Afternoon all.

In the latest pokings at my torque tube collection (all both of them) I've noticed the driveshaft/propshaft on one has gone for a walk along the tube, i.e. the gearbox end coupling piece no longer sits flush at the rear of the tube.

I've had a quick look at the green books, but can't find anything. Does anyone know how the bearings are mounted, is there a seat for them to sit against, should then be exactly in the right place and other such questions are the ones I'm looking at, I'm half guessing the bearings are rubber mounted, much like a 1.7 bearing housing?

Best person I can think of to ask would be Atchi (miniswift). he's cut a torque tube up.

That's what happened when we tried to remove my t.t. when fitting the LSD. The splines weren't the best and got stuck in the clutch and as we, brutally to tell the truth, pulled the torque tube back, the prop stayed lodged in the clutch plate lol

The shaft is a friction fit in the bearings, it can move if you try to seperate the torque tube without removing 1 of the bolts from the clamp and use various levers before you get that eurica moment. I just hammered mine back up using a socket extension bar. I'm not sure if the bearing or just shaft moved, but the visible bearings look ok.

I'm thinking the bearings are in solid metal friction/spring fit shells. These shells are about a 3mm thick cup shape with square teeth on the outside and another cup in the middle for the bearing, Again these are pressed in from one end (I can see the fit marks).

Haynes seems to support that, showing 3 bearings.

BTW the shaft should not be flush with the end of the tube, it should join with the gearbox at the 2 holes where you undo the clamp.

Thanks both. I didn't remove this one.

Ride on, I saw the square teeth, that is what made me assume it's a rubber as that is what the 1.7 clutch shaft bearings look like. Great news you tapped yours back with a drift, thats what I was hoping to do. Agreed with positioning too, more to try and make myself more clear than super accuracy there. Thanks again

Bearings are mounted on metal carriers which have rubber surface between the torque tube and the bearing carrier. There's a plastic fitment ring between the bearing and the splined axle.

All of these parts can be separated and the bearings can be also changed. Plastic fitment ring is glued on to the bearing and the bearing carrier comes apart when the rivets are removed from the carrier. Those are common sized bearings I think. Bearing carriers come out if you pull the splined axle out from the front side of the torque tube and leave the clamp on the axle at the other end.

Earlier models had three bearings but the later ones have only two.

Bearings and the bearing carrier.

Pic from Customer's project topic.



-Marko

Thanks Marko, that's just what I needed to see. Does anyone have any idea what distance they should be down the tube?

I'm guessing it's not mission critical myself, but would be interested to know if anyone thinks different.

Maybe upgrade to two bearings, evenly spaced along the tt?

How would that be an upgrade? would you not want 3 as per the early models?

Edit for stupididty

There must be reason why volvo dropped down to two bearings. Be interested to know why.

classicswede wrote:There must be reason why volvo dropped down to two bearings. Be interested to know why.

Unfortunately reasons for this kind of "product development" are usually purely economical. At the latest it was in the mid 80's when most of the companies started to follow the rule, if the part will have "enough" durability for the designed usage time, don't over engineer it.

And nowadays the whole design process starts from the pre-specified life time of a part. "This is enough and after that we can sell a new part". A large part of a vehicle's contribution margin comes from aftersales nowadays.


There are a lot of examples in 200-series about this kind of "improvements" as the model had such a long life span from the 70's to 90's.


Of course there could be a technical reason to leave out a one bearing but my guess is that it's most likely economical.

-Marko

Re visiting a topic.

Has anyone spotted a green book section, or service leaflet, that shows TT bearing replacement? Are there special tools for removal of the bearings? Same, for fitment?

Fuse, do you have a link to Customisers thread, I take it this is on 300 power?