaining bolt and thick washer through the center.
On another thread, someone posted a picture using a flange drive (like you would find on the transmission end of a mid '60s Chev-GMC one ton truck) bolted to a 3/4" machined flange welded to the 10 spline connector. And kudos to Gearhead for his willingness to help out here.
hotrodA, that is what I did but I made my seal retainer from steel and used the pin to hold yoke to shaft. So you drilled the shaft and threaded for bolt in center? was that not hard to drill? I should have tried that.
Original Ford spline coupling was damaged by someone grinding the pin heads so I made my own speedy sleeve for the repair. The steel seal retainer has two shoulders.....one to bottom the seal and the other to locate the retainer in the Ford torque tube for welding. GM flange is from a 1965 Chevelle 10 bolt......and very much cast iron. It will be welded to the now shortened spline coupling with trinaloy(SP) rated at between 78 and 80,000 tensile and remain machineable. I will use a pin to retain the coupling and also welded a small cap over the flange end of the coupling to stop the escape of axle grease.
Lookin good, I have an extra coupling I'd send send you if you want. Just shoot me a PM and it's yours.
Should have mentioned that it was on a V8 QC, which has the lower shaft drilled and tapped. The sleeve and yoke would be the same, just would have to pin it, as you did.
I have one of those open pickup banjos. I'm not sure what the differences are, other than the obvious torque tube and suspension mounting.
That's the '42 to '47 pickup or commercial rear axle and the biggest difference is that the pinion has a tapered shaft with keyway (exactly like the end of your axle) instead of the 6 splined end of the closed driveshaft pinion. On a side note, if anybody has a slick way to break the yoke loose on one of these rears I'd like to hear of it. I have one now in my 20 ton press and have heated it under pressure and waxed it too. Stubborn sucker.
Here is one I did with inexpensive off the shelf parts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/strawshop-opendrive-banjo-conversion-diy.324073/
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