Springplate Torsion bar question

[Bobboloo]

I'm in the process of replacing my right rear control arm and radius arm (spring plate) on my 72' Coupe. Problem. I can't get the spring plate to let go of the torsion bar. The torsion bar slid easily out of the spline in the torsion bar tube but is stuck in the spring plate so I can't extract the pair in one piece.

Anyone know any tricks?

The spring plate wiggles slightly on the end of the torsion bar but it won't let go.

Thanks
Bobby
72'T

[SK]

I had the same problem...used a rubber glove to grab the torsion bar and held the spring plate in the other hand. After working the spring plate back and forth for about 3 minutes, it came off. Keep trying....I know it is tough because you are in a bad possition under the fender....

[Bobboloo]

Thanks I'll give it a try again tomorrow.

Bobby

[Early_S_Man]

Bobby,

The method of last resort is to remove the cap over the end of the torsion bar ... hammer, drift, chisel, whatever ... put a couple of 2" x 2" scraps behind the spring plate ... spray penetrating oil into the splines, let soak overnight ... and then pound the daylights out of that torsion bar with mallet and a piece of 3/4" iron pipe as the working 'tool.'

[911pcars]

Here's another technique you can try. Clamp a locking (vise grip) plier around the torsion bar about an inch from the spring plate (use leather or some other protective material around the bar). Use a couple of pry bars or large screwdrivers between the vise grips and the spring plate to evenly separate the two. Check the splines for burrs. Don't forget to lube the splines with some waterproof, synthetic grease so it'll separate easier the next time.

Hope this helps.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars
www.seinesystems.com

[Bobboloo]

Thanks ,
I tried the vise grips on the torsion bar earlier today and tried using a hammer to pry them apart but that didn't work. If all else fails I'll try Warrens technic.

Thanks again

Bobby

[jluetjen]

BTW: Did the vice grips scratch the T-Bar? If they did it is a bad thing.

[gfly]

Also try a propane torch on the spring plate. If you have removed the cover on the end of the tube, try some heat inside as well. Be careful with the flame on any grease, and don't burn the protective paint on the torsion bar.

[Early_S_Man]

gfly,

How about the rubber bushing that is vulcanized to the spring plate? It will make one HELL of a smelly, smoking mess ... long before you can tranfer any significant amount of heat to the splined area underneath!

[cmsteed]

I had the exact same problem recently. The vice grip on the torsion bar trick was useless. Heat didn't work. Days of penetrating oil didn't work. I resorted to drilling a 3/8 inch hole through the end cap and pounding the bar with a brass drift and ended up bending the drift. I removed the cap (just pried it off with a screwdriver through the hole I had drilled in the cap) and hammered on the torsion bar with a 1/2 inch mild steel drift (of course placing 2x4 blocking the swing arm and the body). I ended up just mushrooming the mild steel drift. I bought at cheap $20 gear puller and tried to extract the swing arm from the torsion bar and ended up bending and breaking the puller. I ended up taking a dremel type tool and cutting a slot along the cylindrical tube on the swing arm that envelopes the torsion bar (very carefully so that I would not cut into the splines of the torson bar). I then hammered some more with a tiny amount of success driving the torsion bar about 1/8" before it would go no farther. I am not exactly why sure why but instead of hitting the torsion bar and trying to drive it through the swingarm I started hitting the tube of the swing arm itself with the drift (probably because I was in a blind rage and getting po'd of the entire procedure) and Lo and Behold the torsion bar started backing it's way out of the swing arm. By continuing to hit the annulus of the swing arm tube, the splines of the torsion Torson bar finally worked their way out of the swing arm (must be a rebound type of thing) until I could pull the torson bar through the end of the swing arm (through the cap) and out through the hole in the rocker panel.

The reason for all the problems became very obvious when I finally had the swing arm removed and looked at the splines. The splines on the swing arm on the car side of the torson bar splines were rusted. Driving the torson bar towards the car was just wedging the torsion bar splines into the rusted splines of the swing plate. The fit between the splines is very tight as you know, and any rust will jam up the works.

Needless to say I had to scrap the swing arm as I had dremelled it.

Before you go through all this hassle, try removing the end cap and tapping the outside edge of the spring plate tube to see if you can get the torsion bar to "back out" of the spring plate. If you are successful you should be able to re-use your swing arm if you can figure out a method to replace the cap.

Upon re-assembly SMEAR the splines with grease to make sure they will not rust up prior to your next removal.


Good Luck!


Chuck

[david c.]

While we're on this topic, I was wondering about torsion bar rust.

I picked up a set of low mileage factory 930 torsion bars for the rear of my 912E.

They had a little bit of surface pitting/rust, but nothing major.

I removed all the factory dark red coating and then sanded them down. I then cleaned them and painted them with about six coats of enamel Rustoleum paint.

Should I be worried? I haven't installed them yet. If it's going to be a problem, I guess I could get another set of aftermarket new bars. But, the rust was very minor and I'm confident I removed it all. I'm just concerned about cracking a bar someday. I have no experience with this, so any advice is appreciated.

Thanks, as always,

David

[Early_S_Man]

You know, reading through some of these threads ...

A newbie could get the idea these cars are hard to work on!!!

[KTL]

Originally posted by Early_S_Man
You know, reading through some of these threads ...

A newbie could get the idea these cars are hard to work on!!!

Yeah, but you know as well as anybody Warren, time/age sometimes makes it hard to work on any kind of car. Rust is every wrenches sworn enemy!