Torsion bar/ lowering ride height. [Archive]

View Full Version : Torsion bar/ lowering ride height.

stevie g

06-03-2007, 20:12

Hello!!! im about to lower my clio when my coilovers arrive but wanna get some info from some one who has done it b4, any tips and things to watch out for would be great, for example would yhe radius arms require heating to get off the torsion bar??? cheers peeps

Steve

schakal

06-03-2007, 20:17

i could not manage this due to rusted torsion bars yet .
but i would suggest you to inspect the bar ends before
you attempt anything on there .

i have put the end caps back on ,jubilee clipped them
for extra seal ,drilled little holes on top
and been spraying double tt penetrating schizzle
every day for the last week through them holes .

gentle heat is fine ,there is a risk of cooking the
rubbers inside if you up the heat .

Justin..

06-03-2007, 20:20

Mine came about peice of piss, it was getting the bastards back in that was the problem. :x

BristolSam16v

06-03-2007, 20:21

Mine came out with a bit of persuasion, was definately harder trying to get them back in again!!

MattyH16valver

06-03-2007, 20:54

http://www.zedsplace.co.uk/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.9

Lee Keefy

06-03-2007, 21:34

spray the middle of the torsion bar where they meet!!!

its a common assumsion that the problem lies behind the cap but where they meet in the middle of the axle is the part thats exposed to the weather.

i'm not sayin dont spray behind the caps but pay the most attention to the middle,thats where the problem lies!!!! :wink:

on average a torsion bar thats never been touched takes me about 2 hours but you can half that for a sprayed one! :)

schakal

06-03-2007, 21:37

stevie g

06-03-2007, 23:09

Well i should be doing it this weekend providing the coilovers/dampers turn up. ill let you guys know thanks for the tips!!
steve :shock:

Lee Keefy

06-03-2007, 23:16

gives us some tips mate .
i have sheared about 5 bolts trying to
get mine out and they had none of it :(

do you use a slide hammer ??[/quote]

if i gave you tips i'd lose business!!!! :roll:

no slide hammer, just abig hammer!!!!...

think i'm doin daz's soon so i'll try to put up a guide of my way 8)

basically it goes like this....

1.. put socket over torsion bar.

2.. wind your bar in and put a thick washer over the socket.

3.. wind your nut on and tighten untill its really difficult to turn the spanner (i have big forearms so this takes a while!!!)

4.. once its stopped get under the car and (technical term comin up!!!) beat **** out of where it joins in the middle...i find that if you also spray behind the arm at the torsion bar this helps.

5.. repeat step 2.

6.. repeat step 4.

i wind the nut off every now and again to check progress and to release tension off the nut and bar.

its also worth noting that the handbrake cable bracket to the torsion bar should be off.

this is by no means the official way but i've done a few (nyk's pikies,my own to name a few!) so i know it works :wink:

if not PM me and we'll work summat out! 8)

DaveH

06-03-2007, 23:59

As said dont use a slide hammer. I just gave mine a dose of wd40 on the ends and in the centre every couple of days for a week or two before i did it and it came out with the slightest of coaxing.

Home made special tool-

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/2756/toolnr4.jpg

5/8 size 1/2 inch drive socket (fits the outer part perfectly), M10x1.5mm threaded bolt iirc and a nut and washer to pull the bar out.

schakal

07-03-2007, 00:13

gives us some tips mate .
i have sheared about 5 bolts trying to
get mine out and they had none of it :(

do you use a slide hammer ??

if i gave you tips i'd lose business!!!! :roll:

no slide hammer, just abig hammer!!!!...

think i'm doin daz's soon so i'll try to put up a guide of my way 8)

basically it goes like this....

1.. put socket over torsion bar.

2.. wind your bar in and put a thick washer over the socket.

3.. wind your nut on and tighten untill its really difficult to turn the spanner (i have big forearms so this takes a while!!!)

4.. once its stopped get under the car and (technical term comin up!!!) beat f**k out of where it joins in the middle...i find that if you also spray behind the arm at the torsion bar this helps.

5.. repeat step 2.

