Torque Tube Differences
Thread Starter
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,547
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From: CT
Torque Tube Differences
What are the differences in TT production 10mm vs 12mm?
My understanding is that 2001+ C5s had the 12mm torque tube which is visually identified as having the large snap ring at the rear to retain the drive shaft and that the 1997 to 2000 C5s had the 10mm design with 11 bolts at the back of the tube to retain the driveshaft.
Pretty simple I thought.
But here I am feeling bad because I followed that understanding when buying a replacement/upgrade intended for my late 1999 Coupe which I then sold having not had the chance to install it prior to the car being wrecked. The buyer is a good guy a few towns over who is building a drift car and he finally got around to installing it today along with intended fresh bearings etc only to find that what I believed to be a 12mm TT which is how I sold it to him. I believe I had ran an ad on the forum here as well.
It seems like a caveat emptor scenario. And it is one which would have struck me square on in the same as it has the ultimate owner. I just want to be sure there isn't some gap in understanding that I missed on the part when I picked it.
My understanding is that 2001+ C5s had the 12mm torque tube which is visually identified as having the large snap ring at the rear to retain the drive shaft and that the 1997 to 2000 C5s had the 10mm design with 11 bolts at the back of the tube to retain the driveshaft.
Pretty simple I thought.
But here I am feeling bad because I followed that understanding when buying a replacement/upgrade intended for my late 1999 Coupe which I then sold having not had the chance to install it prior to the car being wrecked. The buyer is a good guy a few towns over who is building a drift car and he finally got around to installing it today along with intended fresh bearings etc only to find that what I believed to be a 12mm TT which is how I sold it to him. I believe I had ran an ad on the forum here as well.
It seems like a caveat emptor scenario. And it is one which would have struck me square on in the same as it has the ultimate owner. I just want to be sure there isn't some gap in understanding that I missed on the part when I picked it.
Last edited by Tusc; May 8, 2024 at 11:36 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,765
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From: Orlando Florida
The parts manual lists 12564457 as the prop shaft assembly for 97-99 MM6 equipped vehicles AnD for 2000 and up MM6 aNd M12 equipped vehicles. Obviously, the parts manual has a bit of an error. Additionally, the parts manual does NoT list a part number for either 10mm or 12mm couplers. Just a NS (not-serviceable) notation, and lists 12454456 as the assembly for all automatics, 1997 and up.
.
Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Oregon
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
It seems that the 97-09 auto trans cars used the same bolts for the couplers as the the 97-00 manual car's used (10mm)
01-04 Trans. code MM6; Trans. code T56/M12; USE w/ 88894027 M12X52 CPLG BOLTS; 6 speed Manual trans.
01-04 Trans. code MM6; Trans. code T56/M12; USE w/ 88894027 M12X52 CPLG BOLTS; 6 speed Manual trans.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
What are the differences in TT production 10mm vs 12mm?
My understanding is that 2001+ C5s had the 12mm torque tube which is visually identified as having the large snap ring at the rear to retain the drive shaft and that the 1997 to 2000 C5s had the 10mm design with 11 bolts at the back of the tube to retain the driveshaft.
Pretty simple I thought.
But here I am feeling bad because I followed that understanding when buying a replacement/upgrade intended for my late 1999 Coupe which I then sold having not had the chance to install it prior to the car being wrecked. The buyer is a good guy a few towns over who is building a drift car and he finally got around to installing it today along with intended fresh bearings etc only to find that what I believed to be a 12mm TT which is how I sold it to him. I believe I had ran an ad on the forum here as well.
It seems like a caveat emptor scenario. And it is one which would have struck me square on the same as it has the ultimate owner. I just want to be sure there isn't some gap in understanding that I missed on the part when I picked it.
My understanding is that 2001+ C5s had the 12mm torque tube which is visually identified as having the large snap ring at the rear to retain the drive shaft and that the 1997 to 2000 C5s had the 10mm design with 11 bolts at the back of the tube to retain the driveshaft.
Pretty simple I thought.
But here I am feeling bad because I followed that understanding when buying a replacement/upgrade intended for my late 1999 Coupe which I then sold having not had the chance to install it prior to the car being wrecked. The buyer is a good guy a few towns over who is building a drift car and he finally got around to installing it today along with intended fresh bearings etc only to find that what I believed to be a 12mm TT which is how I sold it to him. I believe I had ran an ad on the forum here as well.
It seems like a caveat emptor scenario. And it is one which would have struck me square on the same as it has the ultimate owner. I just want to be sure there isn't some gap in understanding that I missed on the part when I picked it.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...que-tubes.html
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Thread Starter
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: CT
Thanks, @Johnny Hardcore, for a solid answer. What I had would definitely qualify as a 12mm visually externally then. One hundred percent. 2000 year production for a 2001 car. Snap ring butt. No eleven bolts. But once it was taken apart the owner says it has 10mm guts. Very plausible someone may have swapped it out, not for performance reasons clearly. This still strikes me as strange.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
Thanks, @Johnny Hardcore, for a solid answer. What I had would definitely qualify as a 12mm visually externally then. One hundred percent. 2000 year production for a 2001 car. Snap ring butt. No eleven bolts. But once it was taken apart the owner says it has 10mm guts. Very plausible someone may have swapped it out, not for performance reasons clearly. This still strikes me as strange.
Also to your point, it's possible the previous owner did a rebuild just to get the car in working order and not for strength improvement.
It's a bit of a mystery.
Thread Starter
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,547
Likes: 7,232
From: CT
An odd one, yes. In my mind I wonder about using the larger tube and bearings and would the prior shaft work with it? Or are the driveshafts themselves the same OD? A level of detail not worth digging into I suppose.
But I bought it in good faith from NextGen Parts in Mass. And sold likewise in good faith. No way to know someone did the REVERSE of everyone else and downgraded a 12mm tube. I feel better for knowing it wasn't an eff up on my part at least. Just one of those things.
But I bought it in good faith from NextGen Parts in Mass. And sold likewise in good faith. No way to know someone did the REVERSE of everyone else and downgraded a 12mm tube. I feel better for knowing it wasn't an eff up on my part at least. Just one of those things.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
An odd one, yes. In my mind I wonder about using the larger tube and bearings and would the prior shaft work with it? Or are the driveshafts themselves the same OD? A level of detail not worth digging into I suppose.
But I bought it in good faith from NextGen Parts in Mass. And sold likewise in good faith. No way to know someone did the REVERSE of everyone else and downgraded a 12mm tube. I feel better for knowing it wasn't an eff up on my part at least. Just one of those things.
But I bought it in good faith from NextGen Parts in Mass. And sold likewise in good faith. No way to know someone did the REVERSE of everyone else and downgraded a 12mm tube. I feel better for knowing it wasn't an eff up on my part at least. Just one of those things.
