I guess I'll take a swing at your questions, doesn't appear that anyone else wants to, and I'm almost as clueless, maybe more so, than you. I have seen them used, and honestly am not sure of the reason. Just looking at one, it does look like they would maybe better locate the torque tube, and if everything is geometrically aligned, radius rods and etc, might make a smoother action at the u-joint bend centers. I don't really get excited about having the yokes and all the rotating stuff exposed to my feet and ankles, but I guess a guy could fab a cover, that would form some kind of minimum protection, but other than my opinion, I guess I haven't researched it far enough, to understand any advantage, over a conventional torque ball, mag hsg arrangement. Guess I didn't really say anything, did I? Bob!