Torsion Bars Stuck in Spring Plate

[arbita1]

I'm in the middle of replacing the rear torsion bars and I was finally able to pry out the driver side spring plate from the hole...the passenger side came out much easier.

But now both bars are stuck in the spring plates. I've been spraying the inside with PB Blaster. I've seen a previous post were someone used a vice grip and pryed against it somehow...but I don't really understand how this works.

Any advice?

[DUK]

Matt, I ended up drilling a 3/8" hole in the end plug of the plate and used a punch to drive the T-bar out while supporting the plate in my vise. Then I welded the hole back up. Or you could pop the plug out and do the same. My .02

[MattAlpha]

I've had to do this five times while I setting my car to Euro height. Very annoying.

I wrapped a piece of cloth around the bar (where it goes into the spring plate) and clamped down as hard as I could with a pair of channel locks. I then used a small pry bar (against the channel locks) to force the spring plate away from the channel locks. A few times I would move the spring plate and have to adjust the channel locks position. Kind os walking the spring plate off of the torsion bar. I did this with the bar in the car and with out.

The bar seemed to get stuck each time do to air suction/seal alone created by the grease.

Good luck with it!
-Matt

[oldE]

I had the same problem while re-setting the ride height on the old E. Seemed like a good excuse to buy a small puller. As a bonus, the one I got even fit inside the fender.


Good luck
Les

[tiwebber]

Right. Mine were really stuck too - so stuck that I could not get the torsion bar back into the spring plate later without a bit of filing. I tried tapping with a hammer but you'll find the problem is that the spring plate moves as you hammer it. Most of your force is going into moving the plate and attached bar - not moving the plate away from the bar. So, I used a long pair of vice grips to grap onto the torsion bar. I then clamped the vice grips to car. I cant remember the details of how I did this but it involved a couple of clamps.



This essentially prevented both the spring plate and torsion bar from moving as I bashed the spring plate - all the force was then going into moving the spring plate away from the Torsion bar.

[arbita1]

I was trying to avoid drilling a hole into the end cap. If I do, can I replace the cap?

Tim...thanks for the diagram.

[Zeke]

I think you can buy end caps new, but the salvage yards will have some. You want to avoid nicking the bars, and so it seems that a device could be made up that bolted to the spring plate bushing holder bosses and hold the bar at the same time. I don't draw on the computer, but a single piece of angle iron and the big vice grips (over a lot of tape) would hold it enough to wiggle the plate off. Or a u-bolt type clamp. A buck or two would buy all the hardware you need. Once off, be sure to use a wire wheel on the external splines and some thing on the internal ones, too.

[tiwebber]

Just a quick addition to my suggestion...make sure you wrap the torsion-bar with a rag ect. as Milt suggests to avoid nicks. Also, the clamp I used was for clamping vice grips to the car (inner part of wheel well. It was one of those wood clamps that opens up pretty wide so that it could reach far enough to get purchase on another point on the car.

[arbita1]

Originally Posted by oldE

I had the same problem while re-setting the ride height on the old E. Seemed like a good excuse to buy a small puller. As a bonus, the one I got even fit inside the fender.


Good luck
Les

Les. Could you show me what type of puller you used.