Duncan Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 My goon had a broken hatch tension rod when I got it, so the hatch didn't stay up on it's own. I got some replacements, but I can't get these to work correctly. I get some tension, but nowhere near what it would take to keep the hatch in the open position on it's own. Do I have these things in correctly? Does the rod with the large U shape bend in it go OVER the other rod? (The way I have it now) I never got to remove a good pair, so I have no example to work from. The manual I have shows them, but it has no detail on installing them. Thanks for any help! Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 They are LEFT and RIGHT so try swapping them first. They look like the right position just maybe working backwards.. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 It is a torsion spring. The tension rods are at the front of the suspension. Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 They are LEFT and RIGHT so try swapping them first. They look like the right position just maybe working backwards.. hmmm... I never thought about that. I'll give that a try soon. Thanks! And thinking about it a bit more, one of the bars has more curve in it that the other, so that may be the problem. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 It is a torsion spring. The tension rods are at the front of the suspension. I'm not sure I follow on this one... Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 A torsion rod or spring stores energy in a twisting motion. A tension rod resists in a longitudinal direction as in stretching or compressing. Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 Got it. Thanks for your input Dave. Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 hmmm... I never thought about that. its from down under... was bound to happen. :lol: i can remove the cover off mine if you havent gotten it... Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 its from down under... was bound to happen. :lol: Crikey Mate!! i can remove the cover off mine if you havent gotten it... No worries, Mate! I'll dig into again this weekend and reverse them. I noticed that there are two marks in the middle of each rod where the paint has been rubbed off, and they don't touch where the paint is gone, so I'm pretty sure I have it bass-ackwards.. Of course, it was 50-50 chance of getting it right and it went the wrong way :) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 13, 2010 Report Share Posted October 13, 2010 Oz????? Well of course, they are up side down!!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Wow! I flipped these around and TRIED to install them correctly today. I'm sure the factory must have had some sort of jig and/or tooling to install these as they are nearly impossible to do without it. I'm pretty sure I have them oriented the right way because the tension/torsion makes them pretty-much impossible to install them by yourself :) I'll grab my hot rodder neighbor to help me next weekend. These things really are a friggin' bitch!!! Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted October 18, 2010 Report Share Posted October 18, 2010 did you try it with the hatch closed? ;) batton down the hatches!!! Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted October 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2010 did you try it with the hatch closed? ;) No I did not. That might be difficult because of the way the rods go in. You have to more-or-less install them both (at least on one side) at the same time due the way the rods overlap each other. I'll keep screwing around with it, though. The hatch is back on, and maybe I can mess with it some more with it in place. I also have an idea for fabricating a fitted pry bar of some sort. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 They just use a big screwdriver -- a big one. Twist the ends like 180 degrees to get them on/off. Quote Link to comment
datsunwizard Posted October 22, 2010 Report Share Posted October 22, 2010 Or make the tool as shown in the factory body service manual, ( the measurements are shown),it works great. The "C" shaped end fits over the tension rod to allow you move the rod to where you need it. The total length of the tool is about 2 feet. Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted January 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Happy ending full of win! I bought the manual, finished bending and welding the tool this morning and just got the rods installed. It took a while, but my tailgate works like it's supposed to now. I'm a happy guy. (It's the little things, really) :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Someone should copy the plans for this tool into the thread... Quote Link to comment
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