Seized torsion bar eye housing

Post by **dean36014** » Tue May 22, 2007 3:53 pm

Can't shift the torsion bar housing out the chassis on one side. Soaked it in WD40, lump hammer and it still won't shift. Is there anyway to get the torsion bar out of the eye housing without removing it?

Post by **alex_holden** » Tue May 22, 2007 3:56 pm

Plus Gas works better than WD40 for freeing things up.

Post by **Peetee** » Tue May 22, 2007 4:29 pm

WD40 is useless in this sort of job. Plusgas is the answer. it may take a lot of repeated spraying but there is nothing better.
The torsion bar does not actually fit into the eyebolt. there is a shaft (that sits in the eyebolt) with a collar that buts up to the front end of the torsion bar within the suspension arm. I had a similar problem last week and by disconnecting the torsion bar at the rear managed to get enough free movement to pull the eyebolt out of the chassis leg. Eventually I managed to free the torsion bar from the suspension arm but the collar and pin mentioned would not come free. so I had to ditch them and use a spare.
If you can't get that free movement then you might have to get the eybolt out as far as you can, wedge a bit of wood between the torsion bar and chassis leg, grind off the eyebolt shaft and buy a new one.

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 22, 2007 5:16 pm

Or hammer the rear sus arm back along the splines until the collar is free. Mark the relative positions of bar and arm first though - it's easy to knock back too far.

Post by **dean36014** » Tue May 22, 2007 5:51 pm

Right, not to sure about this as I haven't a manual, all I can remember is from when I was an apprentice 21 years ago. Do I hammer off the arm at the rear end of the torsion bar or the front? and will this then allow me to hammer the front arm away from the eyebolt thingy thus relasing the torsion bar? I'm givening up with plus gas etc, i'm hoping that releasing the torsion bar will allow me to put a lever into the eyebolt and twist it and break the seal

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:12 pm

The rear one of the two by the eyebolt - it slides towards the rear of the car and releases the collar and pin, meaning you can pull the T bar away from the chassis. It'll probably be pretty well stuck unless it's been done relatively recently, but it does move. Well, it's designed to, anyhow

AFTERTHOUGHT Means taking off the front of the two as well to allow movement.

Post by **dean36014** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:18 pm

Great cheers.

walks of down the garage happily swinging his largest lump hammer...............................................

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:22 pm

Sliding the front or rear arm off the splines will allow the torsion bar to be removed from the eyebolt.
If it's not been removed for a long time it's likely that either or both arms are well stuck on the splines.

Rotating the eyebolt witha big bar will normally free it up - unless someone has bodged their repairs and welded the eybolt to the chassis leg...

Post by **dean36014** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:37 pm

Success thanks guys. Couple of good clouts on the suspension arm and the torsion bar was free. removed the bolt/pin thingy, tyre lever through the eyebolt and managed to get it turning, judious use of lump hammer and out it came. Probably one job that would have been easier to do as a complete vehicle not a bare chassis. Every time I hit it the chassis was moving round the garage!

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:55 pm

Good, innit

If the car's complete, it'd fall off the stands too...

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:14 pm

If the car's complete, it'd fall off the stands too...

If the car's complete' leave the other 3 wheels on the ground, chocked by bricks, an it's not going anywhere ;-)

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:08 pm

Oooooh, snippy - just a light hearted comment...

Do you think the arm might be stuck to the bar, btw?