OK I'm setting up a 46 ish rear end in a heavilly chaneled sedan.... space is an issue... The rear end is sprung with coild springs and will have a panhard bar.. Basically I've narrowed it down to two options... The first is to run split wishbones on the outside of the frame... the wishbone will be solid mounted to the axle and have a tie rod at the frame.... I'm sure this will work as it has been done a million times before..... the torque tube will take the torque, and the bones will locate the axle. I was thinking though, that a better way might be to run a 2 bar set up, with the bars pivoting at the axle and the frame..... that way it will have no binding issues... This will work right? It seems to me, it would work tits... BUT, I figured I should ask, before I build it... What do you think? Basically these are the only 2 options I have without making alot of changes to the frame..... Thanks.
Won't either of those set ups put pressure on the motor trans mounts as the rear axle rides up and down? I mean, as the rear travels it's arch, the torque tube since it's mounted solidly to the rear, wants to move forward and backward a little bit. On Henry's set up with the bones mounted to the tube, the rear spring flaxes lightly to allow for the forward and aft movement of rear during it's arch. If you mount the bones to the frame, the rear cant move back and forth. It seams to me that it would want to push the torque tube into the trans during normal travel. I guess if you ran your 2-bar setup so that it was real close to the length of the tube and mounted close to the same plane as the u-joint, it might make the movement less noticeable? Or am I outa my mind?
I don't like either of those options. The BEST part about using a TT is that you don't have to worry about two links and slip yokes and all of that other garbage that makes an open drive the devil. Don't split the bones. Just move them in for clearance and tie them right back to the TT. All they're there to do is keep the axle housing 90deg to the torque tube. I guess split radius rods work since they've been around for so long, but I think it's kind of a wierd setup if you're keeping the TT. Nevermind - I just realized I'm talking to a guy who runs his tie rod out front. Hahaha.
Jerk.... This sedan is super low so the Torque tube will ride actually above the floor.. So tieing the wishbones into it is not posible, unless you want to sit on them... Actually the way ther hairpins are now is just like that... I did not build this frame or choose the parts, I'm just trying to make something that will work without getting too involved, and still having a place to sit The lower bars HAVE to ride parrallel with the frame. There just isn't room for anythything else.. There is room for triangulated upper bars, but I was thinking they wouldn't be needed because of the torque tube. The whole set up is kind of unorthidox, but I still think the 2 bar set up could work good... They would take the place of the wishbone, and only be there to locate the rear..... I think they would work way better that if the split wishbone was hard mounted to the axle.... The coil springs will allow plenty of movement for flex... Fuck it, I think I'm going to try it.....
Butthole... I would be more inclined to try just splitting the wishbone. The two link sounds like a good idea - but I think something would end up getting jacked up between the TT and banjo with the TT taking more abuse. Did that make sense? And I still think you'd need to be really careful of pivot placement with no slip joint. I'd really likt to see it work either way though.
If you're gonna run the Ford torque-tube with no slider in it, you had better hook the bones to it like Henry designed it. Nothing but binds otherwise.
bob I am sitting here thinking about an upcoming TT project in a chevy. what your describing seems to have some binding problems.. I would think that the radius rods should be the same length as the torque tube? can you run them UNDER the axle.. Like WaYY under the axle? down real low like and then pitch the fronts WAYY up to the bottom of the tt a the front of the TT? maybe too many TT"s here... sawzall jeff
I agree with Sawzall.Im thinking that if your gonna have to split them and it sounds like you do.The pivot point of wishbone's need's to be same distance from axle centerline as tt pivot.JMO Gregg
Ok what if I diddn't run spit wishbones, or my 2 links.... And made a Mini wishbone, one that attaches say 12 inches or so from the rear end... Seems like that would work, No? It would still keep the torque tube and rear square and have room for a seat... I realise that Ideally it would attach as far forward on the torque tube and as far out as possible on the rear end, but my situation isn't ideal.. What if I mounted the wishbone way out on the rear end, even to the backing plates, like stock, and then attached them within a foot of the rear of the torque tube.....? I would imagine it would put stress on the torque tube, but maybe I could build some sort of long gusset that runs along the bottom of the torque tube.......? This is why the Hamb rules... It makes me less dumb.... haha I really appreciate the info, I've never delt with a torque tube before.... esspecailly in a crazy low car like this one...
I was working on a roadster with the same problems, I tried the joint thing and it was not going to work out so I tried the split bars mounted at the rear of the torque tube but I guess I thought about it to long, I ended up changing it. I was afraid at 70/80 mph and a detroit pot hole would snap the TT so I tossed that to the side also, I ended up making two bars that mounted low under the rear end with the front end mounting to the frame at the same pivot point as the TT and it worked fine with no binding and was still mounted low enough to not to be in the way of the seats. with the coil springs you still have to run a panhard bar, But Im sur eyou know that already. Mel
I wouldn't be scared of the short wishbone/gusset idea at all. If you think about a 40's model Ford truck hauling five pigs, a sheep, and a trailer full of Canadians across the border on some shitty dirt road with no problems, I think a shorty wishbone and gusset would hold up fine on a hot rod. And post pictures. I want to see it. Question: Do you think welding a long gusset to a torque tube would warp it enough to cause any real problems?
A short wishbone with a 2 bar setup should work good to keep what ever you got from going side to side..... LUKESTER
I don't know a thing about torque tubes yet but I have to agree with greg that what ever you do please post pictures as I think it will be very helpful to other H.a.m.bers. I know I would love to see the finish project as I will be facing a torque tube set up in the near future. Regards, Nathan<><
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