Torsion bar bush replacement

Bruceynz

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Ok I need to replace this bush, see orange arrow, what's best way to do it? Seems a lot of weight there on that part, had bolts undone and could not separate bracket.

IMG_20190531_215210.png
 

80mirada

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The bracket is held together by 4 spot welds. You will have to remove the torsion bars from the car to drill them out, a spot weld cutter might be easier than a drill bit. I recommend using urethane replacements since they are split for easier installation and they can be greased.
 

volare 77

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Yes, they are spot welded together. Good luck getting them apart without damaging one side or the other. I`m pretty sure I may have a couple good used ones and maybe one NOS kit but I would have to check.
 

Aspen500

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I think they're spot welded basically for the assembly line. They don't HAVE to be welded, the bolts hold it together when installed.

I second the using poly bushings that are split. I originally tried to use stock rubber replacements. Tried everything and never got the bushing more than a few inches onto the bar. Boiled the bushings to soften them up, tried every form of lubricant know to man and beast, even went so far as to try animal birthing agent (about the slipperiest stuff I've ever touched) and no luck.
 

volare 77

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As far as the bushings. I got one NOS mopar bushing on the torsion bar after boiling and installing quickly. The second bar didn`t go so easy. I split two bushings trying to get them on. Maybe it was because the bushings were old stock and the rubber may have stiffened up. I dunno. Anyways, I ended up using the poly bushings also. I will check and see what i have and get back with you.
 

Bruceynz

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I just cut the bloody thing off with angle grinder, drill the welds out and might weld the thing together again, no mucking around.
 

Duke5A

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I think they're spot welded basically for the assembly line. They don't HAVE to be welded, the bolts hold it together when installed.

I second the using poly bushings that are split. I originally tried to use stock rubber replacements. Tried everything and never got the bushing more than a few inches onto the bar. Boiled the bushings to soften them up, tried every form of lubricant know to man and beast, even went so far as to try animal birthing agent (about the slipperiest stuff I've ever touched) and no luck.

One guy on the old forum, years ago likened the pivot bushing replacement to, and I quote, "slipping a condom over a whale dick." Some visual references you never forget.

I just cut the bloody thing off with angle grinder, drill the welds out and might weld the thing together again, no mucking around.

Be careful! You could score the torsion bar real easily doing it that way. Did you get the Firm Feel replacement pieces that include the new base plate?
 

Bruceynz

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No just bought Bushes, if you look at them nothing a couple hours work of crafting in my shed and I would have new ones. Oh yeah slipping a rubber on a whales dick, crazy man.
 

Bruceynz

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Have you guys ever looked at the suspension and what is wrong with it?? The torsion bar is connected to the bottom of the arm, then come out towards front of the car where it is connected with this bushing, this is a pivot point, as the wheel goes up and down through and arc that torsion bar is relying on the play in the bushes to move up and down. Its a poor design! the cars with parallel bars never has this problem. Anyone like to help me out if I am right or wrong here, I am no suspension expert.

mopar_sus.jpg
 

volare 77

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Personally, I like the rubber bushings for the torsion bar. I agree that the poly just don`t seem work like the OEM was intended. Problem is nobody has them. The NOS ones I found the rubber was too hard and they split when installing. The poly ones seem to look loose after use unlike the OEM rubber.
 

AJ/FormS

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Hi AJ,

But that is an issue with that suspension design?

Thanks
Bruce
The stock system works because the rubber has a lot of compliance.
The outboard ends of the bars are inserted into the bushings like sockets. As the suspension cycles the rubber gets stretche this way and that. Simultaneously the bar-bushings get squashed, And the LCA bushing get squashed as the LCA moves forward and back. So everything is doing the jello-jiggler dance.
A-bodies do the came thing, minus the T-bars moving. But now it's the strutrod pushing and pulling the LCA around.
I've never put polys in an FMJ, on account of I haven't owned but a few, and never considered them for performance, as I always simultaneously had an A-body for that. I think my 1980 Volare is getting close to half a million clicks, and still on the oem bushings.
 

BudW

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I hadn’t checked (so not sure).
Do the Firm Feel Torsion bars use urethane or rubber (on both ends)?

Urethane will work great for the K-frame (pivot) bushings – but I wonder if urethane is “too hard” for the control arm connection point.

Somewhat unrelated, the lower control arm will twist in place with the torsion bar attached – if using rubber lower control arm bushings (the other end is a ball joint).

The item of interest is the outer edge of lower control arm will be more forward or more back through the range of up/down motion – which that will affect Caster angle (of alignment). Personally, I don’t think it will affect enough to cause any noticeable issues.
BudW
 
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