Torsion bar fitting (2 Viewers)

[blackthecrowes]

I have searched all the other torsion bar threads (inc the main one here FAQ) but can't find the answer

I'm fitting Iron Man torsion bars. In the instructions, and even in the video (at 17 mins in this video Iroman USA ) they feed the bar through the cross member, then align the front cup T bar bracket splines, then do the same on the rear adjuster arm. They then fit the front onto the bolts, then do up the rear adjuster and adjusting bolt itself.

The problem I have is that this won't allow the front cup to clear the shorter captive bolt.

I have tried

• The method in the video
• Attaching the front cup - doesn't leave enough room to attach the rear adjuster arm
• Attach the rear arm then the front cup without the torsion bar - can't then align the splines or get the torsion bar in

As far as I know the cups are marked 10 and 20. The 10 is for the right hand side (US passenger/UK driver) and 20 is left hand (US driver / UK passenger). I have tried both but they are identical apart from the spline offfset - neither fit and even if they did it would just be an incorrect index and amount of lift.

Anyone got any tips to get this to fit? The bar is fully in the splines on both ends, and I cannot get the captive shorter bold on the control arm to wiggle enough to make it fit.

The only option I can see is to cut the shorter bolt off to remove it and feed a replacement in through the control arm from the cup side.

 

[2001LC]

Slide the front mount, back on your bar. It helps a lot, if all splines of both brackets/mounts clean and greased.

 

[Patassa]

Just slide it up the bar, clear the bolts, then slide it back (toward the front of the truck).

 

[hoser]

Also verify you have the correct torsion bars. There are two lengths: Diesel and Petrol.

 

[blackthecrowes]

Slide the front mount, back on your bar. It helps a lot, if all splines of both brackets/mounts clean and greased.

Just slide it up the bar, clear the bolts, then slide it back (toward the front of the truck).

Also verify you have the correct torsion bars. There are two lengths: Diesel and Petrol.

yes thanks - the splines are fully engaged/pushed in on both ends of the bar. All mounts are cleaned and greased - so are the splines on the torsion bar. I am going to have to get a tape measure and measure the length of the bar + mounts and the available space to manoeuvre it into place (inc the protruding bolt)

Thanks for the responses - the codes on the bars are 20110A left and right. I ordered for the right car (4.2TD) so I assume they are correct

Can anyone confirm that the cups are the right way round? 10 for RH and 20 for LH?

 

[Patassa]

If you slide the cup "up" the bar (toward the back of the truck) are you saying you still can't put the torsion bar in place without hitting... 1? 2? or 3?
1. is the main bolt for the lower control arm, since you're on the bolt head side, you can't really make it shorter.

If it's 1, the torsion bar is too long or you didn't slide it far enough into the rear mounting cup situation. If it's 2 or 3, you really shouldn't have a problem because the cup can slide as far up the bar as you need, then you just slide it back toward the front of the truck and the bolts will slide through the holes.

Or I'm totally misunderstanding your problem, post a video maybe.

 

[blackthecrowes]

View attachment 3536137

If you slide the cup "up" the bar (toward the back of the truck) are you saying you still can't put the torsion bar in place without hitting... 1? 2? or 3?
1. is the main bolt for the lower control arm, since you're on the bolt head side, you can't really make it shorter.

If it's 1, the torsion bar is too long or you didn't slide it far enough into the rear mounting cup situation. If it's 2 or 3, you really shouldn't have a problem because the cup can slide as far up the bar as you need, then you just slide it back toward the front of the truck and the bolts will slide through the holes.

Or I'm totally misunderstanding your problem, post a video maybe.

It's fouling bolt 2 - I have pushed the cup up as far so that the splines disappear into the cup - further than the old bar was.
The old bar was 120.6 cm and the IronMan one is 121cm. It's that 4mm that's the problem. I'll try again whaling on the cup pushing it up the bar with a hammer and see if that is the fix. I think the Iron Man video is confusing me maybe - they say put the control arm end in first when the way to do it may be the other way round

thanks for the advice

 

[Patassa]

It's fouling bolt 2 - I have pushed the cup up as far so that the splines disappear into the cup - further than the old bar was.
The old bar was 120.6 cm and the IronMan one is 121cm. It's that 4mm that's the problem. I'll try again whaling on the cup pushing it up the bar with a hammer and see if that is the fix. I think the Iron Man video is confusing me maybe - they say put the control arm end in first when the way to do it may be the other way round

thanks for the advice

You should be able to push the cup passed the splines, in other words the splined end of the torsion bar should go all the way through the cup and come out the back of the cup, and the cup will just be dangling on the smooth part of the part. I've tried to draw that in my picture, I've tried to draw the cup in red where is should be: passed the splined part of the bar. Don't think about moving it an inch up the bar, think about moving it 2 feet up the bar. Get it out of your way. Does that make sense ??

Look at this again, push/knock the cup up the bar, passed the splines and your problems should go away.

 

[2001LC]

Issue may be the front T-bar receiver bracket (cup), bent at end. The cup looks beat on, with a steel hammer. Which then, bar may not push through the cup. Due to dents/folding inward of female splines. Thus, restricting male splines of bar from passing through cup.

If female spines, are folded inward. You'll need to file the channels of splines out. Or use a drill or Dremel with grinding stone, to tapper the end a little. The lose of a little bit of splines at end, due to a small tapper. Will not weaken assembly, to a point of concern.

 

[blackthecrowes]

Hi

yes - it is beat on.

I had to cut out the torsion bars - they were rusted to the cups and no amount of work could get them out whilst under the car. They had been repeatedly doused with Deep Creep and WD 40 penetrating fluid.

It took 20 mins of blowtorch and hammer to get the old bars out of the cups. I broke 2 sockets slid down the torsion bar trying to hit the socket not the cup, but gave up and thought the £40 for a new cup was the better option if it came to that.

The splines are not folded in as a torsion bar was inside when it was hit. I have managed now to get a bar to push all the way through both L& R cups. My mistake was thinking that they were not designed to do that and that they would be concave to limit the bar movement. Made sense as that is how the rear ones work (albeit with a cap). Lots of copper grease, small wire bush did the trick. Initially a band of rust prevented the bar passing all the way through - and what I thought was the limit to push a bar in to the cup was actually just corrosion where the old bar had been.

Now I can get the cups further up the bar I can fit them no problem. The videos are wrong - it is better to fit the rear adjuster, push the cups past the splines then attach the front. Lesson learned.

The Iron Man video makes me laugh - he is working on a perfect truck that has been apart many times. My 100 is a victim of it's own success - it has been so reliable that at 20 years old this is the first time a lot of stuff has seen a spanner. Add in corrosion and everything takes at least 10 times as long as predicted.

 

[RustInPeace]

been here, done that, recently... What have you done to your 100 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-100-series-this-week.609679/post-15277908

 

[blackthecrowes]

been here, done that, recently... What have you done to your 100 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-100-series-this-week.609679/post-15277908

the cups were even worse than mine!