where should I put my jack stands?

[Crispy Niggets]

where should I put my jack stands for front sway bar removal?

 

[Eneurb]

Right on the torsion bars would work fine.

 

[Crispy Niggets]

I ended up having to put them under the bar between the wheels, argh I dont know wat its called, but it was the only bar low enough to jack it up high enough

 

[gijoecam]

Right on the torsion bars would work fine.

Are you nuts!??! NEVER put the jack stands right on the torsion bars. They're not meant to support the weight of the vehicle in bending. They're torsion bars!

What's wrong with using the factory jacking points on the control arms? I've never had any accessability issues by using them. I've also used the frame rails behind the front wheels as well.

-Joe

 

[IZwack]

Are you nuts!??! NEVER put the jack stands right on the torsion bars. They're not meant to support the weight of the vehicle in bending. They're torsion bars!

^^ what he said! NOT on the bars themselves!!

 

[aldive]

Right on the torsion bars would work fine.

Not. That is simply wrong and could lead to damage.

 

[Crispy Niggets]

lol, calm down guys I didnt put them on the torsion bars, I no not to

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Eneurb is a Ford Tech too. weird

-Drew

 

[Creager]

Eneurb is a Ford Tech too. weird

-Drew

hes a rearend guy, he doesnt care about frontend work! thats for the fossy guy

hahajk

 

[Eneurb]

I've lifted off the torsion bars tonnes of times... never a problem... are you guys all assuming that it's bad, or do you have anything to go by???

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

I've lifted off the torsion bars tonnes of times... never a problem... are you guys all assuming that it's bad, or do you have anything to go by???

You're nuts. Torsion bars are not meant to support 4,000 pounds of weight. There's a reason Ford specifies factory jacking points and its sure not the torsion bars.

To answer the original question, there's plenty of room underneath the front end to remove the sway bar without jacking it up at all. I did mine with it sitting flat and had plenty of room. I wouldn't bother with it

 

[gijoecam]

I've lifted off the torsion bars tonnes of times... never a problem... are you guys all assuming that it's bad, or do you have anything to go by???

Why in the hell wouldn't you use the factory recommended lifting points on a vehicle equipped with specific points to lift it by? You probably lift the rear end by jacking the diff, right?

Remind me never to take my vehicles to his place of employment for work.

Torsion bars are not designed to take bending loads, hence the name, TORSION bars. Any piece of steel that is engineered to carry a particular type of load is bound to fail if you load it in a different manner than it was designed. What happens when you try to push a bridge span sideways? It fails. Bridges are engineered to carry a vertical load. Place that same load sideways, and it buckles in an instant. The same applies for torsion bars. They are engineered to TWIST, not bend. Lifting by the torsion bars is ONLY going to damage them. Lifting by the chassis or FACTORY JACKING POINTS is the only way to do it properly. Any other points just invite damage.

If you must know, I do have something to go by: An Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, an Journeyman's card in Machine Repair, and a job at Ford Motor Company.

Crispy, I'm glad you know better. At least someone is using half their brain.

-Joe

 

[BigT95EB]

I work in the service dept of a Ford dealership myself and I know that every second gen Ex and every torsion bar is equipped ranger is lifted by the torsion bars. Literally hundreds have been done this way, and not a single one has come back with unusual torsion bar or suspension problems. I even lift my personal vehicle this way so i say the torsion bar will be fine

 

[huskyfan23]

I invented the torsion bar system and it is NOT alright to jack at that point.

 

[gijoecam]

I work in the service dept of a Ford dealership myself and I know that every second gen Ex and every torsion bar is equipped ranger is lifted by the torsion bars. Literally hundreds have been done this way, and not a single one has come back with unusual torsion bar or suspension problems. I even lift my personal vehicle this way so i say the torsion bar will be fine

You jack your Ex up however you like. But why in God's green earth would you go against the lifting points spelled out specifically in the Ford service manual?

Page 100-02 of the factory service manual for all second-gen Explorers.

For a twin-post hoist, you lift off the frame rails as indicated here:

For a single-post lift the posts go on the body mounts,

Heck, if you lift Explorers and Rangers that way, why stop there? Why not lift all the 97-03 F-140 4x4s by the torsion bars?? Heck, why use the torsion bars when you can use the tow hooks? What about the Expeditions and Navigators? Why not put the front end of a 6000 lb truck in the middle of a 5 foot long 1" round bar? What could happen?

But then again, what do I know?

Eneurb,

I've lifted off the torsion bars tonnes of times... never a problem... are you guys all assuming that it's bad, or do you have anything to go by???

Do you know something about the torsion bars that the engineers that designed the vehicle don't? Just because you CAN and HAVE lifted it by the torsion bars doesn't mean you SHOULD. You CAN lift it by the fender lip too. You CAN lift it by the bumper too. You CAN lift it by the driver's door in a bind. Heck, let's all start jacking it up by the spare tire! I've done it before and it didn't hurt anything!


Remind me to have my vehicle towed out of state if it ever brakes down in North Carolina. If I'm ever North of the border, I'll paddle back across the river if I have to before having it serviced over there!!

 

[aldive]

For you dealership employees who jack in this manner. does the owner/management of your dealership know you do this? I bet their insurance company would flip out.

Why not just do it right?

 

[gijoecam]

I invented the torsion bar system and it is NOT alright to jack at that point.

Oh, and sorry to burst your bubble, but I believe one Dr. Ferdinand Porsche first used the torsion bar suspension on an early-30s VW which was built by Zundapp. I believe the torsion bar system was first patented by a Mr. Bob Allison in the early 50s, shortly before it first showed up on the Packards and the Chrysler Imperial of the time.

Dunno for sure though.....

-Joe

 

[gijoecam]

Why not just do it right?

Well said!!

 

[IZwack]

Oh, and sorry to burst your bubble...
-Joe

AHAHAH i think husky was just kidding

 

[gijoecam]

AHAHAH i think husky was just kidding

Me too, but I was bored at lunch.

-Joe