torsion bar change, need help

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SinSled13

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do u know of any good threads explaining what i need to do to change torsion bars, ive never messed with them before.
 
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=52234&highlight=torsion+bars+install

It’s really not difficult or rocket science. IT can test your patients.

Main thing is to get all load off the bars. If I remember right I even unhooked my shocks to allow the control arms to drop a little more. Make sure to back out the tension bolt on the bottom of the control arm.

Then it’s as easy as removing the c-clips and pulling them out. LOL

Only thing is they don't really just come out that easy. My driver side came out with a few tap of a hammer on a pipe wrench gripping the bar.

The passenger side is a different story. At one point I didn’t ever think I was going to get it out. First day I hit it with a hammer in the same fashion I did on the driver side till my arms fell off. I finally broke down and bought the special tool they sell to remove them. It’s just two CNC blocks that clap over the bar and give you a surface to smack. The key is to get equal clamping force on all four bolts of the tool. You may even upgrade the bolt of the tool to grade 8 from your local hardware store. I had a few break before I went and got better bolts. As I smacked it, it started to back out. But I will tell you that the special tool I bought was not in any shape to use ever again when I was finished. So it was like $40 for a one time use.

Reinstall in reverse order. They really just slide in, a lot easier than taking them out. You may need to take a little time to line up the hex heads for the proper load. Once you have it lined up like you like, tap it in with a hammer from the end then replace c-clips.
 
71swing said:
a few tap of a hammer on a pipe wrench gripping the bar.
Click to expand...

DO NOT DO THIS.

At least, not if you intend to ever re-use the torsion bar.

If you use a pipe wrench on the bar itself, its junk. Torsion bars are just unwound springs, any damage to the outside of the bar can lead to failure. The gouges left by a pipe wrench would be a great start for a crack to propagate the length of the bar, and that usually happens all at once when the bar lets go.

The easiest way I've found to remove them is to pull the lower control arms at the same time. Unscrew the torsion bar adjusters until there's no tension, and then a little further to give you some clearance. Pull the shocks, break loose the lower ball joint, take the nut off the strut rod and LCA pivot. Pull the torsion bar clip, and then use a dead blow hammer (not a metal hammer) to drive the lower control arm back until the torsion bar drops out the back. Then, a few taps with the same dead blow in the opposite direction should drop the LCA off the front of the torsion bar.

No special tools needed, torsion bar comes out of it with no damage.

Seems like a lot of extra work, but here's the thing. If your torsion bars need to be replaced because they're worn out, there's a good chance you need to rebuild the entire front end. And while some stuff may have been changed before, there's a good chance no one has looked at the lower control arm bushings since the guy on the assembly line installed them. Even if they don't need to be changed, it doesn't hurt to take a look to check their condition.

Even if everything is fine, the control arm slides right back in, tighten up the nut for the pivot and the strut rod, reattach the lower ball joint. Really doesn't take that long, and its WAY easier than struggling with the torsion bar.
 
72bluNblu said:
DO NOT DO THIS.

At least, not if you intend to ever re-use the torsion bar.

If you use a pipe wrench on the bar itself, its junk. Torsion bars are just unwound springs, any damage to the outside of the bar can lead to failure. The gouges left by a pipe wrench would be a great start for a crack to propagate the length of the bar, and that usually happens all at once when the bar lets go.

The easiest way I've found to remove them is to pull the lower control arms at the same time. Unscrew the torsion bar adjusters until there's no tension, and then a little further to give you some clearance. Pull the shocks, break loose the lower ball joint, take the nut off the strut rod and LCA pivot. Pull the torsion bar clip, and then use a dead blow hammer (not a metal hammer) to drive the lower control arm back until the torsion bar drops out the back. Then, a few taps with the same dead blow in the opposite direction should drop the LCA off the front of the torsion bar.

No special tools needed, torsion bar comes out of it with no damage.

Seems like a lot of extra work, but here's the thing. If your torsion bars need to be replaced because they're worn out, there's a good chance you need to rebuild the entire front end. And while some stuff may have been changed before, there's a good chance no one has looked at the lower control arm bushings since the guy on the assembly line installed them. Even if they don't need to be changed, it doesn't hurt to take a look to check their condition.

Even if everything is fine, the control arm slides right back in, tighten up the nut for the pivot and the strut rod, reattach the lower ball joint. Really doesn't take that long, and its WAY easier than struggling with the torsion bar.
Click to expand...

X2

No need for a torsion bar puller if you're going to be changing front suspension pieces. I only needed a rubber mallet to knock my lower control arm a few inches back and then forward again to get the torsion bar out. Then again this car has never left Sacramento in it's life, so things are pretty damn clean under there.

Although you forgot to mention not to tighten the nut for the LCA pivot shaft until the car is fully on the ground and off the jack. Tightening it while the car is jacked will twist the rubber inside the bushing which will lead to an annoying squeak in a couple weeks and a repeat of the whole process.
 
71swing said:
how many guys take out their bars with the idea of using them again?
Click to expand...

Lots and lots of us. Why would you intentionally ruin a set of bars when they are so easy to save?

My "puller" is nothing more than a short length of angle iron and a short piece of flat strap with holes bored through for clamp bolts. You can buy cheap ones on eBay and other places

To the OP, nothing beats the factory shop manual. Download one here:

The 72 is a great one because it's complete, a few of the others are missing electrical. Some of the links in the start of the thread are broke, scroll down through the thread.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=manual,+download
 
I have always just used a pry bar between the LCA and the K-frame (after backing off the pivot bolt nut). It pops back easy and the T-bar pushes back with it. You then just hit the LCA forward with a rubber mallet while you wiggle the T-bar out of the grease. Of course, I have the T-bar unloaded w/ LCA hanging down and the rear clip out.

I have only removed a T-bar when doing a suspension rebuild (new bushings, etc), but would do the same if just changing a T-bar. However, life is too short for me to spend time upgrading a T-bar or such unless part of a bigger job. Heck, some youg guys buy a brand new car, then strip the engine down to put in "performance" piston rings or such, then do it again next week when they get another paycheck. Summit loves them, but not me.
 
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