Need Your Help - Trunk Lid Torsion Bar Alternative

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ocdart

ocdart

Inland Mopars Car Club
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Hey all , I need your help to find a FABO thread and pics that I've seen before from someone who eliminated his trunk torsion bars and used gas shocks to hold his trunk lid open.
This was a really clean install.
Any/all help is appreciated!
Thanks all.
 
I'm not sure of the thread you're referring to, but I'd only replace the torsion bars with gas struts under the threat of death.

Gas struts leak and fail with monotonous regularity, torsion bars are forever. Why pay extra to guarantee failure in the future?
 
I have seen the install ocdart is talking about, I have looked and searched every where I can think of, still looking Ken..
 
ocdart said:
Hey all , I need your help to find a FABO thread and pics that I've seen before from someone who eliminated his trunk torsion bars and used gas shocks to hold his trunk lid open.
This was a really clean install.
Any/all help is appreciated!
Thanks all.
Click to expand...
Torsion bars are invisible when installed, pressurized gas struts need to be mounted where they can be seen.
How's that clean?
I don't get it.
I'd use a tree branch to prop open the trunk lid and paint a fake Chrysler part number on it before I'd use a gas strut.
Where is this land that spawns silly ideas to come downstream?
 
I have seen the install ocdart is looking for, nice and clean install and the shocks are way in the back not to be seen unless you crawl in the trunk for a ride..
 
memike said:
I have seen the install ocdart is looking for, nice and clean install and the shocks are way in the back not to be seen unless you crawl in the trunk for a ride..
Click to expand...
OK, but still, why?
If a trunk torsion bar gets weak, it can be moved to the next hole, or easily removed and twisted a bit and put back in.
I have had to deal with many guards and deck plates on printing presses, modern presses use dozens of these things, and nothing's more maddening than having to always have to hold the guard up with your head, or have someone hold it, or rig up a prop, or go find a piece of wire to tie it up somehow.
They only work a few years at best.
If the pressman I know who almost lost his finger from a "slightly weak" gas strut were around, I'd have him say a few words.
 
Darthomas said:
OK, but still, why?
If a trunk torsion bar gets weak, it can be moved to the next hole, or easily removed and twisted a bit and put back in.
I have had to deal with many guards and deck plates on printing presses, modern presses use dozens of these things, and nothing's more maddening than having to always have to hold the guard up with your head, or have someone hold it, or rig up a prop, or go find a piece of wire to tie it up somehow.
They only work a few years at best.
If the pressman I know who almost lost his finger from a "slightly weak" gas strut were around, I'd have him say a few words.
Click to expand...
Ok, you have made your point.
If anyone is doing a mini tub on there car it cleans things up nice ..
.
 
Educate me on how to adjust those T bars. My wife's cuda has a problem. If I put the T bar on the middle notch, the trunk lid will not stay up. If I put the t bar end on a higher notch it about takes my face off when I unlock it. I mean it snaps up hard. So, how do I adjust it so It stays open but does not rip my face off when it opens?

I have tried every adjustment possible as far as T-bars go. Low on one side, high on the other, switch that setting from left to right, both low, both middle, both high......I think that tree branch idea may be my last option.

On the tree branch deal, do I remove the small branches and leaves first?
 
How did anyone ever manage to rip out the pivot area for the torsion bar in the first place, and why is it impossible to just reweld and reinforce the area?
Is welding against your religion?
I don't want a trunk that is hard to close, likely to bend, or doesn't open all the way.
I see no upside to this foreign-style engineering.
 
I copied it to the sticky "How to" thread in Mopar General Discussions.
 
momoparman said:
Educate me on how to adjust those T bars. My wife's cuda has a problem. If I put the T bar on the middle notch, the trunk lid will not stay up. If I put the t bar end on a higher notch it about takes my face off when I unlock it. I mean it snaps up hard. So, how do I adjust it so It stays open but does not rip my face off when it opens?

I have tried every adjustment possible as far as T-bars go. Low on one sidegh on the other, switch that setting from left to right, both low, both middle, both high......I think that stick idea may be my last option.

On the stick deal, do I remove the small branches and leaves first?
Click to expand...
momoparman said:
Educate me on how to adjust those T bars. My wife's cuda has a problem. If I put the T bar on the middle notch, the trunk lid will not stay up. If I put the t bar end on a higher notch it about takes my face off when I unlock it. I mean it snaps up hard. So, how do I adjust it so It stays open but does not rip my face off when it opens?

I have tried every adjustment possible as far as T-bars go. Low on one side, high on the other, switch that setting from left to right, both low, both middle, both high......I think that tree branch idea may be my last option.

