Trunk lid tension help

'74 Sport said

Agreed; however, when he says go "in" the trunk, he really means go "in" the trunk. You need to get in the trunk and pull the deck lid down all the way to remove as much tension as you can. Keep someone nearby to let you out if the latch catches - or disable it somehow (maybe a rag over the latch.) My son had to use a crowbar to pry the tension rod out of the hole and work it into the next hole.

Click to expand...

It's actually the other way around. When the lid is open all the way, that is when it has the least tension on it. Use a broom stick (or similar) to hold the lid up. Then I use two BIG screw drivers to pry the torsion bar out of one hole and into another. One for the tension and the other to move the bar over. Pull the plastic guide off first so it doesn't get lost. When you reinstall it, use a different surface to ride on. Just be carefull you don't damage the brackets where the torsion bars pivot.