Quick question on how to adjust the rear torsion bar

[911euro]

Hi my fellow pelicans,
I was hoping that you would advise me in this please. I am doing this for the first time, hence I am not so confident but I think I can do it.
The DIY article said this “ The way I do it (and I do it often), is to remove the lower-rearward bolt on the torsion bar cover and the lower shock bolt.” Did he refer to the bolt I circled in red?
Once I remove the lower shock bolt and this rearward bolt, is there any order of other bolt removal in order to readjust the spline?
Any advice you could help, I truly appreciate it.
Cheers.
Tom

[75 911s]

Short answer is yes. When the tension is off the spring plate, it's resting position is below that bolt, so instead of it being under tension against that bolt, the idea is that you move it out of the way for reindexing the rear torsion bars.

Now, is your real question is how do I lower the rear of the car?

There are two ways:

Minor adjustment (with the two bolts close to the torsion bar on the spring plate.

Re-indexing the spring plate to the torsion bar for a major adjustment.

If you can't get it low/high enough using the two adjustment bolts forward on the spring plate, (or you have an early car with no adjustment bolts) then you will need to re-index.

Put the rear of the car on jack stands on the torsion bar tube just inside the 'frame'. Use a jack to lift the banana arm up slightly to take the tension off. Remove the rear shock lower bolt.

Remove that bolt circled in red. Move the jack to support the edge of the spring plate about where the lower control arm bolt is, take out the camber and toe bolts (you already have them marked)

remove the control arm bolts, let the jack down carefully to let the spring plate move to its unloaded position (it will hang below that bolt circled in red)

Now take off the other 3 bolts on the cover, and you can pull the torsion bars out.

Inner splines are minutes, outer are seconds if I remember correctly. The T-bars are directional and marked on the end with a L or R.

Your alignment will likely be upset.

I would install new spring plate bushings. The elephant rubber bushings are great.

[911euro]

Thank you for your response Duane.
I will attempt to lower the rear of the car by re-indexing the torsion bar. I am using a quickjack to lift up the car. I left enough space for the spring plate to spring down. Hopefully it will work. It is getting dark. I will proceed to follow your instructions carefully. I am afraid of hurting myself but I will be careful.
Thanks again.

[A930Rocket]

Having recently worked on my rear suspension, I found that unbolting the spring plate to the control arm allows the spring plate to go to its maximum low spot. With the car level, you can measure the spring plate with a digital level.

Watch several YouTube videos on how to adjust the rear suspension. It will save yourself a lot of time in trouble.

BEFORE you pull anything apart, Clean the spring plate to control arm area and with a nail or scribe, mark a line on the control arm. This will allow you get the spring plate to control arm alignment much closer than eyeballing it.

IIRC, the angle of the spring plate without tension, should be 32/33/34°. Check the 911 tech and spec book.

[ccallana]

Having just done this myself - and looking like I need to actually go back in and re-adjust - all of this is timely info

I set mine at just over 33 degrees, and the rear end ended up being too tall by about 3/4" at the fender. - I was going to try and lower by the adjustment bolts but I can't get the locking nut off... maybe need a longer assist handle for my breaker bar not sure there is enough room in that bolt to adjust that far anyhow...

Calculator said 32 degrees and I should have indexed over a couple more splines but was kind of in a hurry to finish (dumb!) - now looks like I have to pull them back off and do it anyway..

I will caution those plates are under a fair amount of tension - so be careful when separating from the trailing arm...

[eastbay]

Step one is to adjust those two bolts to the lowest position they go. It will probably enough.

And you can do it without disconnecting anything. Don't even have to take the tire off.

[creaturecat]

supposedly - the factory set them at the lowest position. which makes no sense.
does this vary according to the year? euro vs non-euro?

[911euro]

Thank you everyone for your valuable input. I really appreciate it.
@A930rocket: looks like you have similar spring plate like mine with adjustability but you replaced with new one. What’s your reason if you could share. I was thinking of just replacing the rubber bushing and the the cover.
@eastbay: I need to lower it a two fingers gap, I think I need to reindex it.

[A930Rocket]

I would normally just replace the bushings, but I’m OCD about having everything clean, so I installed new spring plates and covers.

Since those pictures, I’ve cleaned, and pressure washed everything and replaced all of the fasteners with new, with exception of the toe and camber eccentrics. I would’ve replaced them, but they were like $60 each.

[ccallana]

I'm with you there .. I got a full hardware kit from Elephant and the new bolts and nuts look great, but I wasn't going to spend $200 on this eccentric bolts.... That's crazy

[911euro]

Hi, I am kinda stuck. The spring plate moved just a little bit. I tapped it with a mallet hammer before trying to wiggle it, pry it. I know this is not an easy job as most people already mentioned this step is the hardest step. Is there anything else I should be doing other than using torch to heat it up? Please advise. I am prepared to take days for each side but any advice is welcome.
Also is the big bolt for camber adjustment supposed to be removable? It is stuck too.
Thanks




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[911euro]

I forgot to mention, does it make any difference between a euro vs US spec car? Mine is a euro car.

[ccallana]

Originally Posted by 911euro

I forgot to mention, does it make any difference between a euro vs US spec car? Mine is a euro car.

Depends on the year - a few years the US spec cars were higher due to bumper regs... but at some point (I'm sure someone will jump in here with the right years) they started setting them all at "Euro" height...

[A930Rocket]

Bigger pry bars? Maybe somebody had worked on mine before I did, but I used pry bars in various locations to pull the cover and spring plates.

I used silicone paste on everything, when I reassembled it. Also, copper anti seize on the bolts.

[911euro]

Bigger pry bars. Funny but true. Yes I have done that. The cover plate came off easily for me. Just the spring plate that is stubborn. I will keep trying. I was warned by a lot of people regarding this same issue. I should pack more patience
The design could have been better where we could use a pulley or something.


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[911euro]

I was able to remove the spring plate but I ran into another snag. The camber bolt wouldn’t budge. I thought it would just come loose for me to remove it like the toe bolt. I didn’t want to mess it up yet. I sprayed wd40, atf+acetone mixed solution but I was unsuccessful. I used a block of wood on the thread side and hammered it out but again it wouldn’t move.
Could someone please advise on this stuck bolt?
In the worse case scenario, could I just cut off the threaded side of the bolt, then hammer it out? If hammering out does not work, I could drill it out and hopefully I can take pieces of it off?
I can’t imagine the previous owner/mechanic would weld it up to the banana arm .
Please give me advice.
Thanks



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[A930Rocket]

With two different metals, it’s probably welded itself in there. It’s going to take a variety of tool/methods to remove it. Make sure the backside area is cleaned out of all debris. Have you sprayed PB blaster on both sides? Do you have a propane torch to heat up the arm and tap it out with a brass hammer?

[911euro]

Thank you A930Rocket. I will try your suggestion next week and report back. I just ordered pb blaster from Amazon and it does not come until next Thursday. In the mean time, I found liquid wrench spray, I will spray and let soak over night and do it again for another time, then I will try to remove it. If it does not work, the pb blaster would arrive by then, and I will try that one too. It seems that everything that I do with the spring plates replacement, it keeps fighting me every step of the way I hope to come out victorious at the end.


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