Torsion bar replacement

[4x4 Demon]

I have an 84 4x4 and I  going to be replacing the torsion bars and want to see if anyone has done it and has any pointers

[bottomwatcher]

Why and with what? If you are pulling the bars may as well replace the Lower Control arm bushings. It is a miserable job but if they are old this really tightens things up. In fact while this is going on do a front rebuild because you will need to do a front alignment when replacing the bars anyways si do it right, do it once and be good for 50k miles if you are rolling larger than stock tires 

[datzenmike]

You only need an alignment if you change the ride height.

 

They don't wear out and any sag is adjustable. 4x4 and 2wd bars are not the same and L&R are different so don't mix them.

 

.

 

Raise the vehicle weight off the tires and let then hang down to take  as much weight of the torsion bar and let it 'unwind'.

 

Loosen and remove the top nuts, the remove the bottom nuts and the torsion bar should be in a relaxed state.

 

 

 

'Bleach' said:

How to Reindex Torsion Bars

 

in front of the middle crossmember, you pull the boot forward to reviel the lock ring

 

 

Work a thin screwdriver into the edge of the ring. It will be tight. I had to work the angle back and forth while occasionally tapping the back of the handle with a hammer

 

 

Once you get under the ring, work it out slightly. Do not pull the screwdriver away or the ring will pop back on

 

 

After you have worked it off part way, use some pliers to pull the ring off the rest of the way. Be sure to still keep the screwdriver under the lock ring

 

 

Tap the rear arm of that holds the adjuster bolt out of the crossmember. Hang onto the torsion bar. It can slide out at either end. I was able to feel the splines in the end of the bar and I moved it two notches. edit:(but you only want to move it one notch!) The reindexed bar is on the right.

 

 

after the bar is reindexed, just hold the lock ring up and hit the back of the ring with a hammer. It pops on real easy. Put the dust boot back

 

 

The above procedure is for indexing the bars, so just forget that and put the arms back in the same spline as the ones that came out. I posted this for the pictures. Unless replacing them with a stiffer spring rate, why are you changing them????

[weldingrod]

Sounds easy but I can't even get the broken bar out- rusted in place. Used the broken rear end piece to experiment on; heat, penetrating oil, hammering- still can't separate the pieces. and this in a shop where I can get a good swing with a hammer; impossible under the truck.

 

[datzenmike]

The C clip is out??

[weldingrod]

Checked the part and the book and the instructions- no C clip or mention thereof.  Part is broken end from 1985 720 4x4, looks the same as the '84.

[thisismatt]

I think those have been modified 🤔

[datzenmike]

You are right, the 4x4 does not have the C clip that the 2wd has. What's to keep the bar from working it's way towards the rear?

[MaddieCycle]

Indeed no C-Clip on 4wd.  I think the splined ends are tapered to give a press-fit kind of situation.  I do know that the bars were damn near impossible to get out of the splined fitting on the control arms, so I am not too worried about them popping out in use.  I could not find replacement boots anywhere so one of my bars is bootless, and just heavily greased. Then after putting it all together again I found the boots at one of the online 4x4 aftermarket vendor sites.  It was such a pain to do this work and I only have jack stands, not a lift, that I just said screw it and am leaving it unbooted and will grease from time to time, rather than take it off again to slide on a boot.

I did the whole front end with the exception of the lower control arm bushings. It seemed like a nightmare, and mine did not look horrible.

[weldingrod]

Well, shit. Doing something else under the truck, bumped my head on the rear of the torsion bar. Aggravated I grabbed it and gave it a shake. Just dropped out of the front end!!! I had removed the two bolts that were holding a piece that went around the front end; wonder if that is what was holding it in. Haven't got the right one out as I only need the left one. Have never seen or heard of a torsion bar breaking before, still wondering if I should try to get the other one out.

 

Edited August 19, 2021 by weldingrod
spelling mistakes

[datzenmike]

Never heard of a broken one either. Had a broken leaf on my '64 Dodge. It was the short bottom one and it snapped through the bolt that holds all the leaves together. Hell the bottom one is so short it hardly bends at all.