Will It Clear?

[Stude Rookie]

Still at work on my 54' Commander kit car and have some questions about my Avanti drive train. Will the shifter linkage on the four speed clear the bench seat when installed? Is a special mount required for the tail shaft? Is this a bolt in operation? Thank you all in advance. I am getting ready to order material for the interior and I need to know if the stock interior will work or do I need to go to a bucket seat configuration.
Stude Rookie

[JDP]

Still at work on my 54' Commander kit car and have some questions about my Avanti drive train. Will the shifter linkage on the four speed clear the bench seat when installed? Is a special mount required for the tail shaft? Is this a bolt in operation? Thank you all in advance. I am getting ready to order material for the interior and I need to know if the stock interior will work or do I need to go to a bucket seat configuration.
Stude Rookie

You can use the bench seat shift lever, or make your own.

[N8N]

to clarify JDP's comments, crack open your late parts book and check out the shifter installation for a '61 Hawk. that's what you want. Or I personally would go with a Hurst and weld a bench seat lever onto the Hurst shifter stub. (in fact, that's what's in my '55 coupe right now.)

how are you handling the driveshaft with the 4-speed?

nate

[Stude Rookie]

Thanks for your help Nate. I haven't gotten to the drive shaft part yet. The car came with a two piece shaft. I am not sure what will work but I am slowly cannibalizing my old 63' Avanti. I may use the complete drive train if it will work. Any input would be deeply appreciated. My post doesn't seem to be showing up like normal. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
Stude Rookie

[StudeRich]

Slide-in Driveshaft vs bolted yoke 2 piece type

That's where the fun really begins, with the driveline conversion! Most people cut out the lower portion of the center support crossmember and beef up what is left, you can even add a driveshaft safety loop underneath it. Good luck with it.

[Stude Rookie]

StudeRich, if I am understanding you correctly, the center support must be torched away in order to use the Avanti drive shaft and rear end ?
Stude Rookie

[N8N]

yes.

avanti driveshaft will be too short and likely too large in diameter. basically what Rich describes is what I have in my '55 coupe. I had a custom 2-3/4" diameter shaft made but it still hits the tunnel. I think I will try to shift the engine/trans to the left ever so slightly to clear the floor, and also install traction bars (have vintage traction masters.) if that doesn't work time for the hammer and torch.

rear axle for Avanti and your '54 Commander are essentially identical, both tapered-axle Dana 44's. only diff is that the avanti *may* have limited slip, and will also have the brackets for the factory trac bars. The '54 will be definitely open, and won't have the trac bar mounts, but will have the grease fittings for the wheel bearings. Which housing you use really comes down to ratio, whether the Avanti rear has TT, whether you care about the trac bar mounts, and condition of the two rear ends.

I would consider some kind of brake swap on the '54, not sure if your parts Avanti has good brakes or not. usual swap is 55-66 11/10" drums, bolts on and gives great stopping power. Avanti discs are expensive to rebuild if not in good shape. or consider Turner discs front with rear 10" drums from a non-disc later Stude. Not sure how proportioning works out with the Avanti 11" rear drums. Ask Jim Turner, he should give good advice.

good luck

nate

[Stude Rookie]

yes.

avanti driveshaft will be too short and likely too large in diameter. basically what Rich describes is what I have in my '55 coupe. I had a custom 2-3/4" diameter shaft made but it still hits the tunnel. I think I will try to shift the engine/trans to the left ever so slightly to clear the floor, and also install traction bars (have vintage traction masters.) if that doesn't work time for the hammer and torch.

rear axle for Avanti and your '54 Commander are essentially identical, both tapered-axle Dana 44's. only diff is that the avanti *may* have limited slip, and will also have the brackets for the factory trac bars. The '54 will be definitely open, and won't have the trac bar mounts, but will have the grease fittings for the wheel bearings. Which housing you use really comes down to ratio, whether the Avanti rear has TT, whether you care about the trac bar mounts, and condition of the two rear ends.

