Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE.

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 07:14 PM

The car is on stands with no load on the suspension, the tensioners have been loosened and the bump stop removed. Using a torsion bar tool, I have banged and banged on them with no luck. Some of you have mentioned loosening the lower control arm and then knocking it back to force the torsion bar out. So I may try that now but have 2 questions.

Question 1: I have the jack stands supporting the frame rails at the firewall area. Is the front of the car flexing to the point that it is still causing the tension on the bars? I have a photo showing where the jack stand is located.

Attached picture 5172447-DSCF0018.JPG

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 07:15 PM

Question 2: To loosen the lower control arm I will need to loosen the nut in the photo and then knock the Bolt towards the rear of the car...correct?

Thanks.

Attached picture 5172449-DSCF0022b.JPG

Posted By: earlybee

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 07:31 PM

My rust free 65 flexed bad when I put the jack stands in that spot with a 440 in it. Now i use the k-frame.

Posted By: mopars4ever

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 07:32 PM

Yes, tap the lower control arm towards the rear. I wouldn`t tap on the bolt. I tapped on the control arm with a piece of wood for cushion. Also, put a jack under the k frame to relieve the stress.

Posted By: therocks

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 07:33 PM

Try melting some wax around the hexs.I had one in the 65 that wouldnt budge.Heated the hex with a propane torch and melted a bees wax candle in it and it came right out.Rocky

Posted By: 70440+6bbl

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 08:23 PM

Quote:

The car is on stands with no load on the suspension, the tensioners have been loosened and the bump stop removed. Using a torsion bar tool, I have banged and banged on them with no luck. Some of you have mentioned loosening the lower control arm and then knocking it back to force the torsion bar out. So I may try that now but have 2 questions.

Question 1: I have the jack stands supporting the frame rails at the firewall area. Is the front of the car flexing to the point that it is still causing the tension on the bars? I have a photo showing where the jack stand is located.

Probably a silly question, but I assume that you removed the lock rings at the back of the T-bar anchors? I have had a couple of tough t-bar removals and usually a BIG hammer does the job with some PB blaster sprayed in the sockets.

Posted By: dirtybee

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 08:47 PM

i noticed that no one else mentioned it so... don't forget to also remove the nut on the front of the strut rod or the lower control arm won't budge either.

Posted By: Mr T2U

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 10:29 PM

sometimes if the car hasn't been driven in some time the tension arms for the torsion bars rust in place. just because you loosened the bolt doesn't mean you released the tension on them. maybe check that.
also i just removed a torsion bar to replace the starter and had to loosen the nut in the suspension pic to get the are to release enough to reinstall the bar.
another simple thing that is sometimes forgotten is the clip at the rear of the bar. did you remove them? i don't think they will hold the bars in that good but you never know.
just tossing those ideas at you.

Posted By: 64Post

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 11:04 PM

Quote:

Probably a silly question, but I assume that you removed the lock rings at the back of the T-bar anchors?

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 11:43 PM

Quote:

Probably a silly question, but I assume that you removed the lock rings at the back of the T-bar anchors?

Thanks but yes, that was the first thing I did.

Quote:

sometimes if the car hasn't been driven in some time the tension arms for the torsion bars rust in place. just because you loosened the bolt doesn't mean you released the tension on them. maybe check that.

Thanks, They are extremely loose and wriggle around so I don't see a problem there.

The one thing I noticed was that that the torsion bar at the rear mount looked like it was "pushed up", I'm starting to think that the reason is the front end of the car is flexed down causing it to bind some. I'm going to jack some tension off the front end as some of you have mentioned to see if that helps. I'll also shoot some WD-40 or Blaster on the bushings tap the control arm back as suggested. Probably be a few days before I can work on it again. Thanks for all the advice everyone. It very much appreciated.

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/18/09 11:52 PM

Quote:

Yes, tap the lower control arm towards the rear. I wouldn`t tap on the bolt. I tapped on the control arm with a piece of wood for cushion. Also, put a jack under the k frame to relieve the stress.

Thanks, I wasn't thinking when I said tap the bolt.

Posted By: MNobody

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/19/09 04:26 AM

I had one bar on my coronet that wouldn't budge, when i backed off the adjuster the arm didn't rotate down it was froze where it pivots. I beat the crap outta that bar even with the correct clamping block on it until i realized what was going on.

Posted By: Blakcharger440

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/19/09 11:11 AM

I recently had a problem installing some torsion bars as my lower control arm would not droop enough for the hex to align with the torsion bar. I loosened the upper ball joint (with a ball joint remover keeping the nut on but loosened so the whole brake assembly wouldnt drop). This allowed the lower control arm to fall enough for me to install the torsion bar easily.

Posted By: runningman

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/20/09 09:40 AM

I had some problems with mine recently also, I loosened the LCA nut and used a pry bar between the k-frame and LCA and pushed the entire assembly back with broke the torsion bar free.

Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/20/09 04:46 PM

Having parted an untold number of Mopars over 30 years,...I've come across a few torsion bar removal problem were the hex end swelled, and distorted the hex receiver in the crossmember, the bar seemed loose, but wouldn't slide out.......remedy, lose the bar, cut it, so you can slide the rear cut section of bar forward out of the hex,.....now you can file, or dremel the rear of the hex bore to size, to slide in your replacement

Posted By: pushbutton

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/20/09 05:30 PM

Hit the socket on the LCA that the bar slips in with a hammer, sometimes this helps.

Posted By: klunick

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/20/09 08:38 PM

When I took mine off I had a similar problem on the drivers side. As I am doing a complete rebuild, I loosened the LCA all the way and finally just took an angle grinder and cut the stupid bar. I was positive there was no pressure on the bar and their wasn't, but I sure was nervous as all heck while doing it. Finally, I beat the bars out from the back as even with cutting them and pulling the one end out the front, the back would just not budge.

Posted By: Gusteve

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/20/09 10:55 PM

Quote:

I had some problems with mine recently also, I loosened the LCA nut and used a pry bar between the k-frame and LCA and pushed the entire assembly back with broke the torsion bar free.

Yup - just did that same thing about a week ago. 3 foot claw-bar between the K-Frame and the LCA.

Posted By: Challenged

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/22/09 08:50 AM

A couple years ago I had allot of trouble removing mine. I eventually ended up putting a floor jack under the LCA and raising it a bit while checking the t-bar side, I could actually see the LCA loosen up around the T-bar when the flat areas lined up, this also helps if you have trouble reinstalling the t-bars. Before putting the t-bars back in I gave them a good greasing at both ends, recently I removed them again and they came out easily.

Posted By: moparboy66

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/25/09 03:37 AM

I had to cut one off on my '66 Coronet. I then saw the LCA bushing holding the pivot arm was so worn out to one side, that the torsion bar still had tension on it. The harder I hit it, I simply increased the tension momentarily. I finally cut the bar, and both end simply dropped out.

Attached picture 5186707-LCAbushing.jpg

Posted By: 3ddart

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 04/25/09 08:14 AM

i had the same thing happen on a car i was parting. i was showing a friend how easy it was with a removal tool clamped to the bar. i knocked the first 1 right out, gave him the hammer and he proceeded to wail away not making any progress. finally jacked up the lca a bit and it popped right out. he was pi$$ed at first as he thought i set him up lol. dave

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Re: Torsion bars still won't budge...HELP PLEASE. - 06/27/09 07:51 PM

Just wanted to thank everyone for the tips on the torsion bars. Tapping the LCA back and fwd did the trick and then I was able to knock them out. I posted pics of the engine removal in the projects section for those interested.

Thanks again guys.

Joe