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Torsion bar wont hold tension
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-07-28 8:32 AM (#517804)
Subject: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
I had a hard breaking situation, and the driver's side front lost tension in the torsion bar, and was resting against the bump stops. I got it home and fiddled around under there. The bar was not apparently broken, but the rear anchor point was loose. I could move the rear end of the bar/anchor up and down. I removed the leveling bolt and cylinder-shaped nut/swivel (car leveling swivel). The swivel was sheared in half and the adjusting bolt came out with little effort. I replaced the bolt and swivel with NOS parts, and it went together smoothly. Of course when I lowered the car, there was no spring resistance and it bottomed out again. The bar/anchor end was seated properly on the transmission cross member. It doesn't have any play, but it's not holding the bar with the right (any) torsion. Is there supposed to be a washer or something where the adjusting bolt goes into the transmission cross member? Did I bust a bar and somehow cant find the break? Also when I torque in the adjusting bolt, it goes in further than it should, like it hits the floorboard. Any thoughts? Thanks,

Jon
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fast59desoto
Posted 2016-07-28 9:43 AM (#517808 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Hey Jon
Sounds like a busted bar
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-07-28 12:20 PM (#517817 - in reply to #517808)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
Hey Jeff. I can't find the break. Maybe inside the anchor?
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2016-07-28 12:48 PM (#517822 - in reply to #517817)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Location: The Mile High City
is the bar end or anchor stripped like a bad bolt?
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-07-28 2:22 PM (#517832 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
I don't know. I'm going to climb under there shortly today. It's kinda hot out at the moment. I was going to remove the height adjuster bolt and swivel. Then see if the anchor will slide off towards the rear. I imagine the bar is busted inside the anchor, or the bar or anchor is stripped. One thing-- it did make that telltale bang sound when it went to the bump stops, but the weird thing was that the pivot/swivel thing was indeed fractured. I was hoping for a simple fix here, but I dunno... It's not super corroded under there. Low mileage 57 Firesweep. It's the little can shaped nut thing. Every FSM and schematic seem to call these parts different things.

Edited by JT Vincent 2016-07-28 2:29 PM




(adjuster-swivel.JPG)



Attachments
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Attachments adjuster-swivel.JPG (15KB - 135 downloads)
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57chizler
Posted 2016-07-28 2:33 PM (#517834 - in reply to #517832)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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The rear of the torsion bar plugs into a part they call the cam, the bolt and swivel adjust the tension on the cam. Possibly, the female hex part of the cam where the bar is inserted has broken away from the cam body. That would explain the ease with which the bolt and swivel came apart.
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59 in Calif
Posted 2016-07-28 2:50 PM (#517838 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension


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Could it have possibly broken at the lower control arm? See if you can wiggle the T/B up by the LCA. Jerry
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-07-28 6:59 PM (#517858 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Posts: 1493
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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
If you're holding the rear anchor with the adjusting bolt out, you can move the whole torsion bar up to the floor pan and down to the transmission cross member. About 4 inches, I guess. I'm trying to figure out if I can slide the anchor part off. I pulled the retainer clip off the back of the anchor. Should I be able to pull the bar straight back? I've never really gotten into torsion bars, except to adjust them, so forgive my ignorance. The shop manual is vague and uses a variety of language to describe the same things. Thanks for the help.

Jon
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58coupe
Posted 2016-07-28 8:39 PM (#517864 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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It should slide out of the lower control arm if not too rusty.
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-07-28 10:23 PM (#517869 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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Posts: 1493
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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
I don't suppose one wants to bang on it or anything like that. I'm just going to put a lot of penetrating oil on it and try and push the bar through the anchor, out of the lower control arm, and then hopefully it will come out by pulling it forward. I suppose I should mark the orientation with a grease pencil on each end.
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57chizler
Posted 2016-07-30 4:59 PM (#518000 - in reply to #517869)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



Expert

Posts: 3768
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Location: NorCal

Avoid scarring the torsion bar. Best way to removed one is to clamp something on the bar that can be struck with a hammer, here's my home-made whacker.



(TBtool.jpg)



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Attachments TBtool.jpg (65KB - 139 downloads)
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60 dart
Posted 2016-07-30 11:57 PM (#518033 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



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if you would just disconnect the lower control arm , you would have way less grief removing/installing the T-bar---------------------------------------------later
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JT Vincent
Posted 2016-08-02 2:32 PM (#518237 - in reply to #517804)
Subject: Re: Torsion bar wont hold tension



Expert

Posts: 1493
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Location: Jamaica Plain, MA
Thanks gents. It's either 100 degrees out, or pouring rain here. I fabricated a tool like John's. I'm still not even sure the bar is broken. If it is, the fracture is within the anchor. When the height adjuster it in place, the bar doesn't move, but it also doesn't hold the car up. I really do appreciate the good advice. In 30 years and maybe 20 FL cars, I haven't run into a problem like this. Perhaps I'm getting soft in the head. Side note-- I actually found a second pivot nut in the transmission mount. Just sitting there for 60 years in the groove. I imagine someone just dropped it in there on the line by mistake during manufacture. I have a new one, a broken one, and the mystery one.
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