Reinstalling torsion bars: help

[bajajoaquin]

I'm putting the isolator subframe back on my '67 Imperial. Problem is that the torsion bars have rotated a few degrees counter clockwise so I can't get the subframe back over the flats on the bars.

Adjusters are totally loose on both sides.

Any my tricks to making this happen, or is there something I'm missing?

 

[commando1]

Are the wheels off the ground and the adjusters completely backed off?

 

[bajajoaquin]

Yes. hanging free and adjusters are loose enough to flop around. Any looser and I would be pulling out the bolts.

Looks to to me like the wheels need to droop a bit more, but they're fully down.

 

[66SportFury]

I'm pretty sure you'll need to do one or more of the following. Removing the lower ball joint, sway bar and shock will give you more swing on the lower control arm so you can get the bar in. Or maybe just removing the upper or lower shock bolts might be enough. Go for the shocks first then go from there.

 

[bajajoaquin]

I'll give that a shot, but I can see that I'm on the bump stops already. There is play in the fingers that the adjuster bolts work against. If I could get a clamp on there I could screw it down and get the rotation I need.

Thanks for for the ideas. I'm going back out to try some more.

 

[66SportFury]

Can you remove the bump stops to get that little bit maybe?

 

[commando1]

Those suckers should be slipping right in. Something's wrong.....
But then again, it's an Imp....

I'm pretty sure you'll need to do one or more of the following. Removing the lower ball joint,

No way in my humble opinion...

 

[bajajoaquin]

They're in. I used vice grips to put pressure on the adjusting finger. That made one side vertical, and we could put the subframe on the other side, rotate it, and slip it it. Pictures to follow when I get home. Thanks for the ideas guys. I appreciate it.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Sometimes the socket on LCA needs rotated toward adjusters, Are you sure you didn't flipflop bars front/ rear

 

[commando1]

I was under the impression that the bars were unidirectional, only L & R.

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[66SportFury]

Cool site for your car if you didn't know about it. http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1967/index.htm

 

[jake]

Cool site for your car if you didn't know about it. http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1967/index.htm

Very cool, thanks!

 

[MrMoparCHP]

On my Barracuda I just put a pipe wrench on the lower control arm where the T-bars go and got what I needed.

Alan

 

[bajajoaquin]

Sometimes the socket on LCA needs rotated toward adjusters, Are you sure you didn't flipflop bars front/ rear

On my Barracuda I just put a pipe wrench on the lower control arm where the T-bars go and got what I needed.

Alan

Although I figured out another way, I didn't know about this. Are you saying the collar that goes into the control arm isn't welded to the arm? Interesting. In my Imperial thread, I'll go into some more detail, and have a picture, but I was able to get some Vise Grip clamps on the finger the adjuster works against, and push it down, giving me the rotation I needed. I made sure to not grab onto the bars themselves, as I have been adequately warned against it.

Regarding the Imperial club, that's a great site. I didn't find anything in their archives that addressed this specific issue. There is a Yahoo Group for the club, but this site is much better for responsiveness (as long as you have a shop manual and you announce that you checked it first), so I came here rather than going there.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

... Are you saying the collar that goes into the control arm isn't welded to the arm? Interesting...

Yes, that is how this works, the lobe/cam/arm within the control arm that the adjuster bolt hits is connected to the collar. The arm floats and the bolt adjust the arm relative to the bar.

Alan

 

[Zymurgy]

Thanks for starting this post. I would probably be asking the same question in a few weeksccasion14:

 

[Catfish]

On my Barracuda I just put a pipe wrench on the lower control arm where the T-bars go and got what I needed.

Alan

thats exactly what I did on my Dart the other day.

 

[sprice]

Hello everybody, I have been trying for two days now to reinstall torsion bars on my 68' 300. I am not new to removing and installing since doing my 67' Imperial and have read and searched for possibilities. Car is off the ground, torsion bar adjusters backed right off. Removed lock springs and bars came out by hand, without tools anyway. Replaced the dry grease and dust boots. I was careful to place bars on the floor as they came out. "L" and "621" is stamped on the drivers side and "R" and "620" for passenger side. These indicators I had as being placed towards the front. The first attempt, (left or drivers side) is looking like it stretched. It will not reinstall without light taps with a hammer and am hitting something about 1/8" before I can replace the lock ring. It stops flush with the rear holder. I have removed and reversed end to end, no change. Have tried moving the adjuster up or down for better alignment. Have not done anything else to the car. Can not figure out how they came out without a tool, now can't reinstall. Am I missing something?

 

[LocuMob]

Came out without a tool? Lucky you. Clean the socket the bars sit in, I had to tap mine in lightly on one side. As mentioned in this thread, you may have to move a LCA up a little to line things up. They should go in fairly easily and not need a lot of persuasion.