Woods find - old rear end - what is it?

Hunting public land in PA yesterday, I ran across this old rear end assembly.  I should have searched harder for some kind of tag or stamping, but saw none with a quick look.  Torque tube?  Looks 40s or older.  Maybe a tractor and not from a car?  Can anyone ID what it is from?

Whatever it was was heavy, judging by the springs.

... and the huge brakes ...

Who all had torque tubes, Model T?

In reply to 914Driver :

Model Ts didn't have rear brakes unless they were aftermarket. Lots of stuff had torque tubes back then.

The area was logged perhaps a hundred years ago. It's also possible there was a seasonal camp or homestead there before it became public land in the 70s.  I don't know 20's and 30s stuff well but that looked like a lot of leaves in that spring package. I wondered if it was what's left of a homemade trailer.  I thought the bolt in the center of the differential would be a good clue but a Google search didn't help me.  When did torque tubes disappear? That would at least make it a pre 19xx.

Truck for sure.  Torque tube was used far longer than I used to think, when I started servicing a guys 55 Buick that uses a torque tube, and has lever shocks on the rear.

I'm going to suggest 40's would be the latest for a truck.  Probably 30's.  Juice brakes, so not Ford unless its late 30's.

With nothing but instinct, I say Dodge.  Something about the ribbed drums.

I'd suggest that those are not half ton springs.

My 53 Chevy truck came with an enclosed rear axle. probably 54 also.

This pic http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_57chevyparts/images/57cmpc0467a.jpg

Came from this page https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1207859/chevy-torque-tubes-47-to-50s.html

On my phone so I cant look too close at the pics, but that center bolt stands out.

This is a front drum for a 1936-1945 3/4 ton Chevrolet and GMC Pickup Truck. Looks similar to what's on that rear.

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/product.asp?prodid=MEB125&i=19625|||||

What were you doing out in the woods exploring somebody’s rear end?

In reply to klb67 :

Do you have a picture of the wheel?

Woody said:

In reply to klb67 :

Do you have a picture of the wheel?

Sorry.  I wish I did.  I just took those 2 on my way from where I was hunting to where I needed to meet up with others.  I will get more pics if we hunt that ground again, but might not be until next year.  I suspect that rear will still be there (unless you all tell me that's a rare XYZ rear worth a lot, then I'll make a special trip

The Chevy truck is probably correct because of the springs but don't dismiss the big cars from the 1930s.

Lincolns had similar drums and Henney center sections looked very similar to that one.

In reply to klb67 :

How hard would it be to get out of there?

Is there a challenge value for humping something out of the woods?

Stampie said:

In reply to klb67 :

How hard would it be to get out of there?

It's about 2 and 1/2 hours from where I live, back home where I grew up.  Actually getting it out of there would be a challenge. I got to that part of the woods on Saturday by boat. It's doable by a vehicle.  I think in the warmer Seasons there's a road open that would make it easier to get out, but not as easy as by boat.  So...not very easy.

In reply to klb67 :

Sounds like something I'd try. I'll send you a PM. 

torque tubes were used up into the late 60s on some European cars. The fiat 124 had a torque tube for it's first couple years of production

Streetwiseguy said:

Truck for sure.  Torque tube was used far longer than I used to think, when I started servicing a guys 55 Buick that uses a torque tube, and has lever shocks on the rear.

Rambler used them up until the mid '60s

I'd watch the heck out of a YoutTube vid of you opening that diff cover.

I hae a hunch that Woody is right about a 1930's-40's chevy 3/4 ton truck, but I'm surprised I'm not finding more pics online of the rear assembly to confirm my hunch.  I really wish I would have taken more time to investigate - I was more than a little curious when I saw it down the hill and walked down to investigate, but my curiosity has grown since leaving it where I found it and then researching to try to find out what it is.  

NickD said:

Streetwiseguy said:

Truck for sure.  Torque tube was used far longer than I used to think, when I started servicing a guys 55 Buick that uses a torque tube, and has lever shocks on the rear.

Rambler used them up until the mid '60s

True.

Looks GM'ish to me.