Someone please explain to me what a Saginaw Torque Tube transmission is...
I think I have one sitting in my garage, it is a 2.54 first.

you got a pic of it. if it is a torque tube tranny it looks different on back of it. it would be from x body well thats what i call it. 57 chevy era.it would have a ball on the back of it.

'Torque tube' is a function. The 'tube' can be just that, a tube or it can be a bar, or shaft that's mounted on the rear of the transmission and bolted solid to the differential. The idea being to keep the rear-end from 'torquing' (lifting) under power or dropping while coasting. Wow, I just made that up. And I think it's right! Examples; Tube: My wifes' old Porsche 944 (ugh), Bar; my 75 Monza with a 262 SBC. (ugh) There's a pattern here,,,,

A real torque tube tranny would come out of an old '50 Chevy or similar vintage cars.

The driveshaft "tube" hooked solid to the rearend w/ the actual d/s inside and it had a swivel-ball front joint that functioned like a U-joint, only designed like a ball and flange if I remember right??

pdq67

I'm pretty sure it is not a torque tube then, the tailshaft looks just like a regular old saginaw or T-10.
The Hurst shifter catalog can be very misleading, I'm looking at one and they have a pic of what mine looks like as "torque tube" For an 82+ Camaro...

I'm pretty sure it is not a torque tube then, the tailshaft looks just like a regular old saginaw or T-10.
The Hurst shifter catalog can be very misleading, I'm looking at one and they have a pic of what mine looks like as "torque tube" For an 82+ Camaro...

I've never heard em called that, but the third and fourth gen camaro's used a strut that attached solidly to the rear axle, and to a pivot on the tailshaft of the trans. Kinda sorta the same idea as a torque tube, and same as the monza that Everet described. The trans would have the attachment point cast into the tailshaft.

A real torque tube tranny would come out of an old '50 Chevy or similar vintage cars.

The driveshaft "tube" hooked solid to the rearend w/ the actual d/s inside and it had a swivel-ball front joint that functioned like a U-joint, only designed like a ball and flange if I remember right??

pdq67
Yeah, that's the way I remember them from high school auto shop. Oops, we've dated ourselves. :sad: Are any of those still on the road? It would sure be easier to replace them with a simpler system than repair.

I think the old '50's Chevy type torque tube driveshaft/rearend assemblies is where people started worrying about them breaking in front and "pole-vaulting" their cars down the strip when it's front dug down into the pavement!!

BUT, I may be off here??

pdq67

i think Chevettes also had real old fashioned torque tube, unlike the 75-80 Monza/Vega and 82-02 F bodies that merely have a torque arm.

you got a pic of it. if it is a torque tube tranny it looks different on back of it. it would be from x body well thats what i call it. 57 chevy era.it would have a ball on the back of it.

HUH? that was pre1955 cars, some were called enclosed driveshafts.