Torsion bar lowering...

[WiNgNuTz]

...so having read up on all the threads i can find related to the lowering of torsion bars, and consulting darrens youtube AND written guides, does anyone have any other last minute tips? Would it be worth dousing the trailing arms in WD40 tonight, before tackling the job tomorrow?

[Niall]

You will want something a bit better than wd40 if you have it. Ideally, plusgas. If all you have is wd40, go and give the arb end plates a spray and all around the TB holes.
When you finally get the bars out, clean the splines up nicely and coat them in copperslip.

[WiNgNuTz]

Yeah, havent got anything better than WD unfortunately...HAVE got copper slip though, so thats something i suppose!

[zx_volcane]

hmmm, I'd chuck the wd 40 and grab the sledge hammer and oxy acetylene

[WiNgNuTz]

hmm...not sure i can lay my hands on any oxy acetylene either

---

might be able to find a plumbers blowtorch though, if that'd help?

[mikey b]

Yep same as every one else give it a good soaking in any type of wd40 and give the bolts and the concentric washers a good scrape around with a screw driver and spray again a big hammer and a plumers blow torch will help a bit

[zx_volcane]

any heat will obvs not be good for bearings or any seals kicking bout

but yeah if its got a mapp bottle on it might be enough to tickle it, propane will be useless though

sledge hammer though

[Matt]

In honesty I'd be soaking it for a week!

[Niall]

Heat does not do torsion bars any good! Them bars will come out (for some reason, the passenger one always comes out easy compared to the drivers) but will need some persuasion. Im assuming you dont have a proper puller so i recommend buying a some high tensile bolts that will fit the bars and use them. Last thing you want is to snap a bolt in the bar!

[WiNgNuTz]

I have access to a slide hammer, so that will get utilised, and indeed a sledge hammer. If not a sledge, then at least a big club hammer....

Cheers for the tips guys, fingers crossed all goes well tomorrow! Im going to the pub now, so will continue this conversation via tapafail.

[puglove]

WD40 is a DIYers oil for doing door hinges , go buy some pusgas or 3in1 penetration oil, Important thing is to get a good branded oil for penetrating (inb4niall) gigity

Also I find this the best way to get them out, basically "pressing" the bars out, get your self a 70/80mm high tensile bolt

[WiNgNuTz]

hmm....where would i find such a high tensile bolt on a Saturday? and what thread size is it im looking for? Thanks for the pic as well mate (jamie isnt it? will meet you next weekend anyway i should think! ), thats quite handy!

[Niall]

WD40 is a DIYers oil for doing door hinges , go buy some pusgas or 3in1 penetration oil, Important thing is to get a good branded oil for penetrating (inb4niall) gigity

Also I find this the best way to get them out, basically "pressing" the bars out, get your self a 70/80mm high tensile bolt

Thats how i do mine and its never failed me except for a few dished washers lol

[Slam Wagon]

If all else fails do it the pikey way, 45 mins job done. BFO hammer and some room to swing it.

Then start saving for your recon beam.

[WiNgNuTz]

If all else fails do it the pikey way, 45 mins job done. BFO hammer and some room to swing it.

Then start saving for your recon beam.

That's helpful mate cheers. I'll see what tomorrow holds in store for us, got a fairly tight time limit, as I've got to do the arb bushes as well, or at least just the passenger side for now.

[puglove]

hmm....where would i find such a high tensile bolt on a Saturday? and what thread size is it im looking for? Thanks for the pic as well mate (jamie isnt it? will meet you next weekend anyway i should think! ), thats quite handy!

Indeed it is,

Your local steel supplier will have them in high tensile, failing that look on ebay distance nearest for one you could collect and your looking for an m8 wider thread

[padge]

did mine the other day 96k p reg, took literally 15 mins both sides.

[puglove]

did mine the other day 96k p reg, took literally 15 mins both sides.

Good beam then

[Niall]

did mine the other day 96k p reg, took literally 15 mins both sides.

Good beam then

Or a f*cked one depending on how you look at it. Lol.
The ph3s seem to be historically the worse for taking apart despite the fact they are the newest.

[Scott]

Heat does not do torsion bars any good! Them bars will come out (for some reason, the passenger one always comes out easy compared to the drivers) but will need some persuasion. Im assuming you dont have a proper puller so i recommend buying a some high tensile bolts that will fit the bars and use them. Last thing you want is to snap a bolt in the bar!

The passenger side is the side where the offset washer is fully covered though, is it not? On the drivers side it's not, and all sorts of shit gets in it and soaks through to the bars, making it a pain to pull out.

[Niall]

Yeah good point the passenger side is covered by the arb plate! Will find out today when I redo mine....again! Lol

[Stephen]

I had to take my drivers side trailing arm off, put ten tonne of pressure on it and then heat it up.
It was majorly seized

[WiNgNuTz]

Well we did it, but it was the passenger side that was more of a bitch! Ended up snapping two bolts in the bar, but managed to extract the snapped piece both times. Counting my lucky stars for that!

[Scott]

I hope you bought a lottery ticket last night!

[kingy]

Well we did it, but it was the passenger side that was more of a bitch! Ended up snapping two bolts in the bar, but managed to extract the snapped piece both times. Counting my lucky stars for that!

About time you had some good luck.

[puglove]

Well we did it, but it was the passenger side that was more of a bitch! Ended up snapping two bolts in the bar, but managed to extract the snapped piece both times. Counting my lucky stars for that!

This is quite common, iv snapped countless bolts in the the TB 90% of the time they snap with enough left to get some grips on it,

But well done mate,

[WiNgNuTz]

This is quite common, iv snapped countless bolts in the the TB 90% of the time they snap with enough left to get some grips on it,

But well done mate,

There wasnt enough to get grips on, i started to drill the first one out, but then i noticed it moved in the hole, so i gave it a little tickle with a screwdriver and managed to work enough out to cut a slot in it with the dremel, then carried on with the screwdriver. To top it all off, in the rush to get finished (I ended up an hour late for work, boss was cool about it though, he knew what i was doing! ), it seems that both passenger side wheels didnt get nipped up with the socket, so both were only finger tight on the bolts! I was convinced i had a flat when i drove away! Lucky really that i worked out what it was before driving too far!