HELP front torsion bar stuck!!
 

I'm in the process of changing the front and rear torsion bars and today was the fronts. The drivers side came out with a little coaxing and was rusted in the front side just at the bottom. I've been trying to get the passenger side out for over an hour and using vise grips, prying with large screw driver, hitting with hammer No Go. I moved the road wheel up and down in small incriments to take any pressure off the torsion bar to get it out.

Just seems frozen in there, is there any other tips for removal? I keep prying on it and it just prys the vice grips off the end of the old torsion bar and I have the vice grips on very tight, I'm also moving the grips back and forth. Man it's stuck :( TIA

Have you popped the cap off the front of the A-arm and then hit the bar with a drift and a BFH? That should drive the bar out towards the rear of the car very easily. If you have done this, then I am stumped.

Cheers, Jeff

I just moved the jacks and was thinking of taking the cap off and attacking from the front, I'll post back in a bit and see how it goes.
Thanks

I've got the cap off, should the dust cover pry off? I doesn't want to move either

I think Jeff means that you should hit the dust cover really hard so that it loosens the t-bar. Don't try to pry off the cover.

Neil, Thanks I'll try that.

Well I got it out :)
I guess I should silicon or seal the front dust cap now, thanks again for the help you saved my Saturday.

So you just unbolt the front cap that has the pull tabs or scraper bars on and hit the dust cover under the cap and this should dislodge the front torsion bars if rusted in place. thanks

If I remember correclty, the dust cover doesn't come off. You have to drill a hole in it and then use a punch to pop the bar out. Then you weld up the hole. That's what I remember doing on my '79 anyway.

Also helps to pull the a-arm out. Most the time you will want new ball joints anyway. On the bench, you have much better access ...

G

crashmy911-
The cap pops out if you push the torsion bar through from the rear. If you want to remove the cap without pushing the bar through, you must drill a hole and pull it out. You can purchase replacement caps, if need be, from our host.