Torsion Bar - 2 methods

  1. Regular Poster Joined: Jun 2010 Potters Bar Posts: 334
    #1
    So i know there is two methods to lowing this torsion bar, you can either take adjust it by taking it all apart and measuring it or you can low it the other way using the 3 'pre-sets' (sorry dont know the technical name) to i think 30mm, 70mm or 90mm or around that.

    I was having a word with my garage as I intend to lower my car either 40mm or 50mm and he was on about the 3 pre-set method.

    My question is is it worth taking it to someone who is going to do it properly or is this 3 settings method good enough?
  2. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Nov 2007 Guantanamo Bay Posts: 28700 oyster card
    #2
    Not its not good enough, it will damage the beam and not function correctly.

    Its only £110 ish for both front and rear lowering the proper way.
  3. Regular Poster Joined: Jun 2010 Potters Bar Posts: 334
    #3
    You say that but I live in Leeds and KrisB and other off here are on the south coast near enough.

    I think my only bet is mark1311, need to check with him what method he uses though I'm guessing properly since he's off here.
  4. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Sep 2007 Someones Bumhole Posts: 5721 Mk2 16v Desire
    #4
    Removing the arms exposes the bearings And disturbs the seals, which is why people slate that way, ur also restricted to height settings as you mentioned and people 'Claim' that this is the wrong way to do it and say that it reduces the life of the axle, however this is the way we do Saxo/106 axles at work unless a customer specifically wants to pay an hourly rate for us to remove the bars. It's also ALOT quicker to do.

    Other frenchies we work on such as 205's/306's/206's blah blah need to have the bars removed in order to lower them anyway so the longer method is always used.

    We don't do the longer method on saxos and 106's simply because we havnt seen any real problems through it.

    I've had an axle on my car that was lowers using splines and it did roughly 120,000 miles. Was lowers at about 60,000. I bought an axle off a member on here a few months ago lowerd by removing the torsion bars and it was in a state when I received it and has play in it. Definatly no were near 120,000 miles on it.
  5. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Nov 2007 Guantanamo Bay Posts: 28700 oyster card
    #5
    You dont actually remove the arms when you lower it properly, just hit the torsion bars out,so it dosent actually disturb the bearings etc.

    Spline method put tension in the torsion bars too. theres been some horror stories about
  6. Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Aug 2009 Dorking,Surrey,M25 J9 Posts: 2616 Static -80mm Peugeot 405
    #6
    Wow, I wouldnt dream of knocking trailing arms off ANY car. Every single car i do is done the right way. Doing the notch way means you'll be very lucky to get both sides level. I have one tool which pulls about 90% of bars straight out, effortlessly.

    Also, hitting torsion bars out the opposite way should only really be a last resort in my opinion. You'd still disturb the bearings knocking the bars through the wrong way but more so, you're more liable to damage the ends of the bars with whatever you're using to drive them out... Unless you're using another half a torsion bar screwed to the one you're trying to budge.

    Propper way or no way IMO.
  7. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Aug 2009 ilkeston derbyshire Posts: 9823 C2 VTR stripped, 406hdi, clio 172
    #7
    a torsion bar is under no load when fitted the correct way, when you lower a car by the notch method,it pre-loads them which in turn makes the ride much harsher, thats without getting into the several other good reasons that make lowering this way a bad idea