Broken Torsion Bar

[Buds007]

Hi, I have a 4 door 97 xlt explorer. I have been planning and figuring out what I need to do to do the TT. Today as I was looking under my X to figure out where everything is, I noticed that the nuts that you use to twist the torsion bars are different. The left side is how it is supposed to be, but the right one is messed up. It is slanted towards the center of the truck, and sticking out really far. I have not touched the undercarriage of my explorer with anything, except for getting hung up a little on a dirt cliff/hill. Anyone have any ideas what is wrong and how to fix it. Thanks a lot. Maybe gerald can help me out, it sounds like it might be like his.

 

[X24]

Is it just the bolt thats bent or is the whole mount bent up?

 

[CBoug76]

It sounds like the piece that the bolt pivots with(the part that it threads into) has rotated.... If you get the right tool or a tool that does the same thing, you should be able to re-set the Adjustment as long as this is what has happened. The tool you need is something like a Wheel puller, you need to grab onto the orsion Bar Cross member and put the threaded part of the wheel puller in the "Dimple" that is on the end piece of the Torsion bar. If you have any more questions, just ask!

 

[Buds007]

OK, do you think that the whole bar has rotated, causing the bolt to move over. If so, and I need to move it, where would I be able to find the tools to do this, and where would I go for assistance. By the way, what is a wheel puller

 

[X24]

how does the bar look where is attaches to the lower a-arm? In there good?

 

[Buds007]

Ok, the bar looks good where it connects to the a arm. I now have access to a wheel puller, but need directions on exactly what I need to do. Please email me cboug76 with how I can do this, preferably detailed because this will be the first thing I will be doing under my truck by myself. I am 18 years old, but am smart, so don't be afraid to use technical terms. Thanks

 

[CBoug76]

Ok I have drawn the Torrsion bar adjusters up on some 3D Cad software(I did this all from memory, so location and size's MAY be off!) but you should get the idea.

First Ford says to remove this cover:

Remove the Adjustment bolt from its Threaded part(Purple in Photos). Hook the 2 arms of the Wheel puller on the edge's where the Red lines are. Place the threaded part of the wheel puller in the dimple on the Arm(in the photos it is colored green) that is NOT in the center of the blue hole. (you should be able to see which one the Adjuster is in on the opssite side of the Explorer. I could have said the wrong one and it is actually the outside "dimple" and not the inside one....) Next, apply pressure to the adjustment arm by way of tightening the Wheel puller.This will take the tension off of the Purple part, and allow you to turn it so that the hole is lined up with its "dimple" (Yellow). Then Replace the Adjustment bolt and set the Torsion bars to your desired height. When you replace the adjustment bolt, the Wheel puller will become loose, make sure it doesn't fall and hit you in the head!


****NOTE!****
I am going to send this to a few guys and ask them to make sure I have everything right. (GJarret and Robert)
So if they make any reply's I would follow what they say becasue they have done this and I have not!

 

[CBoug76]

Ok here is what FORD says:

A Relieve the torsion bar tension.

1 Remove the torsion bar adjuster bolt.

2 Install Torsion Bar Tool with Torsion Bar Tool Adapters in the A slots on Torsion Bar Tool.(Same as WHEEL PULLER)

3 Tighten Torsion Bar Tool until the torsion bar adjuster lifts off of the adjuster nut.

4 Remove the torsion bar adjuster nut.

5 Loosen and remove Torsion Bar Tool.

6 Remove the torsion bar and torsion bar adjuster.

That is to remove the Torsion bar, you only want to fix it so you will stop following these this set of directions when you finish with step # 3, and for step #4 you will "Re-Locate" the torsion bar adjuster nut. And then you will replace everthing........

This photo goes along with the numbers steps above:

 

[Buds007]

Wow, Thank you sooooo much. This is a huge help. You really did a great job in doing this on auto cad, WITH COLORS. Send me a message any time if you need help, and I will try to do as good as you did.
Can I do this with only 16 inch jackstands, or do they need to be 18 inch

 

[CBoug76]

Jackstands? To fix your problem you shouldn't need any jackstands, but they would help in lifting the Explorer and making more room for you.....

 

[Robert]

Definately use a jack stand otherwise once you've relieved all of the tension from the torsion bar your entire front end will be resting on the bump stops. If you are under there while you are relieving the tension, you will probably find it very tight. Also if the gear puller slips off while you are removing the tension, you could get crushed depending on how much room there is while on the bump stops and how large you are.

One thing I do do when I remove my torsion bars is jack up the front of the vehicle on the side that I am removing. Use a jack stand to secure it. That way if the gear puller does slip off, the vehicle won't move. You might get hit in the face with the puller but that wouldn't hurt has bad as having the frame try and make you thinner. By putting it on jack stands it takes as much tension off the bar as possible. I've found that when i do this, the torsion bar adjuster will only rotate down another inch or so once I remove the bar that the torsion bar adjuster screw goes through. The first time I removed my bar I didn't do that which meant I had to relieve all of the tension from the torsion bar with just a gear puller that was hanging on the edge of the mount.

 

[Buds007]

Well, I haven't responded yet, and told the outcome. I did this project about a month and a half ago, and I got approx. 3 inches of lift out of my TT, and my shackles and addaleaf. I have no cv binding, and everything clears. I got 31 inch tires, BFG AT TA KO. I love everything that I did. Thanks for all of the help everyone gave.