Quick question (removal of spring plates)
 

The suspension re-do is coming along. Can't figure how to get the spring plate assembly off the car. It's all loose but won't pull out far enough to clear the end of the torsion bar. Is there some trick to it? Can you help?

Re: Quick question (removal of spring plates)
 

No tricks but very cautiously pry it using blocks of wood - be careful not to bend the body metal. Tapping with a hammer on the shaft to loosen it up can help too to break the bond. That finally freed mine up on one side.

Maybe a come-along if you can find something solid nearby.

Ian

Thanks Ian,
The spring plate is completely free and the torsion bar is loose at both ends. I can't figure how to get the plate assembly to clear the end of the bar in the tight space between it and the body. If I can't figurethat out I'll need to pull the dust cap and the torsion bar plug on the body and pull the torsion bars out too. I wanted to avoid that but if "there just ain't no utter way" sobeit...

Assuming the torsion bar is not stuck inside the torsion bar cover you will still have to remove the access cover plate on the sill of the body to pull the cover far enough back to get the springplates off. Just not enough room otherwise. If the torsion bar is stuck inside the cover, you will still need to remove the cover plate, drill a hole in the end of the torsion bar cover and use a punch and a hammer to pop the torsion bar free from the cover.

Just did mine last year, and from what I can remember, you still need to remove the body plugs even though you're not taking out the torsion bar. The end of the spring plate protrudes into the body hole which gives the required clearance to free it from the end of the torsion bar.

David

Then you just swivel it until you can angle it out - leaving the torsion bar in place. You have to pull the fender metal out slightly to get it off. There should be enough 'give' to not rumple the fender.

Ian

Thanks guys, I suspected that would be the answer. Now to get the two replacement wedge bolts for the A-arm strut mount. and get it all back together.

Ian said it.
It sounds like when the T-bar comes out of the inner splines there isn't enough room.
The trick is to make sure that the T-bar stays on the inner splines and the cover only slides off the outer splines.