okay so i have just bought new front poly bush set, and starting to put them on. But having a real trouble to remove the toursion bars... can anyone help? am i doing anything wrong?
I don't think you need to remove the torsion bars ? The bush set can be fitted without doing so - just remove front lower arm and slide the rear one back on the torsion bar (after letting the spring down!) - and then take the eyebolt out of the chassis leg. But having released the front end -it's easy enough to undo the fixing bolts at the rear and remove the bar complete with the rear reaction arm still fitted if you wish to do so.
I kept my torsion bars on. If it's the eye bolt poly bushes you mean, you need to take off your front lower arm, tap the rear arm along the spline (a bit), use the pin (through the eye bolt bushes) by tightening a nut (over a washer) on it to draw out the steel cup inside the rear lower arm, when this pops out you can take off the eye bolt. Once you have done one side, the other side is actually easier.
My Minor:
A Clarendon Grey 1953 4 Door Series II.
MMOC - 66535
To clarify - knock the arm back far enough to let you remove the pivot from the torsion bar, but NOT all the way off the splines, unless you have some time to spare putting the arm back on in the correct place ;) The eyebolt can be a pig to remove too...
Be sure to inspect carefully around the eyebolt - for any cracking in the chassis leg sides. It's also your chance to add a little negative camber (or at least lose the standard positive camber) by putting a 5/16" thick plate between chassis leg and eyebolt head. Remember to re-track the front wheels after all this - even if you don't go for the negative camber. BTW - I say 5/16" plate - but this assumes the suspension geometry was 'ok' in the first place. If not - then that size may not be correct - you should measure the final result and decide if it's ok !! One side may need more/less than the other - the important thing is to end up with them the same - but I would say 5/16" is the most you should add.
Last edited by bmcecosse on Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Yes I am trying to replace the bushes as well. Have taken the front lower arm off and as far the rear one do you still leave it attached onto the lower link or undo that?
Dennis ???? Something missing ?
Sirrom - yes you need to disconnect from everything - but leave the rear part of the arm on the splines of the torsion bar spring - although you may need to slide it back along the splines slightly - don't knock it right off the splines!
Yes - a little helps! Original car had slightly +ve camber, and even if that is eliminated with wheel bolt upright it will be better. In fact -with wide wheels, negative camber is not such a great idea - and bolt upright at normal ride height will be best.