Over the weekend, I removed the slant six motor and transmission from my 70 Dart. I attempted to take the front suspension and K-Member as one whole assembly. I placed a jack in the center of the K-Member before removing the K-Member bolts. I was told usually the front torsion bars would disengage when the K-Member assembly is lowered. In my case they did not. I was also told to hit the K-Member with a 5 pound sledge hammer and the torsion bars would disengage. Any truth? Advice?

you also need to back off the adjusting bolt for the torsion ride height---- i dont know if lowering the k member lets off enough of the tension----these torsion bars have been in place for 50 years and have worn slightly into place----cant remember which end the frame pocket circlips are placed but there is a rubber boot to pull off the frame pocket as well----if you are throwing away the torsion bars you can put some big vice grips in it and tap it with a big hammer-----when the grips put big grooves in the torsion bar the bar is ruined beyond reuse....

Big question- Did you take the tension off the bars by backing out the adjuster bolts? They go from the bottom through the lower control arms. They Don't just fall out, they just may need some force to get them out. Lowering the k frame will put a bind on them, leave the k on or near the frame rails. Pull the k forward, hit the bars from the rear with a large punch and drive them forward.

Exactly.

We did this to a friend's car recently and even with the tension off, the bars were rusted in there pretty good!

Do you have a service manual for your car? If not you should buy one. You can get hurt if you don't follow the proper process for unloading the suspension. There is some energy stored up in the springs and if you don't back off the adjusters before you start hitting things with a hammer you could end up busting something.

Mopar made a tool that clamped on the torsion bar so they could be hammered out once the adjusting bolt was removed from the control arm, the spring clip was removed from the trans crossmember, and the crud was cleaned from both socket ends. In the mid 70s they were a pita to get out, I'd bet they would really be fun these days, if they have never been removed. Gene

Like this--there are other versions but the same idea.

If your putting in new bars (which you should)just cut the old bars (with no tension on them)

I forgot to mention that I did remove the adjustment bolt on each side. I only had access to a ball peen hammer, so I'm not sure that was enough load to break them loose?

How about the circlips on the X member, if you're trying to push them backward?

Soak the ends of them bars with a GOOD penetrating oil...

Yes, the spring clips were removed from the rear. Actually, on the RHS only half of the spring clip was present.

Are the lower control arm struts disconnected?

Here's a little truth about torsion bars that you rarely hear. Your bars are clocked so that they are wound up tight enough that at correct ride height, the spring is supporting the weight of the car. If you unbolt the tension bolts to remove them and remove your wheels so that the control arms are in "full droop", you will not only unwind them but you'll go too far in the opposite direction of normal tension to the point that you're binding up the joint with the weight of the control arms, spindle, rotor etc. solution? Jack that k member back up, thread the bolts in so that its hanging on the frame and place a floor jack under the control arm. Raise the jack slowly until you hit the "sweet spot" where the spring is completely unloaded and then it will whack out of there easy peezy. If you don't have the T bar removal tool and want to keep your bars, grab a 3"X1" piece of sheet metal, wrap it around the bar in a U shape, grab it with the vise grips and smack it with the BFH. If it resists, play with the jack height till you get it right. BOOM!

i couldn't get my old ones to budge until i melted the old grease out of the slots.

and i used one of these to clamp on and bang out. cost $5 at the hardware store. it's a repair clamp for a water line.

Thank you for all the feedback! I will give this a try in the coming days. I will report back on the status.

I've done a few in the boneyards and I've always loosened up the LCA pin nut and strut at the K frame bushing so the whole LCA can move backwards, then pried between the LCA and K frame with a ball joint fork. Works every time. One tip - leave the tension on the T bar as it will hold the LCA arm pin in place while trying to loosen the nut. If not it may spin, especially if the LCA bushing is shot. Once the pin nut is off then back off on the T bar adjustment.

One more thing I do when dropping the engine out the bottom is to remove the bump stops so that the control arms drop fully. This might be what's keeping tension on the bars and holding you up.

Attached are some photos of the current condition. I have not attempted to try any of the suggestions yet.

Another photo...