6.. repeat step 4.

i wind the nut off every now and again to check progress and to release tension off the nut and bar.

its also worth noting that the handbrake cable bracket to the torsion bar should be off.

this is by no means the official way but i've done a few (nyk's pikies,my own to name a few!) so i know it works :wink:

if not PM me and we'll work summat out! 8)[/quote]

tried beating the hell out of it too ,
probably did not try hard enough :(

the offending bars btw belong to a 19 year old
renault 9 ,so i guess some serious banging will be on
the cards .

the bolts i sheared off were aluminum though .
where can you get some high strength steel
ones from ??

Daz.

07-03-2007, 00:17

think i'm doin daz's soon so i'll try to put up a guide of my way 8)

Remember though mines going UP not DOWN :lol:

Whens this happening anyway? All I see when I'm driving at the moment is the sky :lol: :lol:

MAXIBOY

07-03-2007, 00:55

buy some 12.9 10mm bolts from a bolt supplier. try yellow pages.

schakal

07-03-2007, 10:40

buy some 12.9 10mm bolts from a bolt supplier. try yellow pages.

to clarify this once again .

high tensile 10mm bolts with the 1.5mm pitch ,yes ???

northy

07-03-2007, 10:48

Mine on the williams is well stuck in. Slide hammer had non of it.

Only way for me to raise my back upto standard is to remove the full rear suspension and have it pressed out.

MAXIBOY

07-03-2007, 13:32

high tensile 10mm bolts with the 1.5mm pitch. thats the ones 12.9 is the strength. standard are 10.9

stew

07-03-2007, 14:22

haha

this is a funny one, as people have been using zed's guide for ages, when he did it for craig on the nana.

its simple process, takes absolutly no skill or engineering talent.

my tips :

make sure the threaded 10mm bolt you put in screws well fully into the end of the torsion bar (this avoids shearing and stripped threads!)

use a decent length of spanner and extention to wind the nut into the socket, and 99% of the time it will come out.

if there are two people involved get one under and use a little heat from a blowtorch, and a few nocks from a hammer. this tends to loosen the splines, especially if done at the same time as winding the nut onto the socket.

when puttin back in, clean the splines, fully grease it up, put it in and out, in and out (and shake it all about! :wink: ) until it goes in with very very little effort. - you are doing something wrong if ur hammering it in!

make sure it locates all the way in as well, most ive seen done sit about 1 or 2mm from where they should, which imo is 1) not very safe and 2) allows water and stuff to start seizing them up again.

slide hammers is the way garages use to take them out, but that method is poo compared with a socket or a press.

8)

BristolSam16v

07-03-2007, 15:44

I bought some standard M10 bolts from a DIY store and broke 3 of them, the threads just rounded off :( had to take a bolt out the gearbox in the end which thankfully didn't break.

schakal

07-03-2007, 15:55

I bought some standard M10 bolts from a DIY store and broke 3 of them, the threads just rounded off :( had to take a bolt out the gearbox in the end which thankfully didn't break.

i sheared off 5-6 gearbox bolts ,
they looked like they were made of ally to me :roll:

what about these ?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/M10-x-75-Stainless-Steel-Bolts-x-10-Free-P-P_W0QQitemZ130068654869QQihZ003QQcategoryZ98641QQt cZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

MAXIBOY

07-03-2007, 16:15

there only 10.9,s as there stainless

AmDaMan

20-03-2007, 20:19

man, i've been trying to get mine out for a few hours this afternoon! It wouldn't budge. My 94 RT one was easy but this open 91' is poo!

I've soaked it in WD40 days before, sprayed it in the ends and where they meet in the middle, also tried heating it today to no avail.

I was using a breaker bar on the end of a spanner but it eventually stripped the nut!! :o

Any tips people?

schakal

20-03-2007, 20:42

BristolSam16v

20-03-2007, 21:40

Search on yell.com for 'fasteners' in your area should come up with bolt+fasteners companies, either take a bolt to them and ask for a high tensile one, or give them the measurements, they have thousands in stock.

AmDaMan

20-03-2007, 22:23

what is double tt and where can i get it? weeks?:o

yeah ill get some high tensile ones tomorrow, but it looks so rusty!

AndyFielder

20-03-2007, 22:52

stop being cheap with tools, if you have the rite too for the job, its a piece of piss... SLIDE HAMMER IT!

donsrno1

20-03-2007, 23:26

^^^ Slide hammer still won't get it out in a lot of cases.

