Torsion bar trouble

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hippy 60

hippy 60

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How is the best way to remove the torsion bars,I got a set of Dougs headers for my 63 Valiant with a v\8 and it says to remove the driver side torsion bar and i was wanting to know the easiest way to do that,Without paying a 100 dollars for a tool on ebay,The last time i took some out i used vise grips but it kinda scared them a little don't want that to happen again,Thanks for any help.
 
You got the two methods
You can find something that will hold the bar so you can pound on it
 
Don’t use vice grips on any torsion bar you intend to use again!!!

The torsion bar tools are a waste of money IMHO. They don’t work all that well, they can still damage the torsion bar, and on cars with headers and 4 speeds there isn’t much access to use them anyway. And on torsion bars larger than 1” they’re nearly impossible to use, the groove in the tool isn’t pig enough and you run into interference issues with the floor pan.

I use the lower control arm to remove torsion bars. To just slide the torsion bar back it’s a little more work, but usually reinstalling the torsion bar requires most of this stuff to be done anyway.

Anyway, I back out the torsion bar adjuster, separate the LCA from the spindle, unbolt the shock and strut rod, and remove the LCA pivot nut. With that done and the rear torsion bar clip removed, you can use a dead-blow hammer to drive the LCA back until the torsion bar drops out the back of the anchor. Then use the dead blow again to knock the LCA off the torsion bar.

And yeah, that sounds like a lot. But to reinstall the torsion bar you typically have to remove the shock and separate the spindle anyway. And in some cases the strut rod can hang up the reinstall too. So really, reinstalling the bar takes most of that work anyway. Making the torsion bar tool a waste of money. I actually had one for awhile, I sold it.
 
No special tools are required, as long as you're willing to disconnect a few more items.

After removing the torsion bar clip from the crossmember, remove the wheel, shock, and remove the nut from the lower control arm (LCA), you can place a block of wood on the front of the LCA and beat on it to drive the LCA back. Once the torsion bar comes out the back of the crossmember, you can usually slide it out of the LCA then.
 
I loosened the lca adjustments all the way down. Then removed the shock from the lca. And popped off the upper ball joint and the torsion bar came right out. The drivers side didnt work so well it was stuck (twisted) inside the lca I cut it in half and replaced them both.
 
I got the torsion bars tool from Mancini for about $45 shipped. It worked great on my PST 1.03 bars. I don't like to buy tools I'm only gonna use once or twice, but it was a small investment to not damage the t bar.
 
72bluNblu said:
Don’t use vice grips on any torsion bar you intend to use again!!!

The torsion bar tools are a waste of money IMHO. They don’t work all that well, they can still damage the torsion bar, and on cars with headers and 4 speeds there isn’t much access to use them anyway. And on torsion bars larger than 1” they’re nearly impossible to use, the groove in the tool isn’t pig enough and you run into interference issues with the floor pan.

I use the lower control arm to remove torsion bars. To just slide the torsion bar back it’s a little more work, but usually reinstalling the torsion bar requires most of this stuff to be done anyway.

Anyway, I back out the torsion bar adjuster, separate the LCA from the spindle, unbolt the shock and strut rod, and remove the LCA pivot nut. With that done and the rear torsion bar clip removed, you can use a dead-blow hammer to drive the LCA back until the torsion bar drops out the back of the anchor. Then use the dead blow again to knock the LCA off the torsion bar.

And yeah, that sounds like a lot. But to reinstall the torsion bar you typically have to remove the shock and separate the spindle anyway. And in some cases the strut rod can hang up the reinstall too. So really, reinstalling the bar takes most of that work anyway. Making the torsion bar tool a waste of money. I actually had one for awhile, I sold it.
Click to expand...

I do the same but don't beat on the LCA I use a ball joint tool and drive it in where the pivot passes thru the K member .This moves everything to the rear and then you can take the bar the rest of the way by hand.
 
Easy homemade rig..

1554845619851448682374564458254.jpg
 
72bluNblu said:
Don’t use vice grips on any torsion bar you intend to use again!!!

The torsion bar tools are a waste of money IMHO. They don’t work all that well, they can still damage the torsion bar, and on cars with headers and 4 speeds there isn’t much access to use them anyway. And on torsion bars larger than 1” they’re nearly impossible to use, the groove in the tool isn’t pig enough and you run into interference issues with the floor pan.

I use the lower control arm to remove torsion bars. To just slide the torsion bar back it’s a little more work, but usually reinstalling the torsion bar requires most of this stuff to be done anyway.

Anyway, I back out the torsion bar adjuster, separate the LCA from the spindle, unbolt the shock and strut rod, and remove the LCA pivot nut. With that done and the rear torsion bar clip removed, you can use a dead-blow hammer to drive the LCA back until the torsion bar drops out the back of the anchor. Then use the dead blow again to knock the LCA off the torsion bar.

And yeah, that sounds like a lot. But to reinstall the torsion bar you typically have to remove the shock and separate the spindle anyway. And in some cases the strut rod can hang up the reinstall too. So really, reinstalling the bar takes most of that work anyway. Making the torsion bar tool a waste of money. I actually had one for awhile, I sold it.
Click to expand...
I do it this exact way, except i use a block of wood on the LCA with a mini sledge. Works great. Dont forget to grease up the bar hexes good when you reassemble it.
 
Just did this very thing:

1. Spray all parts to be loosened, adjusted, moved, removed with PB Blaster
2. Loosen the torsion bar adjuster all the way down to relieve all tension on it.
3. Remove the LCA Pivot Shaft cotter pin.
4. Loosen the LCA Pivot Shaft castle nut out to the end of the pivot shaft so it's flush with it.
4. Pry back with a large bar between the cross member and the LCA pushing backwards on the torsion bar to pop it out the back.
5. If this doesn't work as it didn't for me, the grab piece of 2x4, place it against the end of the LCA and castle nut. Pound that MFer with a BFG until it separates.

That's how it worked for me...
 
It will help to remove the upper control arm bumper. It keeps a small amount of pressure on the torsion bar. Otherwise all the above answers apply.
 
I bought the $35.00 tool and followed the instructions in the FSM. Mine came out rather easily, but my car has never been driven on salty roads, so no rust to deal with.
 
Free time at work, some scrap steel, 3/4 angle iron and u bolts and I made a T bar puller that worked well for me. Also, ya have to make sure you don't bind the T bar by how the front end is supported. One side would not budge until I put an extra jack under the front with a slight lift.. and POP out she slid.

IMG_2266.JPG
 
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