Buick's Infamous TORQUE BALL LEAK Repair on a 1958 Limited

This is a very long-winded walk through of a repair that is super common on Buicks with the enclosed driveshaft setup. I believe this particular method is correct for all Buicks from 57-60, since I don't have experience with the eariler ones. Some have different ball setups, and the logic behind this particular repair may not jibe with the earlier cars.
1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960 Buicks used this type for sure.
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[@heikofrank9564]

Hi, Your instructions helped me a lot in repairing my 58. Thank you very much for this. One major peculiarity: on my Buick, the torque ball had a vulcanized rubber seal, not the outer retainer. Removing the rubber seal from the torque ball was really pain in the ass - but I think we did a good job. Greetings from Germany

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Glad to hear this helped you out! Thanks for watching.

[@VillsvinJeger]

This is a good reference for us 1960 Buick guys. Thanks for the video!

[@kalmodoom]

Thank you for this tutorial.I have torque tube installation ahead. This gave me an excellent idea of what kind of job it will be!

[@32cad]

Great video. That's how real people work on cars.

[@georgeolsson8522]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video Adam. Sorry I forgot to include this in my earlier post!

[@rustyspringsranch2471]

I, for one, appreciate the reality show. That’s a job I don’t want to do! You ever think about a parts tray or table that’s higher than normal to help hold parts when your working under a car? You’d have bolts at fingertip reach anyway. Great video Adam!!

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Working under a lift is still new territory for me, so yes I really need a cart with tools and parts in reach. I have one of those, but it's full of electrical and construction bits from building the shop LOL

[@richardbunch8373]

Wow! Can't thank you enough Adam for taking the time to do a video of this repair! Like always, great job!

[@fenastray]

That took a lot of patience and dedication. Enjoyed the video.

[@osvaldorivero4242]

I HAVE IT 1998 BUICK SPECIAL IN CUBA MANY YEARS AGO .

[@real82it]

Thanks. I have to do this repair on my 58 in the next few weeks. This will help!

[@classicsbyclark]

Lucille is glad you've just got a refresher course in this repair. She also said she's glad you're doing the work and not me, lol.

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

I should probably come pick that up here pretty quick. Or should I wait until Valentine's day again? LOL

[@fuzzypeach]

I'm in the process of doing this job on my 58 Special. I have the car sitting on stands placed under the chassis, and have removed all 4 wheels. I figured I would build a craddle on wheels to support the axle so that I could just roll it back and fourth, in reality the craddle started to just flip up when taking the weighht of the axle, so I ditched this idea and placed a jack under the centre of the diffrential. This works much better, I also have another jack much farther along near to the transmission end of the tube, so I can better position it when I come to line it back up. Plus I had some guide pins made. As I have the rear wheels removed I marked the drums with a 12 o clock position so I can see if they move. Great idea on the ratchet straps btw. My only issue is that I have lowered my rear 3 inches with different springs, this is causing me to not be able to ratchet the axle back as far as I would like, so I am going to have to undo them I think. Great video, thanks for making it, I have been watching it over and over to study it and have made some notes. Yesterday I got the torque ball off, so today will be spent polishing it and hopefully putting it back together. I am pretty sure that all my trans fluid is leaking down the torque tube, I have read some guys drill a hole in the torque tube to let it drain out, have you heard about this? If so, do you know where abouts in the tube to drill? Surely if trans fluid gets into the axle and diff, then gear oil can get into torque tube, and by drilling a hole you risk loseing gear oil from the axle?

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

If your pinion seal is fine, you won't get gear oil mixing or getting into the torque tube. Drill the hole at the lowest point in the torque tube if you want to do that. But a new seal just after the torque ball will fix that.

[@ericesterby2895]

When I pulled the engine and transmission out of my ‘58 Special, I took two longer 3/8” bolts, cut the heads off, and cut slots into the ends so I could use a screwdriver to put them in, and later take them out of the torque ball. The intent was to use them as a guide to ease the transmission away from the torque tube (which worked), and to ease reassembly. I don’t know if the latter worked, because I never got it back together. Maybe it would help trying this if you’re faced with this repair again. This was a very interesting video. Thank you for it.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

That's what I always do - use guide pins. Not using them can result in a bent input shaft and on stick-shift cars, a distorted clutch assembly.

[@crittershotrods3691]

I’m about to have to do this to my 58 wagon… thank you for making this video

[@rustyshackleford5523]

Thanks for posting this im about to do the same thing on my 53

[@georgeolsson8522]

Unless I'm mistaken, all of the forward drive is applied to the torque ball and not directly to the chassis. That is a tough assignment. The early Chevys had leaf springs that allowed the axle to pivot (rotate) on the spring but the forward drive was transferred through the springs to the chassis.

