Thread: Mopar Torsion Bars?

Tweet

Seems like this will be my first post here. Brickman has been bragging on you folks in a big way so don't let him down or i'll be givin him hell. His 48 is in my shop setting on stands beside my 72 Duster. Couldn't bear to see him working on the old gal out in the mud, plus we can help each other and swap off buying the beer.
The question i have is that i've ordered new bushings for my 72 Duster and will be putting them in with the help of Brickman but neither one of us have wrenched on the torsion bar suspension before and don't want to come away injured. Anyone out there that can walk me through this process step by step would be a big help. What should i look out for? I'll need a pickle fork? I understand there is a lot of tension on the bars. I want to take it all out anyway to blast it and paint it all up. Today i'll drop the rear axle, springs and shocks and blast on them and will wait for the front until i hear from you guru's.

CAN YOU HELP ??? P..L..E..A..S.E....

To "unload" the bars there is a bolt in the bottom of the lower control arm in the center...... just take that bolt out and that will unload them that also adjust the ride height so with the car on the ground take a mesurment from the body to the ground so you can put it back to the same height if you want
After taking the bolt out there is a clip inside the rear mount take that out and the bar will come out to the rear........ mark the bar so you can put it back in like it came out
Some times they need alittle help to get them to move you can put a pair of vice grips on and tap with a hammer be careful not to scar up the bar

Hope this helps

MM64

Originally posted by Small Block
Seems like this will be my first post here. Brickman has been bragging on you folks in a big way so don't let him down

Welcome aboard small block. One thing you should understand; it's scientifically documented that breathing brick dust will make you dillusional!

Hello mom!! Is that you Small Block? You've come to the right place bud.......Cough....Cough......this is a bottomless pit of information.....Cough...cough.......... ...feelin' a little dizzy....wwooooohhh!!!! 20 years of snorting brickdust never hrt knowboody...cough....weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Well i've also got some other good feed back from Duster.net and between the two i think it can be done if Brickman will make the trips to the refer for me. It sounds like a dry job but i can handle it. It's amazing what you can do with a 6' punch bar huh Brickman? Any more of you Gurus want to put your two cents in ??

thanks to the guys here SB, I think we can get it done, oh and with a little help for my little 6' persueder friend!!

It's been a long time since I replaced an old Mopar subframe but, I remember that I could never get all the tension of the bars by unloading the suspension. A big pipe wrench applied to the bar did the trick. Don't mix the right & left bars as they do have to go back on their respective sides.

Torsion Bars were introduced in 1957 thru the mid 70's. To remove the bars put the car on jack stands and back off the torsion bar adjusters in the lower control arms. Use needle nose pliers to remove the clips while holding the torsion bar in place in the hex shaped anchors on the rear cross member. Some sort of a clamp device will be needed to "drive" the bars backwards. You may also have to loosen your header and collector on the passenger side to make room for your "clamping" device and BFH to slide that side out. Try not to mark up the bars with your clamping device. Also try not to "bend" them either. Keep them marked as to what side each bar came from. Replacing is just reverse. I suggest new clips. Any time torsion bars are turned or replaced a complete front end alignment is needed!!
DCON

Done Deal !!!!! Brickman and i picked this baby up this morning and put her on her side. Yep, Just the two of us. We now have it hanging from the trusses overhead and the engine hoist. While in this attitude i pulled the T bars, lower control arms, upper A's and the drums,spindles and the works. Mr. Mopar you are right. The adjusting bolt is the key and also i had to remove the lower control arm as i drove out the T bar, then the T bar came out of the arm easily. Remember to remove the lock ring at the rear of the T bar as it wont budge if you don't. Now, the new parts should be in in a day or so and MAYBE i can remember how it goes back together. I also removed the E brake cables as they would have been in my way as i was wire brushing the bottom of the car, It won't be bad now that it is on it's side. I bought some POR 15 after reading the good press on it and will do the bottom of the Duster when i get it cleaned off tomorrow. Oh, By the way, Where were you when i needed you Brickman? You were supposed to be the refer runner and here i had to do it all myself. Man did i get thirsty. Oh well. What are friends for?

another job well done Small Block, even though you had to bear it on your own! Thats the way it goes sometimes the "Honey-Do's" have #1 priority. Tomorrow is another day and there is alot of work that still has to be done.

I may even work on my '48!!!

CONGRATS ON GETTING IT ALL DONE!!!
DCON