Torsion Bars

[pacmannewry 0]

I have read about a bit here on different tools to be used but my torsion bars appear to be solidly stuck. My father-in-law has tried dragging them out with a slide hammer but had no joy (mind you, he has the beam off the car so does this hinder the job?) and my mechanic is now going to try heating them up before having a go.

 

Can anyone give me any tips or any pointers? Are there common problems associated with these and if so, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[welshpug 1,655]

Sounds like a press or a puller of some sort is required, have you removed the fasteners for both ends of the torsion bars and removed the ARB? You usually can at least get the arm off with the torsion bar still in it as the inner adjusted end seems to fare off better, though its not unknown for the worst ones to be seized at both ends.

[Cameron 16]

SOAK them in WD40 or Plusgas for a couple of hours, then put the trailing arm in a vice an BFI the s*it out of the TB until it comes out. I used a club hammer and a suitably sized aluminium drift to get my stubborn one free.

[Alastairh 47]

If the beam is off the car, remove the m8 nuts, remove the bottom shock bolts and if scrap and then fit them in reverse. I don't tend to f*** about and use my 20lb sledge and aim for the shock bolt head leaving the arm pristine. Once removed, a impact driver works nicely with a t40, remove the c'sunk bolts and off set washers. Then screw the bolt back in and I personally use a high quality 15mm socket and press them out. The

idea being with the bolt refitted is that the socket won't go out of line and damage the arms spline. I have seen upto 10 ton pressing these out with propane, but very rarely.

 

Al

[Cameron 16]

I took one of mine to a local Peugeot place (I forget the name) and he bent his 20 tonne mini-press getting a torsion bar out!

[pacmannewry 0]

Thanks folks - plenty to ponder and try. The car has been lowered before and I'm trying to put it back to normal height so barring a change in beam, they must have been removed and turned before. Fingers crossed.

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

Heat them well with the gas bottles, and get a sledge hammer. If you get a couple of real good cracks at them, they will move. It's the only way to get torsion bars from N.I cars to budge.

[pacmannewry 0]

Thanks folks - panic over as they were successfully removed yesterday - with typical brute force and ignorance.