[@craigjorgensen4637]

As much as I love old Buicks, that was a really crappy setup. They ALL leaked and they didn’t really stayed fixed. Buick was locked into the torque tube setup for WAY too many years!

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

It really is the worst.

[@spikeboston2012]

Where are you located? 4 shops kept my car for a month only to return it to me without touching it. My torque balls is leaking so bad. 1949 Buick Roadmaster Series 70, Model 71

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

I'm in the St. Louis MO area.

[@dyna1955]

Hey Adam, this is Mudbone. I didn't know you had a channel. Nice work!

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Thanks!

[@ssnnjj]

Super nice video.... One suggestion, Get yourself a parts cart!! Cant tell you how many times I've set a part in place only to find the bolt is on the floor out of reach😀

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

LOL! Totally need one. I actually have one, but it's been relegated to "storage" duty for a while.

[@ssnnjj]

@@antiqueautomotiveservice This is my 58 Buick, Many parts dropped !! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqjWnImDiL9qhZo

[@myoldgarage]

Thanks for the video. Was the repair successful? Hopefully NO leaks. I have never seen that much lead as you have on the left rear tire. Hope you don't plan to drive too far on those tires.

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

So far so good. These tires are 20 years old. I have new ones on order, but they are saying March for delivery date.

[@derekwilson3317]

Thank you for this video ,mine is leaking ,so here we go,

[@real82it]

Hey, need some help. I installed the torque ball with the new CARS kit. Even with all the shim gaskets installed (4) the torque ball is way too tight. Have you ever run into this? Also, can you please verify the orientation of the torque ball flange? Does the drain passage below the thrust sleeve go to the top or the bottom?

[@stevensmith9706]

I have 58 46C. The torque ball area leaks like a seive. Back in 1967 my father pulled the rear end to replace the U joints. I don't recall him refurbishing the torque ball. Move ahead to 2022, it's time. Recalling the efforts of my father I'm going to have it done in a shop. What type of automotive shop is best suited to do this repair. Transmission Shop, General automotive shop, Restoration specialty shop? Recommendation please.

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

I think you'll have to ask around and see if there is a transmission shop that has an "old timer" or someone who knows these cars.

[@JimmitheV]

Good video, thanks for doing it. I have a couple questions… I didn’t see you use any shims and I didn’t see you test the drag on the ball for proper tension.. what was your reasoning for these decisions. Thanks again…getting ready to do mine.

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Great question. Per the chassis manual on (at least) 1957 models, “no shim adjustment is required on a bonded rubber torque ball.” There is also no mention of checking for tension on the ball. It says to torque the retainer bolts to 30-35lbs. I’m going to dig out some earlier manuals and check when the shims are needed, because now I need to know for my own good! LOL

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

I just looked. 55 is the last year they call for shims and torsion check.

[@JimmitheV]

Question, for loading the rearend….I don’t have the wheels and tires on the car…but, as it sits the jacks are under the Axel and the weight of the car is on the springs….would this be good enough to tighten the rest of the bolts? Thanks

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Yes that's fine.

[@craigjorgensen4637]

Torque tubes were a bitch to deal with. Chevy got rid of them after 1954. Pontiac and Olds never had them yet Buick persisted for some reason!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Torque tubes prevent axle wind-up on hard lauches on cars with leaf springs, allowed softer rear leaf springs, and allowed rear coil springs before the 4-link setup came into being.

[@gaborkorthy8355]

I had a 66 rambler that had a torque tube. Lost a u-joint crossing the Mississippi river on what was going to be a cross country trip. Coasted to the in Minasota side and junked the car !

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@gaborkorthy8355 You must have already disliked that car.

[@gaborkorthy8355]

@@michaelbenardo5695 it was many years ago And l had actually named it" midnight". But perhaps you do have a point. LOL

[@craigjorgensen4637]

@@michaelbenardo5695Funny…a “hard launch”with a Dynaflow wasn’t really possible!

[@nightstorm9128]

How easy nuts come off when you use leverage ..no heat needed just a longer ratchet ..

[@antiqueautomotiveservice]

Heat aids in preventing snapped bolts/nuts...and if you just He-Man it with a breaker bar, your chances of snapping something off are much greater.

[@RodgerMudd]

Wow what a crappy set up and hard to repair. A real money maker for Buick in the day.