AmDaMan

21-03-2007, 00:52

I ain't cheap with tools! Any tool I need, I buy but i've been told not to slide hammer it as the socket and m10 bolt is the way to go.

Nothing is a piece of piss when it's rusty and old.

DaveH

21-03-2007, 01:02

^^^ Slide hammer still won't get it out in a lot of cases.

Seconded :wink: inferior method lol

tobi_rsi

21-03-2007, 11:55

i dont knw if some of the guys can point you in the right direction of correctly judgin the final ride height, cos this is where a had my problms, i dont understand the "click's" thung, i jacked the hubs up, 60mm to begin with

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w38/layzee_git/DSC00028.jpg

wheels would'nt go round!! it nly settled at the above height cos the tyre's were at the top of the inside of the arch!!

jacking the hubs about 25mm gave me this

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w38/layzee_git/rsirapide.jpg

still a bit too low on the back, but you cant win them all :D

Justin..

21-03-2007, 12:05

All this click talk is bollocks imo.

Me and ARJ256 put mine up 40mm iirc and gave this

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/justin_2k5/?action=view&current=Picture025.jpg

Justin..

21-03-2007, 12:05

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/justin_2k5/Picture025.jpg

AmDaMan

21-03-2007, 13:28

your all making me jealous :(

I just kept doing mine when I had the RT until it looked good. 1 side was always a little higher than the other though, it annoyed me a lot.

AmDaMan

21-03-2007, 18:03

just been to the fastener factors and 8.8 tensile was the highest they had, he said higher than that isn't really needed... does he not know about 15 year old clio torsion bars? :lol:

Chris H

21-03-2007, 18:56

tobi rsi, why is the local scag addict in the car?

BristolSam16v

21-03-2007, 19:35

just been to the fastener factors and 8.8 tensile was the highest they had, he said higher than that isn't really needed... does he not know about 15 year old clio torsion bars? :lol:

Yeah you should be alright with that tbh unless your bar is properly shagged but if give it a good spray with wd40 before hand then 8.8 should be fine.

Daz.

21-03-2007, 20:39

what is all this click bollocks? I didn't here no clicks when me and lee did mine
(sorry lee did it while I watched) :lol:

tobi_rsi

21-03-2007, 21:25

YOU CHEEKY SH*T,
that scag addict is me!! :shock: :? :(
i dont make an effort when workin on my car, i do scrub up well........ honest!! :lol:

thnk the click is reffering to moving the spline's on the bar, and 1 "click" being moved by one spline!!

Justin..

21-03-2007, 21:45

but you can take the bar out and spin it 360 degrees :?

tobi_rsi

21-03-2007, 22:00

i know :oops:

but was just saying thats how the click method works i think!! or maybe not, i dunno, maybe someone can prove me right or wrong,

1995clio16v

22-03-2007, 00:17

Take it somewhere to get it done for £80!!

Mine was tight as ****, and they had to use the hydraulic pressing machine to push it out.

1995clio16v

22-03-2007, 00:19

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/justin_2k5/Picture025.jpg

Justin...

How much is your 16v lowered by?

Mine is exactly the same as yours almost to the lip on 15's.

Ali

23-03-2007, 14:27

Why do people insist on lowering the back so much...The front should always be lower than the bak on FWD cars!

Justin..

23-03-2007, 14:41

mine still is lower at the front, i just have no engine in that pic :wink: :lol:

Justin..

23-03-2007, 14:41

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/justin_2k5/Picture025.jpg

Justin...

How much is your 16v lowered by?

Mine is exactly the same as yours almost to the lip on 15's.

bout 40mm iirc

Smudger

23-03-2007, 14:43

Ali i think you will find that the engine is missing from Justin's car hence the higher front :wink:

schakal

23-03-2007, 15:59

Take it somewhere to get it done for £80!!

Mine was tight as f**k, and they had to use the hydraulic pressing machine to push it out.

can you explain this pushing method please ??

AmDaMan

23-03-2007, 16:39

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/7086/img3731re0.jpg

8.8 didn't work, and tbh I don't think this method will, i'll either need a new beam or pressing as mentioned. What a bugger.

stevie g

22-04-2007, 01:33

All done!!, cheers for the tips guys

Justin..

22-04-2007, 01:35

8) Niceeeee

dan-hipgrave

29-04-2007, 15:05

Sweet as! Man i miss that car :(