On the tree branch deal, do I remove the small branches and leaves first?
Click to expand...
Haw! In Mexico, I saw a leaf spring on a truck replaced with a properly shaped tree branch!
You are almost there, take one torsion bar out, after propping it open with tree branch Mopar part no 2765375.
Note which direction twisting is being applied, the angle at rest, and anchor one end in a vise or other manner.
Apply torque sufficient to change the resting angle more, or less, as desired, for more or less torque when installed.
Then selectively try combinations of hi-mid-low positioning, (both sides) to perfectly balance the weight of the deck lid.
 
momoparman said:
Educate me on how to adjust those T bars. My wife's cuda has a problem. If I put the T bar on the middle notch, the trunk lid will not stay up. If I put the t bar end on a higher notch it about takes my face off when I unlock it. I mean it snaps up hard. So, how do I adjust it so It stays open but does not rip my face off when it opens?

I have tried every adjustment possible as far as T-bars go. Low on one side, high on the other, switch that setting from left to right, both low, both middle, both high......I think that tree branch idea may be my last option.

On the tree branch deal, do I remove the small branches and leaves first?
Click to expand...


Look carefully at the upper notch that the torsion spring will lock into...if this is cracked/bent/deformed, odds are the spring will not lock and stay in place and if it does stay in place your lid will sag due to the loss of tension...this upper positioning slot also helps align and keep the torsion spring parallel to the plate with the locking holes...damage here can also allow the spring to shift and not stay parallel to the plate, possibily jumping out of the locking holes. Look for bent or even cracked metal in the upper hanger..
 
Darthomas said:
How did anyone ever manage to rip out the pivot area for the torsion bar in the first place, and why is it impossible to just reweld and reinforce the area?
Is welding against your religion?
I don't want a trunk that is hard to close, likely to bend, or doesn't open all the way.
I see no upside to this foreign-style engineering.
Click to expand...
I think it has more to do with your car is your car and my car is my car and if I wanna replace the torsion bars with struts that's up to me, not you. I'm sure there's gonna be other things on my car you won't like but I'm not building it for you or anyone else now am I?
 
seen it a few times....the metal there is light and the actual hook that it forms is minimal at best...these cars are getting up in age..cycling takes it toll is all I can venture for an explanation...it does warrant investigation and only takes a minute to confirm or deny if applicable to your experience

modifying a car is the owners call regardless of what anyone else may think..me included...but often a simple fix is over looked that will allow stock retention and free up your time and money for other points in your rebuild.
 
Mopar # 2765375 is a "special tool", normally available to dealers only, but may easily be fabricated by using a tape measure.
An assistant is needed. Have the assistant hold the trunk lid at maximum elevation, and measure from the trunk floor near the rearmost area, to a point just inside the rear edge of the open trunk lid, and machine a rigid cellulose fiber strut to this dimension.
It is best to find a cellulose material not too stiff, or too flexible, but with some flexibility.
 
75slant6 said:
I think it has more to do with your car is your car and my car is my car and if I wanna replace the torsion bars with struts that's up to me, not you. I'm sure there's gonna be other things on my car you won't like but I'm not building it for you or anyone else now am I?
Click to expand...
Trying to inject humor, don't get ruffled, please. No harm intended.
 
bigaadams said:
Look carefully at the upper notch that the torsion spring will lock into...if this is cracked/bent/deformed, odds are the spring will not lock and stay in place and if it does stay in place your lid will sag due to the loss of tension...this upper positioning slot also helps align and keep the torsion spring parallel to the plate with the locking holes...damage here can also allow the spring to shift and not stay parallel to the plate, possibily jumping out of the locking holes. Look for bent or even cracked metal in the upper hanger..
Click to expand...

Great info.

So I looked and the notches and the slots are perfect. Never been any rust or damage back there. I have both ends in the middle slots. It pops up when you unlock it but only stays about 1/2 way open. I tried to increase the tension but then it's too strong. Is there a chance the T bars are tweaked or have lost some of their tension? Once again, everything is very clean and there is no damage or rust on anything. These are before I refinished the trunk pics btw.
100_4967.jpg
 
are your glides in good shape? not missing or extremely worn? if these are intact..then you could have sag due to age...did you adjust one side only to the next notch and leave the other in orig. position....may have to mix and match a bit....I would not know where to find original data for re-curve of any torsion spring..
 
Maybe it's just too many years if me living in Chicago, where humor is often brash and
abrasive, just like in Australia.
 
I looked up Mopar part no 2765375, and there are two options. Pine or Oak. Around here were having issues with Japanese beetles decimating pine. I'm afraid the oak will be too stiff an I'll be right back where I am now.......any other part numbers available?
 
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