torsion bars removal

[n8ling]

I'm having a tough time figuring these things out! If I compress the top and bottom control arms together will that release enough tension to slide them back or is there another way of going about this job. Should the control arms still be secured or should they be unbolted before I start!!
I'm trying to keep the most of it intact, K member etc.

 

[lemonboy69]

There's an adjuster bolt on the bottom of the lower control arm. Back that out all the way (you now have all the tension removed from the torsion bars), then you can undo the snap rings on the back sides of the torsion bars where they go through the frame crossmember. The torsion bars will then slide out the back, while still keeping your lower control arms attached to your front suspension.

Hope that helps!

 

[n8ling]

Yah that sure does help....I'm assuming that , that is the nut on the very end of the torsion bar on the inside of the engine bay..
Thanx 4 the help

 

[lemonboy69]

It's actually a long bolt... the more you turn it in, the more spring it puts in the torsion bar, which then causes your front end to raise up. That's how you adjust ride height up front. By backing it all the way down, you've taken all the load and spring off the bar so it can be removed!

 

[66dartman]

That nut on the very end of the torsion bar you are refering to may be the lower control arm pivot stud. The torsion bar adjuster is accessed from under the car.

 

[n8ling]

Well I've gone and done something stupid. The adjustment bolts were pretty seized and no matter what I did I ended up breaking one off. I guess I'm going to try to ream it out but I don't know what kind of tension is on that bolt, and I can't seem to find the snap ring on the torsion bar its self. Anybody got any good idea's on the adjustment bolt maybe blowing it out with a torch???? Other than that I've just got to start swaping parts onto the dart

 

[de69cuda]

I think you are making it too hard. The adjustment bolt that adjusts the tension on the Torsion Bar is in the bottom of the Lower Control Arm. If you broke that bolt, the all you need is a new one. Try:http://www.justsuspension.com/moparupgrades.htm and check out the Torsion Bar Adjuster (P/N HDW35612). If that's not the part that broke, I'd say it was the Lower Control Arm Pivot Stud (P/N SHA34572R). If it's the Pivot Stud that broke, that should just slide into the Lower Control Arm Bushing - you'll need to remove the Lower Control Arm and the Strut Rod to get to the Pivot Stud. I just rebuilt the front suspension for my 69 Barracuda, so I'm pretty familiar with these parts right now! I bought a Front End Rebuild Kit from Performance Suspension technology (www.p-s-t.com), but they didn't have all the cool pictures. Hope this helps.

 

[n8ling]

It's definatly the torsion bar adjustment bolt, and I can't get it to move orthe tab that it adjusts to budge. Know that the bolt heads are off and I've ground off the wings on the nut end of the thing, I was planning to just blow it out and let it go??