Torsion bars, strut bars etc

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Sun Jun 21, 15 1:58 am

Are there any tricks / tips for removing the LCA,s and torsion bars etc, parts have arrived and all ready to get stuck in, but don't want to create more work for myself through ignorance. Is it just a case of following the FSM and doing one side at a time, leaving the other side for reference?

I do have the torsion bar removal tool and the LCA pin removal tool as well.

Also, am I better off removing the front drum and brake assemblie to make access to the lower ball joints easier. I'm doing a front disc conversion at the same time

TIA

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Sun Jun 21, 15 5:27 am

if you doing disks as well might as well strip all more space.

all pretty straight forward

remember roger could not after hours of fighting get after market bars to fit

so if your fighting something is wrong and stop

using polly bushes? got that polly lube stuff ? or she will sqeeeeeeccckkk down the road

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Sun Jun 21, 15 7:52 am

Make sure you dont damage the bars if the old ones are going back in. Jack it up, wind of the adjustment inside the lca ( might be worth noting how many turns just to give you ballpark when it goes back in).
Remove the ring from the read of the bars ( split ring thing, long nosed pliers will do it).
Get the tool on the bars, gripping nicely but not damaging the face, give it a couple of rearward taps with ' the persuader' and they should just move backwards and out... Pretty sure it was as simple as that. The rest of it comes off easily after that and is fairly self explanitory.

The whole bottom end wasnt that tricky. Even I managed it in short timeframes. the UCAs though... Of man, that was misery. Had to get medieval with those... horrible job.

I did a big thread on it somewhere. I'll dig it out.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Jun 21, 15 9:47 am

Yes strip off the brakes and spindles, gives you plenty of room to work. Never needed a torsion bar tool, once you've got everything undone you can just tap the LCA rearwards until the torsion bar comes out at the back and then everything comes apart easily.

latil · Post by **latil** » Sun Jun 21, 15 10:02 am

Took me a long time to get my pass side bar out on the Belve. Someone had hammered the bar in and caught the edge of the circlip groove burring it badly and closing in the hole so the bar wouldn't slide out.

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Sun Jun 21, 15 10:59 am

Great info, thanks all.

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Wed Jul 01, 15 2:30 am

All coming apart fairly easy, got a jack under the LCA to stop it from flying downwards, tried to unwind the adjuster bolt inside the LCA. It started to move easily but then started getting tight, very tight. Should I have the LCA supported, jacked up or just let it drop down?
Or, should I have freed off the torsion bars and removed the strut rods first?

MilesnMiles · Post by **MilesnMiles** » Wed Jul 01, 15 6:35 am

Normally you would have all the load off the suspension to loosen the torsion bar adjuster.
Ie, jacked up with suspension hanging without load. The torsion bar is sprung when weighted and should not be adjusted under load.

steveo · Post by **steveo** » Wed Jul 01, 15 8:05 am

MilesnMiles wrote:Normally you would have all the load off the suspension to loosen the torsion bar adjuster.
Ie, jacked up with suspension hanging without load. The torsion bar is sprung when weighted and should not be adjusted under load.

yeah ,

what I do , & my bars slid/ slid out easy , remove upper control arm , bump stops ! ( there is still slight load on the suspension , if you leave these in place )

jack up car , support with jack stands under the frame /chassis ,

take load off suspension ! undo the adjuster bolt , wind it right out & remove it , & the adjuster too , remove rear torsion bar retaining clips , fit Torsion bar removal tool , tap with hammer ,

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Wed Jul 01, 15 8:42 am

Rebel wrote:All coming apart fairly easy, got a jack under the LCA to stop it from flying downwards, tried to unwind the adjuster bolt inside the LCA. It started to move easily but then started getting tight, very tight. Should I have the LCA supported, jacked up or just let it drop down?
Or, should I have freed off the torsion bars and removed the strut rods first?

Let it all hang down.. no weight on the LCA. Undo the adjuster bolt fully. Then tap-n-out.

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Wed Jul 01, 15 11:30 am

Thanks guys,
At the minute, the drums, brake shoes and backing plates are off, the anti roll bar is disconnected and the upper control arm and spindle is disconnected from the LCA. The strut rods, torsion bars and adjuster are all still connected with a jack under the torsion bar to stop it from hanging down.
Reading through all your replies, it sounds as though I just need to remove the jack so that the LCA does hang down, then I should be able to unwind the adjuster completely and go from there, yes?

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Wed Jul 01, 15 11:47 am

Yes. No jack under LCA or torsion bar (obviously NEVER jack a torsion bar!!)

Here is a pic of mine before I rebuilt it all - note the hanging LCA and adjustment bolt. Does that help ?

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Wed Jul 01, 15 11:55 am

I wouldn't take the jack completely out until you have the adjuster backed right off, but lower it down some. The adjuster is probably rusty, so plenty of lube and moving it back and forth. There is no other reason I can think of for it not to undo.

TW71 · Post by **TW71** » Wed Jul 01, 15 12:01 pm

Try not to nick or damage the Torsion bars to prevent stress risers .

Rebel · Post by **Rebel** » Wed Jul 01, 15 12:04 pm

Thanks Morgan, it does help.

Thanks Blue, it doesn't look as though rust is the problem, the adjuster bolt was moving freely, think it's probably because I've left the jack under it, creating load when there shouldn't be any