I finished putting together and was adjusting the ride height so I could torque the lower control arms and the strut rods. As I was turning the adjuster screw there was a big bang and my socket and rachet went flying. I pulled out the adjusting screw and the threads from the adjuster itself were on the bolt. What could I have done wrong? The adjuster nut is tight and won’t move.
Can the torsion bar go in wrong?
- Thread starter chrger1967
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Jerry Hall
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Were you adjusting the ride height with weight on the suspension?
By the looks of the rust pitting on the arm that bolt was in bad shape.
Need to wire brush and lube these bolts before turing them.
Wheels off the ground so no load of the car weight.
Need to wire brush and lube these bolts before turing them.
Wheels off the ground so no load of the car weight.
I am embarrassed to say yes. I thought it would be easier to adjust the torsion bar with the car up on jack stands. I was searching around and realized what I did.
Now I have to replace that adjuster block, its stripped, ain't no way I'm using it now. Do I really need that tool to remove the torsion bar, or is there another way to do it?Yeah, they were pretty rusty. I cleaned them up the best I could and painted them, but yes there are pretty rusty. I'm looking into replacing them now.
furious70
Well-Known Member
You just need to get enough clamping force on them without gouging them. If you just put them in they should come back out pretty easyI am embarrassed to say yes. I thought it would be easier to adjust the torsion bar with the car up on jack stands. I was searching around and realized what I did.
Yea, I put some fresh grease when I pulled them.
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I’m glad you didn’t get injured….
t.flatt
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My torsion bar removal tool. Here are some pretty good ideas of how to make your own removal tool.
you can get new adjusters for reasonable and pretty easy to change.
gkent
Well-Known Member
Why do you need to pull the t-bar ??? Just let the LCA drop down and the nut will come out. From the looks of all the crud it may need a tap with a hammer but that should do it. No need to pull the t-bar.
And the ONLY way a t-bar can go in wrong is if its on the wrong side. Front to back doersn't matter. They are stamped L and R on the ends.
And the ONLY way a t-bar can go in wrong is if its on the wrong side. Front to back doersn't matter. They are stamped L and R on the ends.
Thing is, it really didn't seem like there was any tension. It was turning pretty easy, but I did have some grease on it though.
All I could find was ones from QA1. $134. No one else seems to have an OEM bolt and adjuster.
I tried to get that out with the L.C.A up and down. It's being pressed by the arm inside the control arm.
I'm pretty sure I screwed up and stripped it from trying to adjust the T bars with the car up on jack stands. Stupid mistake but hopefully a simple fix.
I see a jack under the a-arm. Was that how the front of the car was being supported or were there jack stands under the frame allowing the front suspension to hang free? Remove the upper a-arm bump stops to let the suspension droop fully and the new bolt and the adjuster block will slide right in. I lube it with anti-sieze compound. Tighten them up approximately equal amounts on both sides, drop the weight on to the tires, bounce it a few times and roll it a couple feet back and forth and measure side to side. Jack back up, adjust accordingly until you get it where you want and sitting level from side to side. The torsion bar doesn’t need to come back out.
kanter has them for $92. Not as cheap as I remember but still not bad in todays world. Probably not OEM but OEM isn't what it used to be either.
Same thing happened to me but unfortunately with different results. Hard lesson to learn about adjusting them with the weight on the wheels.
ouch!
Yikes !!!!
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So? I've done this numerous times over the years in different cars with a variety of torsion bar sizes.
Not all are. Some just have numbers or a manufacturers letters.
That is unfortunate. That looks painful.
There are advisories against adjusting with the tires on the ground but it has never been a problem for me. Maybe the failures are much more likely with cars that have rusty parts? Out here, that isn't the case so I've often just made an adjustment, rolled the car back and forth to settle the steering and suspension and repeated the process until I am satisfied with the height.
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