I would consider some kind of brake swap on the '54, not sure if your parts Avanti has good brakes or not. usual swap is 55-66 11/10" drums, bolts on and gives great stopping power. Avanti discs are expensive to rebuild if not in good shape. or consider Turner discs front with rear 10" drums from a non-disc later Stude. Not sure how proportioning works out with the Avanti 11" rear drums. Ask Jim Turner, he should give good advice.

good luck

nate

I see that I need an education on the difference in K body frames. I know that hawks had 4 speed transmissions, but I do not know what drive shaft they used or if the frame had been modified from the 54' configuration to accept the 4speed. I am beginning to think that putting the Avanti drive train in my 54' is as much trouble as converting it to Chevy. Getting frustrated with all the "stude snags" I'm running into just to keep it Studebaker. Old and tired, I guess. Things will probably look better tomorrow.
Stude Rookie

[PackardV8]

I am beginning to think that putting the Avanti drive train in my 54' is as much trouble as converting it to Chevy. Getting frustrated with all the "stude snags" I'm running into just to keep it Studebaker.

What you need to understand is everything you see as a "stude snag" is going to be there with the Chevy conversion, plus there would be a thousand little things which you hadn't even thought of. At least when keeping it all Stude, there exists a Stude part for everything you are considering changing.

FWIW, if I had a parts Avanti, I'd move all the running gear directly under the '54 and have the two yokes welded on a custom length driveshaft.

What no one has mentioned to this point is Stude enlarged the driveshaft tunnel on the post-'57 one-piece driveshaft C/Ks. The small tunnel of the '53-57 cars make it likely a one-piece driveshaft will hit the underside on hard acceleration.

Another FWIW, back in the bad old days, I put a later drive train in a C-body and kept the two piece drive shaft. No reason it can't or shouldn't be done. Many pickup trucks use two piece driveshafts with a slip yoke transmission.

jack vines

[N8N]

the frame isn't the problem, it's essentially the same once you get rid of the center x-member.

the problem is that the driveshaft tunnel is smaller on pre-58 models with the two piece shaft than it is on 58-up models with the one piece shaft.

I believe Dick Steinkamp successfully used a two piece shaft in his car with a 4-speed (albeit behind a Ch*vy 327.) I would think that that would be the way to go in your situation. Mine is a little different because the driveshaft support crossmember was already torched away on my car when I got it. I have considered putting one back in, but that's obviously more difficult

nate

[Stude Rookie]

What you need to understand is everything you see as a "stude snag" is going to be there with the Chevy conversion, plus there would be a thousand little things which you hadn't even thought of. At least when keeping it all Stude, there exists a Stude part for everything you are considering changing.

FWIW, if I had a parts Avanti, I'd move all the running gear directly under the '54 and have the two yokes welded on a custom length driveshaft.

What no one has mentioned to this point is Stude enlarged the driveshaft tunnel on the post-'57 one-piece driveshaft C/Ks. The small tunnel of the '53-57 cars make it likely a one-piece driveshaft will hit the underside on hard acceleration.

Another FWIW, back in the bad old days, I put a later drive train in a C-body and kept the two piece drive shaft. No reason it can't or shouldn't be done. Many pickup trucks use two piece driveshafts with a slip yoke transmission.

jack vines

Mr. Vines , you are quite right about the Chevy conversion. I really had no intention of doing that. I did need the explanation about the enlarged tunnel and the probability of using the two piece drive shaft which, thankfully, was still in the car. I have no problem using it, as I don't plan on poppin many wheelies. I am just trying to build a sweet sounding, neat little car.

[Stude Rookie]

the frame isn't the problem, it's essentially the same once you get rid of the center x-member.

the problem is that the driveshaft tunnel is smaller on pre-58 models with the two piece shaft than it is on 58-up models with the one piece shaft.

I believe Dick Steinkamp successfully used a two piece shaft in his car with a 4-speed (albeit behind a Ch*vy 327.) I would think that that would be the way to go in your situation. Mine is a little different because the driveshaft support crossmember was already torched away on my car when I got it. I have considered putting one back in, but that's obviously more difficult

nate

Thank you Nate. I believe that I am going the two piece route.
Stude Rookie

[Pat Dilling]

I also encountered the drive shaft tunnel interference on mine with a single piece drive shaft. In part because of the diameter vs the narrow tunnel and also because I like my cars to sit low. I finally bit the bullet and pulled the interior out and welded in a larger tunnel. This would be easy to do for you if you have not installed the interior yet. At the same time you could flatten out the almost useless rear foot wells which would give you more room under the car for exhaust etc. Just a suggestion. I have gone back and forth between a single piece and two piece shaft trying to get the stance and drive line angles that I want.

Pat