MTFCA Forum

[image][image][/image][/image]has anyone come across this type of breakage and if so what are the causes?
The pin was solid so it wasn’t a loose pin

Torque tube not modified to accomodate a ball bearing 4th main

No but I have had one with the T-tube broke inside the casting at the other end. The radius rods kept it in place locked at the rivets where it had sheared.

No mods all original
No pin gouge
And radius rods look good

If the rear spring center bolt head broke or slipped out of the rear cross member and the rear axle, spring and all, shifted slightly it could have stressed the torque tube over time. Because the torque tube ball is held fast by the motor even a slight and unnoticed misalignment could stress the torque tube in the area that broke.

Too many burnouts!

I didn't see any grease cups.....

I haven't seen one broken, but I did take one housing apart where the universal pin evidently had backed out and scored the inside of the housing. Being that that area is already pretty thin a similar break could have happened.

Just throwing out a thought, the break in that location would be developed by engine torque, the bolts that sandwich the rear part of the torque tube to the diff housing are 3/8" + 1/32 or 13/32" they are referred to as special bolts, if they were ever replaced with incorrect 3/8" bolts this could allow unwanted movement, just a thought.

The nose of the torque tube is free to move around in the ball cap to accommodate suspension movement. If that cap is dry or seized for some other reason, something has got to give.

Were you using a shim to take up for wear in the ball/retaining ring? Too much shim can lock up the ball joint and may cause this.