Technical How much hp/tq can torque tube setup handle

Before I knew him a former boss and mentor had a '32 coupe with a Hemi mated to a '39 trans with an adapter. He had issues with the trans scattering on hard 1/2 shifts when racing. But he also had trouble with axle keys breaking. His "I'm a kid and know everything" solution to the key way issue was to polish the hub/axle/key way assembly to insure a tight as possible fit. His father was an old time welder/fabricator who basically told him it was a bad mistake. Of course the first time he jumped on it hard the key way held but the rest of the rear end not so much. He learned the hard way that it was easier to change an axle key than a complete rear end. Of course trans and rear ends were plentiful and relatively cheap in junk yards back then.

 

The car was driven quite a few miles before I was able to pick up the car just to look for anything that might pop up .If the bolts weren’t torqued right wouldn’t what happened while I drove the car happen during the many test drive miles the car had logged before I drove it?
I apologize for not clarifying that this was NOT the car’s first drive , but just the first time I drove the car .

 

That was one of Dick Spadaro’s units. I replaced the twisted tube with a .120 wall 4130 tube and never had another issue. It was behind a 286 flatty with 39 box and a Winters V8 quick change in a A Coupe.

 

Didn't HRM or another mag in the late 50's/early 60's do an article about converting other type of axle for the banjo rear, and eliminate the tapered axles?

 

Looks like you were having fun! How did you do that?


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It may have taken a few miles for the bolts to back off that far. However, they wouldn't back off like that if they were properly torqued to begin with.

 

Thank you for clarifying, that makes sense.

 

those bolts were supposed to be safety wired also, note the holes in the head. i would think at the very least you should step up to the later 32 design rear end while its apart.

 

i did not see any safety wire on them this would have kept them from backing out

 

Is there a way to make those old rearends have positraction ?

 

You weld up the spider gears and then they blow apart real good , ask me how I know !

 

Never really paid much attention to the old closed drive rearends. Been fifty+ years since I had a car with a V8 and closed drive. The weak link was the transmission, but the op seems to have solved that problem. I get the nostalgia thing, but after that exercise in futility I moved on to open drive and never looked back. When this came up, I immediately wondered if there was any way to install some sort of positraction because I haven't fooled with one in almost forever. I guess my point is......whats the purpose of building horsepower if you can't get traction and reliability? So if things have changed, I'd like to know.