More front end questions

Author Topic: More front end questions  (Read 3406 times)

Offline MoparMatt383

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More front end questions
« on: May 27, 2005 - 03:59:46 PM »
Well today I was able to get the Upper control arms out, the lower ball joints, and a few other little nuts and bolts.  Now I am cant seem to get the strut, lower control arm, and the torsion bar out.  I took the two nuts off the struts but there is a bushing that on the front of the strut in the K frame that doesnt want to come out.  Also I was able to get the lower control arm back about an inch, but that was about it.  Any help on getting the rest of these peices out would be greatly appreciated because this is really starting to drag out.

Matt
Too many projects and nothing gets done.




Offline HemiDog

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2005 - 04:29:17 PM »
You need to get the torsion bar out first.  Make sure that you have the clip removed from inside the cross member where the rear part of the torsion bar mounts.  It will be inside the hex hole on the backside and should be easy to take out.  After that, the rest should come apart fairly easy.

Offline MoparMatt383

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2005 - 05:13:43 PM »
I did remove the clip today, but the torsion bar seems to be in there pretty solid.  Any techniques to removing the torsion bar?

Matt
Too many projects and nothing gets done.

Offline hemi71

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2005 - 06:05:13 PM »
OK, first thing is to make sure the adjusting bolt is backed off all the way on the torsion bar.NO load on the bar!

You need to clamp something on the bar, then drive it rearward with a hammer. (make sure the clip is out) The trick here is to NOT mark up the bar with whatever you clamp to it. They sell a torsion bar removal tool that will clamp to the bar without gouging it. If you do mark up the bar, you'll need to file the marks off so there are no sharp edges left. If you dont, this sharp edge will cause a stress riser in the bar, and it WILL break (at probably the most inopertune time) Think about how this suspension works, there is a lot of "Torsion" on that bar as it twists to take the load of the suspension and car. Any weak point in that bar will be revealed as a crack.

The lower control arm bushings are a bitc%...you can burn the rubber out with a torch.Some of the polygraphite bushings reuse the outer shell of the old bushing if i remember correctly, check your directions. If you are going the stock route, you'll have to chisel out the outer shell from the old bushing.

The strut rod comes out with some finess, just got to work at it. the bushing should come out fairly easy....sometimes you just have to use some brute strength methods on these parts, they often have been in place for DECADES.

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2005 - 12:01:53 AM »
the Easy way is to undo the nut on the front of the T bar & pry both the LCA & T bar back between the LCA & K frame until the t bar is out of the mount , this way you cannot hurt the T bars 

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Offline MoparMatt383

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2005 - 06:58:28 AM »
Thanks guys I'll see how that works out and let you know how it goes.

Matt
Too many projects and nothing gets done.

Offline MoparMatt383

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2005 - 05:44:38 PM »
Well I finally got it all apart today so now its off to have all the front end parts hot tanked.

Matt
Too many projects and nothing gets done.

Offline yvangen

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2005 - 02:04:24 PM »
Re. torsion bar retaining cliips. What do these look like. are they round or straight. My son died and he had removed the torsion bars and I cannot find any clips; also how do they work ie prevent the bar from moving backwards.

Offline Street_Challenged73

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2005 - 02:20:58 PM »
Re. torsion bar retaining cliips. What do these look like. are they round or straight. My son died and he had removed the torsion bars and I cannot find any clips; also how do they work ie prevent the bar from moving backwards.

You can get the clips and boots from Mopar Performance (or any of their suppliers, such as Mancini Racing, etc.).  Pretty much the clip is circular and has two prongs that are rolled into the center and all you need to do is push them together to get it to compress for either removal or re-installation.  They fit in a groove inside the T-bar socket located on the crossmember and keep the bar from moving backwards. (since it doesn't actually bear any of the torsional pressure applied by the T-bars.  The socket obviously takes all the pressure the T-bar exerts on the suspension parts.)
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Offline HemiDog

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2005 - 02:34:02 PM »
Sorry to hear about your son.

Just to add, the clips are made of a round spring wire a little larger in diameter than a wire hanger.  I can get a picture of one tonight if no one beats me to it.

Offline HemiDog

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2005 - 07:49:11 AM »
Took a while for me to find where I had mine burried.  ;D
I was wrong on the diameter of the wire.  It is about the same, mabe a little smaller than a wire coat hanger.

Offline yvangen

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Re: More front end questions
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2005 - 10:22:02 PM »
help with my questions is really good.  A great site and forum which I am still learning how to use. Overwhelmed with all the moving icons on this page and their potential use. Thanks again YVANGEN