lowering without a slide hammer

1. user_35014 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Helensburgh Posts: 1206 Cammed Ph2 VTS

   #1 24th February 2011, 10:43

   ive seen some people get bolts shearing off on the torsion bar when trying to use the socket/bolt method of removing it, is this generally a bad idea?
2. Kyza Established Member Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 1016

   #2 24th February 2011, 10:45

   Slide hammer is one of the worst methods and one of the most unsuccesful.
   
   Use a heavy hammer and a solid bar to hit the torsion bars out. Works every time.
3. user_35014 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Helensburgh Posts: 1206 Cammed Ph2 VTS

   #3 24th February 2011, 11:00

   So you just batter it in from the outside so it pops out the other side of the car?
4. Mysticp Scotland Joined: Jul 2005 Edinburgh Posts: 9556 Saxo 1.6i 16v VTS, 2 Classic Minis

   #4 24th February 2011, 12:13

   I tend to bash from both ends, if the axle is on the car theres only really one way to get the full torsion bar out & thats sadly the same side that its easiest to bash from.
   
   So i start by bashing it from the easy access side to loosen it & then go at it from the opposite side so it wil pop out the easy access side!
5. user_35014 Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 Helensburgh Posts: 1206 Cammed Ph2 VTS

   #5 24th February 2011, 12:29

   Im a bit confused now, when you see the torsion bar from one side of the axle (behind the access panel) does that one bar go right through to the other side?
   
   So i i bash, say, the bar from the passenger side, does it pop out on the drivers side? then i can adjust the height of the arms and then pop it back in from the drivers side wheres its popped out from?
6. Kyza Established Member Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 1016

   #6 24th February 2011, 13:30

   A torsion bar willonly come out of the trailing arm or beam arm from one way as there is a fat and a thin end.
   
   you dont need the torsion bar completley off the beam as though you can walk around with it. Just get it so the torsion bar is free from the splines on the trailing arm, or beam so you can spin it round freely.
7. willsy West Midlands Joined: Nov 2005 Nuneaton (West Mids) Posts: 13835 '64 Volvo V40 R’Design, '89 Ph1 309 GTi, ‘97 Mk1 S

   #7 24th February 2011, 14:07

   Slide hammers and socket/bolt method are both poor and hold a relatively low success rate, both can have significant drawbacks too if done incorrectly (eg - bolt/attachment used for slide hammer not correctly fitted and risk to damaging threads inside the torsion bar ends, or with socket/bolt method bottoming out or snapping the bolt in the torsion bar)
   
   A decent bar and hammer is the best way by far and is the safest method to use. Please remember though to insert a decent quality hex headed bolt into the end of the torsion bars before hitting it though (12-16mm thread length will suffice) as the bolt head will take the impact with no risk to damaging/squashing in the end thread of the torsion bars which is very important not to damage to enable correct refitting of bolts/washers when putting back together. With the impact with them being hex headed theyll still be easy to remove, at worst it may require a 14mm socket to remove them again rather than the usual 13mm head that they may have started with.
   
   
   The torsion bars should be completely removed, certainly whilst theyre out its worth taking the extra effort to clean the ends up to enable easier refitting or indeed make it easier to remove them in future if you fancy going any higher/lower