Slant Six Forum :: torsion bar/lower control arm

:
: 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

Author:	Terry M. [ Mon Jun 03, 2002 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:	torsion bar/lower control arm
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. cuda-lane@att.net

Author:	Chuck Rivers [ Mon Jun 03, 2002 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
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 Quote: : : 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. webmaster@omnipages.com

Author:	bud L. [ Mon Jun 03, 2002 11:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
Chuck pretty much tells it like it is. The only thing I would add is the torsion bar adjuster on the bot'm of the lower control arm is a bolt(usually 3/4" head), and the lower control arm pivot fastener is a castelated nut and cotter pin. Quote: : : 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 fglmopar@aol.com

Author:	Matt Cramer [ Tue Jun 04, 2002 9:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
I used to use the technique Chuck described of pushing on the lower control arm, until I somehow got a torsion bar stuck to the control arm. Then I found a better way, one a bit closer to the one in the FSM without the expensive tools. I went to the local hardware store and got a cable clamp. This thing is basically a U-bolt and a block made out of soft metal so it won't scratch the bar, and is the perfect diameter to put on a torsion bar. Clamp this to the bar and hammer the bar out with it - or if things are really stuck, use a bottle jack braced against the lower control arm to push on the cable clamp.

Author:	mark dingbaum [ Tue Jun 04, 2002 2:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
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 mldingba@rockwellcollins.com

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Author:	Red [ Tue Jun 04, 2002 4:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
Quote: : 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

Author:	Chuck Rivers [ Tue Jun 11, 2002 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: torsion bar/lower control arm
Quote: : 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 I mentioned hitting the LCA because that was the way I was taught by an old Chrysler mechanic, and I have never had any trouble. I have heard stories of people clamping into the T-bar and hammering away into the night without success. It only takes a few blows near the LCA bolt with my deadblow hammer to knock it loose. Whatever works for you. Chuck webmaster@omnipages.com

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