Torsion bar remove tool
- Thread starter nodemon
- Start date
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That's where I should have gone Rob because grade 8 was insufficient
Mine actually came with grade 5. Crazy.
But I also must admit, like Jim (@hemi71x) I have used mine PRECIOUS little and loaned it out more than I've used it. It's there if I need it, though.
Dfr360cuda
Diagnosis... Plum Crazy.
I don’t expect to need this again. PM me if interested. If I need it again, I’ll make another one.
Swinger 340
Well-Known Member
One good reason you grease the ends before installing. I have never used a special tool to remove a torsion bar, maybe just lucky. After removing are the tension from the bars, I rap a rag around the bar, place vise clamps on it and rotate back and forth slightly. Then I again slightly tap the vise clamp, wiggle the bar while taping. A never fail for me, but then, I don't live in a RUST belt. As others have mentioned, DO NOT CUT OR SCRATCH INTO THE BARS, or you will have to replace them. Years ago, I have seen the bars break while driving.
Andrew onorio
Member
Take the clip out.
Unscrew the torsion bar adjusting bolts 20 turns.
Remove the shock lower bolts.
Now everything is loose.
You shouldn't need a tool outside of a punch and hammer.
Unscrew the torsion bar adjusting bolts 20 turns.
Remove the shock lower bolts.
Now everything is loose.
You shouldn't need a tool outside of a punch and hammer.
...and the punch goes where?
RegularJay
Well-Known Member
Many years ago I happened on a 340 Duster in a junkyard. I wanted the t-bars for my 340 Duster that had come to me with slant 6 bars. Making do with what was available I hung an 18" pipe wrench off the bar and used a bumper jack wedged against the pipe wrench and rather easily ratcheted the bars out. Please, don't waste your time with alarmist comments about gouging the bars with a pipe wrench - nothing bad happened and I would do it again in a similar situation.
Torsion bars can and have failed dramatically because of nicks and gouges in the bar. It’s just a fact of their metallurgy and how they carry load.
Just because you got lucky and got away with a bad technique is no reason others should try the same.
Using the control arm method as already described multiple times is by far the easiest way, and no special tools are needed at all.
And when you reinstall the bars, if you make sure the sockets and hex ends are clean and smooth and use a little bit of grease on the ends the bars can usually be removed by hand in the future just by fully unloading them.
Just like the one I made it worked good until I realized that prying the control arm back was easier when rebuilding the front end.
I have used it a couple times when upgrading to bigger torsion bars which didn't require removing the lower control arms.
72Duster440
Well-Known Member
That's the way I've always done it. I wrapped the ubolts with some electrical tape too, for a little more grip. With how big my headers are, I don't think the actual tool would fit.
Dfr360cuda
Diagnosis... Plum Crazy.
I used 3M 130 splicing tape.
And a heavy piece of rubber running parallel.
And a heavy piece of rubber running parallel.
That’s another issue with the manufactured tools. They don’t fit in very many places if you have headers. They also aren’t really made for bars larger than 1” or so in diameter, and don’t fit those very well at all.
Combine most headers with large torsion bars and a non-stock oil pan and even just getting the tool on the bar in a useable spot is just about impossible. And of course, totally unnecessary if you just use the LCA to remove the bars.
Same basic approach I used. Mine was a 2" wide flat bar stock either 1/8 or 1/4" thick
Mine worked great on my B bodies, but as you say on an A body with headers it's a tight fit.
Kendog 170
Let the boy go !
Easy to say until you've had a frozen one.
72Duster440
Well-Known Member
I hate my headers whenever I have to work on something underneath. The collectors are probably 4-5" rearward of the trans crossmember and with 2 1/8" primaries, there is no room whatsoever to do anything under there. You can barely even see any of the trans linkage, the torsion bars are pretty well surrounded by exhaust.
I had a really crazy time removing one recently..
Cut it out, cut a slot for the air chisel, and then Some heatin' & beatin'
It took about a 1/2 Hour with the air hammer. - There was no way that ws coming out with any method or tool described in the FSM.
Cut it out, cut a slot for the air chisel, and then Some heatin' & beatin'
It took about a 1/2 Hour with the air hammer. - There was no way that ws coming out with any method or tool described in the FSM.
Swinger 340
Well-Known Member
Just my evaluation of what I see is #1, no grease on the bar or socket. Someone installed the bar dry: #2, heat was applied to the bar and not the socket only. You want to expand the socket, not the bar. Note: before installing a new bar. clean out the socket well before adding the grease and bar.I had a really crazy time removing one recently..
Cut it out, cut a slot for the air chisel, and then Some heatin' & beatin'
It took about a 1/2 Hour with the air hammer. - There was no way that ws coming out with any method or tool described in the FSM.
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