:
: Ok, I have replaced the upper A-frame
: bushings, balljoints, all of the steering
: linkage. The last thing is the lower control
: arm pivot bushings. I'm guessing the torsion
: bars have to come out. What is the procedure
: for taking off the torsion bars and control
: arm?
: Thanks for your help.
: Terry.

:
: 1) Jack up the front of the car & remove
: tires.
: 2) Unscrew adjusting nut in the lower control
: arm.
: 3) Remove bolt from front of lower control arm
: where the bushing is.
: 4) Remove the clip at the rear of the torsion
: bar.
: 5) Remove the nut from the front of the strut
: rod.
: 6) Hit the lower control arm from the front
: with a hammer to drive the torsion bar &
: lower control arm assembly out toward the
: rear.
:
: Chuck

: Rather than hitting the lower control arm, I've
: always had good luck prying the lower
: control arm away from the K-member, usually
: with a tire iron. Often it's real easy to
: get the bar started back, once you have it
: moving, you can drive the t-bar socket
: forward off the end of the bar.
: One thing is critical here, you need to get ALL
: the weight off the t-bar, it won't move if
: there is still twist applied (like if you
: can't get the adjuster loose). Removing the
: rubber bumper under the upper control arm
: sometimes helps the arm drop a bit more if
: you can't get the adjuster bolt completely
: loose.
:
: Careful with anything you do to the t-bar.
: Don't use vise grips or pipe wrenches, and
: I'd be leery of using a big cable clamp. A
: t-bar with a gouge might break. New bars are
: reasonable through Mopar Performance (about
: $120 set through the right dealer), and
: really make a big difference in handling if
: you go up a size or two.
:
: good luck,
: mark

: I use a home-made T-bar remover (braced,
: 1/4" steel "L", approx.
: 6" X 6") clamped firmly to T-bar
: with U-bolts and then tapped with a small
: hand sledge. I'm not too keen on the idea of
: hammering on the LCA itself, though it's
: beefy enough to take some abuse. Once the
: T-bar is slid back, the nut is off the front
: of the strut rod, the nut is off the LCA
: pivot and the UCA is free of its
: moorings---you can pretty much work the
: whole mess out of the K-frame by hand. I
: like to break the LCA pivot nut loose BEFORE
: I unload the T-bar.
:
: ---Red