Re: torsion bar removal

["mcookwwi" <mark@xxxx>]

A friend of mine had the same problem. Someone 'mushroomed' the end 
of your torsion bar. Inspect it carefully you may see what I'm 
talking about. We spent about 2 hrs hammering away to get it off. We 
put a screw driver in each side of the bracket between the bracket 
and the body of the car (to space the bracket from the body). Then, 
with the 3/8" hex socket FULLY inserted (and still holding the 
reverse force of the torsion bar with the breaker-bar), we hammered 
on the end of the socket to drive the torsion bar 'inward', while the 
bracket was being pushed outward by the screw driver 'spacers' that 
we had in there. We had to keep switching to large diameter screw 
drivers and then to chisels as the bracket came off due to the 
increase in space created by it. We hammer it for a while, and then 
remove the spacers and tap the bracket back down so we could spray 
some more lube and then start again. After a few hrs. of this, the 
bracket came off. We unwound and pulled the bar out. Then we 
CAREFULLY filed the end of the splines until the bracket would slide 
fairly easily on and off the splines. Then we reinserted and torqued 
it down. It works fine.

We figured this was about the only way to accomplish this short of 
destroying the bar and having to buy a new one. (it was the passenger 
side). But who wants to deplete something we may need some day? 

We did this in a LAST RESORT effort, so I do not really encourage it, 
but only offer it as an idea. MAKE SURE TO USE NEW TOP OF THE LINE 
STRONG TOOLS FOR THIS. You will be hammering on the end of a breaker-
bar and socket while it is under a LOT of force from the torsion bar.

Good luck!
Mark
10901

(contact me if you have any further questions!)

--- In dmcnews@xxxx, Jim Strickland <ihaveanaccount@xxxx> wrote:
> I'm trying to tighen my torsion bars, but seems to be having 
problems
> with it. I guess it IS best in the hands of a skillled 
professional. I
> can't get the retaining bracket off the splines. I started to pull 
it
> off, but it got stuck. Then the whole torsion bar started coming 
out
> from the door mounted side. what's up with this? The book implies 
that
> the bracket should just slide off the spline. The bracket will 
slide on
> the spline inward, but will not come off any more than flush with 
the
> spline. 
> 
> send help.
> 1537
> ________________________________________________________________
> GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
> Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
> Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.