521 torsions...?

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Question guys...i want to re-index the torsion bars on my 521 to bring the front down a bit more. I already did this on my 620 & it was a breeze..remove the C clip-slide off the bar mount-move up a few teeth then reinstall & adjust the nuts. On the 521 it looks like the bar mount is welded to the crossmember so...how would i go about removing the torsion? Do i have to remove it from the back of the control arm then move the arm up & reinstall or am i missing something?

[Icehouse]

yeah Just pull it out of the arm. I think its easier than the 620 personally. You only need on click, any more is to much. I want to see some pics after this :D

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Thanks Jeff you know w/ me pics will be attached! And you say 1 click...ill do a few...:D

[Icehouse]

Sweet dude :D I love that is so awesome!!! I love the paint to! A little TR3 and that thing will be hot :D

[mklotz70]

I put an old pair of vise grips on the bar and hit on them with the hammer to get the bar to separate from the control arm......that's after the rear stuff was disconnected. I think I went about 3 teeth on the NL.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Thanks Mike. Ill try that method, that & some PB blaster should do the trick.

[Icehouse]

I loosen the bolt on the other side of the torsion bar. Leave the nut on so its even with the threads. Lightly tap the nut and it will push out the torsion bar. This is after the hight adjustment bolt is off.

[banzai510(hainz)]

jeff and I had this on my DVD camera. But was lost when I stuck it in at work I didnt finalize it.

 

Driver side is one click(spline) clockwise

Pass Side is one click(spline) CounterClockwise

 

You might have to turn the big Adj Bolt in more since your on click lower. or turn it back out for even LOWER

 

We took out the bump stop or cut the rubber bumper pads. Youll see them. 12/14mm nut.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Thanks guys, i was trying to remember which way i turned them on my 620. My bumpstops have already been removed...what a pain, i had to remove the lower shock bolt & push it out of the way.

[Icehouse]

hurry up I want some pics :D

[mklotz70]

having the bumpstops out completely doesn't allow the arm to hit the frame?? I'm pretty sure it did on both my 520 mock up frame and I know for sure it does on the NL. Any stop shorter than 1/2 lets metal hit metal.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Bringing this back current seeing as i plan on doing this mod within the next week or so. Pics will be taken for a how-to article.

[datsunfish]

Glad you brought this post up again.My 620 is not low enough because the drivers side tortion arm hits the 2 1/4 ehxaust pipe.I would like to have the arms back close to stock and have it even lower.I also have issues on the 521.I have the drivers side turned all the way down and it sits even with the pass side just past half.Low but still not low enough.So just one notch huh?

[0.C.]

I lowered my truck about two months ago.

But those torsion bars wouldn't come off the lower arms. I tried hitting it, used locking pliers, WD40, but they wouldn't come off.

I ended up prying the torsion bars down and removing the anchors, then jacked up the lower arms a little bit, and put the anchors where they usually sit on stock height.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Ok i got under the 521 today & had the same problem as OC, i couldnt get the torsion to come out from the lower arm & had to put it back together so i could make it to work. To review i did this...removed the snap ring on the end of the bar [next to adj. bolts], removed the adj. bolts, vise gripped the bar right behind the lower arm & hit it w/ a big hammer. What ill try tomorrow is repeat all those steps & do what Jeff suggested &...remove the nut almost all the way off & hit THAT w/ a hammer & see if the bar comes out of the lower arm. If that works it's just a matter of rotating the bar a few clicks & re-installing. You cna go between 2 & 4 clicks & be ok. Heres a Bleach thread on his 79 KC 620, on pg. 4 theres a writeup on reindexing the torsions along w/ pix...

http://www.nwde.org/extras/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3602&KW=transmission&PN=4

[Icehouse]

I recomend 1 click on a 521, 2 will be to much if you don't have huge rims. That pic I always post of the grey pizza delivery 521 is only 1 click and its slammed. I've lower handfulls of 521's and have never had a problem removing the torsion bar from the lower arm. Just make sure the bolt in front of the A arm is loose and tap it out. Hitting it will force the torsion bar out. Just don't mess up the treads. After it pushes the torsion bar out a 1/2 inch or so I usually hit the adjuster at the other end to pull it out the last bit. Make sure you mark them before you pull them out, don't want to raise the truck on accident haha.

[fiveNdime]

I went 2 splines on my 521. I was able to get the arms off and reposition them. I then used a simple screw type clamp and proceeded to clamp closed till I could get the bolt back in and both nuts on. I did this so I could keep the tention on the rod while lowering it. Otherwise you wouldnt have much spring and be bouncing off the bumpstop all the time.

[0.C.]

My tires hit the fenders when I'm turning into a driveway or just turning with 3 people in it.

Don't wanna lift it up anymore, I like it the way it is.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I did get under the truck today & started on the reindexing of the bars. I removed the adjusting bar, undid the lower arm bolt & tapped out the bar [easy]. I turned them 3 clicks & re installed but noticed that the rear mounts were hanging below the frame [more than before]. I then removed the rear mounts from the bars [hit towards the rear of truck] & BTW the "ring clip" doesnt need to come out for this & reinstalled the mounts up closer to the floor & put the bolts & nuts back in. It did lower it 1 inch but i'll go a bit lower in the future. I think what ill do is remove the bar from the arm & jack up the tire till it sits where i want it & then reinstal the bar....

rear mount moved up...........

before pic, the lines are now 1/4 inch apart...

 

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Ok guys what i ended up doing & this can probably have been done from the start is.....remove the adjusting blot/nut, loosen the lower arm bolt & slide the bar out, jack the lower arm up to where you want the truck to sit, then reinstall the bar into the arm & reinstall the adjusting bolt/nut. When you put the truck back on the ground it'll sit like it was before but now you can back off the adjusting bolt alot because you'll have ALL the threads to work with. Hope this makes sense cause pics werent gonna happen today w/ greasy hands :cool:

[Icehouse]

I think the 521 is much easier than the 620, no C clips is nice :)

[0.C.]

Damn, no one mentioned about loosening the lower arm bolt when I lowered mine.

Oh well, it's already lowered.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Yeah after taking it apart a few times it got really easy :D I hate those ring clips alot & im glad i didnt have to remove them more than once. The front went down about 1 1/2 inches more & now she's level & im riding on bottomed out shocks which makes for a bumpy ride but its not bad. I MAY raise the upper shock mounts & install the shocks Bleach gave to me so it rides smooth.....

i put the stock rims/caps back on, kinda diggin the stock look,,,

camber is off a bit but no worries,i can rotate the tires every few months,,,

[banzai510(hainz)]

if camber sometimes real bad.the upper bushing is bad. They oblong.

common part to get from NAPA.

 

remove the upper front bump stop rubber. you might get some more travel if you havent removed it already.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I check the upper bushing for wear,TY Hainz. And yeah the small rubber stops have been removed.