Spring Plate Removal

[ohecht]

The spring plate came out with the torsion bar still inside. Now, I have no leverage to separate it from the bar, and I cannot remove the entire assembly through the body either.

Any ideas or techniques to share?

Thanks,

Olivier

[avendlerdp]

I have heard one can drill and tap the spring plate cap and run a botl through as a pusher the press out the t-bar. Is this the case?? I have not done it.

Alex

[marcesq]

Olivier:

First spray some PB blaster in the spring plate and go have a beer.

If you are replacing the torsion bar, then use the largest vice grips that you have on the torsion bar and wiggle the spring plate until the two come apart.

If you are re-using the bars, wrap jaws of vice grips with duct tape and try.

good luck.

[POVI]

If you got a torsion bar stuck on the spring plate
What works for me is ..
spray a ton of wd40 on the torsion bar splines inthe spring plate
then hold on to the torsion bar with a rag and or vice grips with one hand , and then beat on the spring plate with a hammer hitting it outwards ..and it will come off ..trust me on that one !

Joe

[TyFenn]

Joe - shouldn't you be posting the new Orange beauty pic's?

sorry - back to biz.

[POVI]

pictures are coming soon ..

- Joe -

[jstobo]

This is how I got mine off. Put vise grip on torsion bar over rag to keep from damaging torsion bar. Then use two bolts and bolt the spring plate cover over the vise grip. In this way the vise grips are held against the body of the car and the torsion bar can't move in or out. Beat spring plate with ball peen hammer. A good 3 lbs one did the trick for me but I guess any hammer would work. I hit around the edges of the spring plate and after some pounding the plate separated from the torsion bar. Then had to it all over on the other side. Old grease is a bear. Good Luck

[Chuck Moreland]

Jstobo, that is a clever idea.

But if that doesn't work, you can drill and tap the small round cover at the end of the spring plate. Just as likely, you will push the cover out instead of the tbar. But then you can use a drift and hammer to try and push the tbar out.

I had one that wouldn't come out for anything. The tbar had to be cut off to allow removal of the spring plate.

Then, the spring plate was secured over a pair of vise jaws with the tbar stub dangling down. Several shots with a hefty sledge were required to dislodge the stub! Amazingly stuck.

[jpnovak]

I drilled a 3/8" hole and used a drift to punch it out. Then I welded up the hole. I suppose that a properly sized screw/bolt could also be used to fill the hole and be removeable if you don't take your springplates off in the next 20 years.

Jamie

[ohecht]

The PB Blaster worked. I love that stuff. I sprayed it well, had dinner, and the spring plate practically fell off in my hands when I got back to the garage!

Thanks to everyone.

Olivier

[scca_ita]

Put the spring plate back in (without plate)and put a piece of 2x4 on top of the metal piece and use a 16oz+ hammer. It will come loose.

Then remove the spring plate and put your hand on the torsion bar wiggle it off. Repeat as needed.