The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Adjusting Anti-Chatter Rods

glennpm · 01-07-2026, 08:50 AM

https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum/vi...ywords=chatter

"I agree with 42. All of the old Fords I've owned had some clutch chatter, some more than others. The Ford drive line went basically unchanged from the beginning thru 1948, mostly due to Henry's rigid opposition to change. As said, the problem arises as the rear axle pushes forward on the torque tube, leaving the motor mounts to absorb the thrust. [Pulls when gong into reverse and pushes when going forward] It is tempting to blame the clutch, itself, for the problem, but there are other factors to consider. The rear spring must be intact, with clips in place, and firmly attached to the crossmember. The spring shackles must have pins with little or no play. The rear hubs must be tight on the tapers. If you hear a "clunk" as you drive, check them. The u-joint housing must be tightened over the ball, with the cork seals in place. Lastly, the clutch release linkage and clutch housing bushings must be free of play. One end is attached to the frame, with the other end at the release shaft thru the bell housing. Any movement of the drive train is magnified by the linkage. The arm on the release shaft moves a fraction of the pedal travel, and as the engine moves on its mounts, this is translated into an irregular operation of the pressure plate, causing much of the "shudder". Lots of remedies have been tried. I've attached one such. None will remove all the problem, but you can reduce it to a tolerable level."

"One approach that I didn't include in my previous post is that sometimes the chatter, particularly if severe, can be reduced by placing the car on sturdy stands with all four wheels off the ground, then loosening the bolts that attach the transmission to the engine. After starting the engine and placing the transmission in gear, let it run a bit, work the clutch a few times, then cinch down the bolts. This will often reduce any mismatch between the center line of the transmission and the pilot bearing in the flywheel. Just be very careful when working under a car on stands, particularly when it is running. I prefer to do it with the car on a hoist in the shop, of course."

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=22

"The torque tube design was primarily to function well in forward motion. When you operate the vehicle in reverse gear, the rear axle tries to pull the cup of the tube away from the ball cover of the transmission. It can't move a lot unless there is wear on the components. The chatter rods weren't designed to help hold anything but the engine & transmission. The chatter might be the tube against the ball cover or as was said, a U-joint used to moving in forward motion may not work as well in reverse motion.

The same may hold true for the clutch plate & cover that are worn more with forward lock up but not so much with reverse motion. Wear patterns on flywheels & clutch plates can be pretty interesting to look at depending on how easy or hard the operator is on them."

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...3&postcount=23

"You can chatter about the steady rods importance but most likely the chatter is due to the incorrect pedal throw or poor clutch pedal adjustment. If you have changed the engine combination , trans combination or made a pedal arrangement that does not use the parts that were designed for the vehicle, the pedal ratio or free play adjustment is incorrect. Second place to look has been brought up and that is poor or loose rear engine mount cushions."

AI generated response, [URL=https://tinyurl.com/msdr9ete[/URL]

"Ford employed this [transverse springs with torque tube] design in its vehicles up through 1948, primarily due to the use of transverse leaf springs that could not withstand the forward thrust forces generated during acceleration.
The system was later abandoned with the introduction of the "new Ford" in 1948, which adopted a Hotchkiss-type rear axle with parallel springs at the rear and independent coils at the front.
Other manufacturers, including Buick, Nash, American Motors (AMC), and later high-performance vehicles like the Porsche 924, 928, and C5/C6 Corvettes, also used variations of the torque tube design."

01-07-2026, 08:50 AM	#33
glennpm Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Mid-Coast Maine Posts: 3,349	Re: Adjusting Anti-Chatter Rods https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum/vi...ywords=chatter "I agree with 42. All of the old Fords I've owned had some clutch chatter, some more than others. The Ford drive line went basically unchanged from the beginning thru 1948, mostly due to Henry's rigid opposition to change. As said, the problem arises as the rear axle pushes forward on the torque tube, leaving the motor mounts to absorb the thrust. [Pulls when gong into reverse and pushes when going forward] It is tempting to blame the clutch, itself, for the problem, but there are other factors to consider. The rear spring must be intact, with clips in place, and firmly attached to the crossmember. The spring shackles must have pins with little or no play. The rear hubs must be tight on the tapers. If you hear a "clunk" as you drive, check them. The u-joint housing must be tightened over the ball, with the cork seals in place. Lastly, the clutch release linkage and clutch housing bushings must be free of play. One end is attached to the frame, with the other end at the release shaft thru the bell housing. Any movement of the drive train is magnified by the linkage. The arm on the release shaft moves a fraction of the pedal travel, and as the engine moves on its mounts, this is translated into an irregular operation of the pressure plate, causing much of the "shudder". Lots of remedies have been tried. I've attached one such. None will remove all the problem, but you can reduce it to a tolerable level." "One approach that I didn't include in my previous post is that sometimes the chatter, particularly if severe, can be reduced by placing the car on sturdy stands with all four wheels off the ground, then loosening the bolts that attach the transmission to the engine. After starting the engine and placing the transmission in gear, let it run a bit, work the clutch a few times, then cinch down the bolts. This will often reduce any mismatch between the center line of the transmission and the pilot bearing in the flywheel. Just be very careful when working under a car on stands, particularly when it is running. I prefer to do it with the car on a hoist in the shop, of course." https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=22 "The torque tube design was primarily to function well in forward motion. When you operate the vehicle in reverse gear, the rear axle tries to pull the cup of the tube away from the ball cover of the transmission. It can't move a lot unless there is wear on the components. The chatter rods weren't designed to help hold anything but the engine & transmission. The chatter might be the tube against the ball cover or as was said, a U-joint used to moving in forward motion may not work as well in reverse motion. The same may hold true for the clutch plate & cover that are worn more with forward lock up but not so much with reverse motion. Wear patterns on flywheels & clutch plates can be pretty interesting to look at depending on how easy or hard the operator is on them." https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...3&postcount=23 "You can chatter about the steady rods importance but most likely the chatter is due to the incorrect pedal throw or poor clutch pedal adjustment. If you have changed the engine combination , trans combination or made a pedal arrangement that does not use the parts that were designed for the vehicle, the pedal ratio or free play adjustment is incorrect. Second place to look has been brought up and that is poor or loose rear engine mount cushions." AI generated response, [URL=https://tinyurl.com/msdr9ete[/URL] "Ford employed this [transverse springs with torque tube] design in its vehicles up through 1948, primarily due to the use of transverse leaf springs that could not withstand the forward thrust forces generated during acceleration. The system was later abandoned with the introduction of the "new Ford" in 1948, which adopted a Hotchkiss-type rear axle with parallel springs at the rear and independent coils at the front. Other manufacturers, including Buick, Nash, American Motors (AMC), and later high-performance vehicles like the Porsche 924, 928, and C5/C6 Corvettes, also used variations of the torque tube design." __________________ Archives of historical but relevant older articles: ------------- Hover mouse over the links below and click! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--------------- Rumble Seat’s Notes Techno Source for the 1932 thru 1953 Flathead Ford Last edited by glennpm; 01-07-2026 at 11:09 AM.