Torsion Bar Key

[ReconH3]

This can't be right the right bar is on the left and the left bar is on the right. OR is this how it should look????:no:

You could have something there. They may key properly if you swap them. If that's possible of course.





"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[4speedfunk]

Bingo! I don't think the bars are any different R to L in terms of torsion strength...but those hexes cast into the ends of them are specific for each side. This must be the problem. Please let us know what happens when you swap em. You might also try flipping them end-for-end to see if that gets the keys in a better initial position.

 

[SolidusJ]

Should I swap the keys also or leave them be?

 

[j3jackson]

I just crawled under mine. Driver is marked L and passenger is marked R.

 

[SolidusJ]

I just crawled under mine. Driver is marked L and passenger is marked R.

Then I'm the right track only thing is the TC side is being a pain in the balls to pull out

 

[Hunner]

I discovered a while back, 2006, that by disconnecting the stock shock there is 1/2+ inch more droop, as 4speedfunk posted. Thus the whole adding a 1/2 nut to the top under the upper mount I came up with, before Bilsteins the right length and mount were found.
If in this case you need even more droop the anti-sway bar links are maxed out cocked up also. So removing those if you don't have a linebacker to stand on the a-arms this is the next thing. One more option is the tie rod. If you undo the outer end you get a tad more. That's all folks, at that point the upper a-arm should be on the "metal" bump stop on the frame.
First shot at full droop

The stock tie rods articulate to about 23 degrees and max out at the inner connection.

this is how close the stock shock comes at full droop with the nut on top. I stopped here as I was concerned about a hard hit on the metal stop. I later added limit straps with the stock shocks.

this is a Bilstein at full droop.

I was going to reconstruct this and add it into the tech threads now I may move this there so search can find it. I have several people looking to do this for low bucks. I just added it here with the torsion notes as this is the next step, for some people.

 

[rebell_h3]

Dude i replaced mine with the replacement keys that recon was talking about if you need help im at bragg also

 

[SolidusJ]

Dude i replaced mine with the replacement keys that recon was talking about if you need help im at bragg also

Tang mike battle but I got done, but we sure as hell can get together and do some off road trails. I hit the back trial behind range road but I found it its a $275 IF they bust me!!!

 

[SolidusJ]

SO first I start off with raising me red solo cup to you all for all the great info to make this happen!!!!! So let the pictures roll!!!!:horns:

BEFORE THE BAR WAS SWITCH OVER

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After a closer look I saw on the t-bars a sticker that said "R" and "L" on each on and noticed that the bar was on the wrong side, and rotating them this is how the key looked.

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BEFORE

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AFTER

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Drove her down to the gas station on the Pope side of base and started to adjust

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I'm sitting at 24" right now but I'll lower it in a day or two if id doesn't come down on its own, how I do?

 

[j3jackson]

Good job. Better yet good eye on spotting the tags.

 

[SolidusJ]

every one with an h3 or t, check you torsion bars if your going to leave your front end. They maybe switch from the factory and you won't be able you reach 23.5". There is a white tag on both of the bars with blue letters "r" and "l".

 

[rebell_h3]

i mess around boundry lake not to many mp's out on this side of bragg, also going out to NTA at overhills some nice trails there. i bent my nerf bar against my rear tire, thank god i had a chain that i borrowed to hook to a tree and to the nerf bar an pull it off the tire.

 

[SolidusJ]

i mess around boundry lake not to many mp's out on this side of bragg, also going out to NTA at overhills some nice trails there. i bent my nerf bar against my rear tire, thank god i had a chain that i borrowed to hook to a tree and to the nerf bar an pull it off the tire.

Let's make it happen I always keep a set of HEMTT wrecker 30FT 3/4 chain with hooks on both sides at all times. What you have planed on this 4 day weekend battle?

 

[rebell_h3]

babysitting while household 6 works, other than that nothing

 

[SolidusJ]

babysitting while household 6 works, other than that nothing

Household 6 LMAO!!!! That's what my PLT SGT called her untill she busted out all his windows in his car and USAA wouldn't cover it.

 

[ReconH3]

I'm sitting at 24" right now but I'll lower it in a day or two if id doesn't come down on its own, how I do?

I strongly suggest you drop it to the suggested max. Driving around at those angles will really prematurely wear your front end components. You'll also notice its quite a rough ride. Congrats on the attention to detail that gave you a solution without spending more money.



"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[SolidusJ]

I'm having nasty vibration from my streeting wheel 55+MPH.

 

[SolidusJ]

Okay. Here's a mock-up on my workbench. I'm done with all this IFS stuff, so your timing is perfect on this question. Obviously, there is no pre-load on the torsion bar in these photos, so this is representative of how this stuff sits while you're working on it. In the first photo, you can see the key sitting flat. Notice in the background that the A-arm is sitting at an angle that would be very close to how it sits installed with weight on it. My guess is that this is approximately what your situation looks like prior to installing the torsion bolts. If your stuff looks like this BEFORE putting a load on the bars, the keys are not installed right, and you'll run out of threads before the front is raised all the way...View attachment 3566Now, in this second photo...notice that the key has been rotated one click. See how it is sitting at a very sharp angle? The bolt should barely be long enough to reach the threads, and if you leave the A-arm at the same angle as shown in the first photo...you won't even be able to install the bolt. So, you need to force the A-arm to full droop so you can get the bolt started into the key. This is also where you may need to use a special tool called a "torsion key clamp", to pull the key down closer to its final position. Notice that the A-arm in the background is sitting at a much steeper angle. The A-arm angle in this photo is the minimum angle you should be installing keys at. Its the only way you'll have enough threads to work with. This is what your initial starting position should look like...View attachment 3567 More than likely...you'll have to remove the lower shock bolts, and have a buddy (a big fat one) stand on the rotor/knuckle to force the A-arm to full droop. Those A-arms will droop several inches further once you disconnect the shocks, and this will give you the extra rotation on the key to get the bolts started. Which leads me to my next question...You do have longer shocks, right? Sometimes the stock shocks will actually "top-out" and keep your front end from raising all the way up. Before you do anything...unbolt the lower shock bolts, to see if this is the case.

I have shock extenders and it look like the top mount is that shock is not meeting the base palate of the upper Contorl arm. I hit the top nut of the shock with WD-40 but the whole upper shock is rotating with the nut. What can I do?

 

[SolidusJ]

WD-40 is doing jack and it fells like I'm going to snap this bolt.:gaah:

 

[ReconH3]

The very top of the threaded shaft should have flat sides where you can grab it with adjustable wrench while you loosen the bolt.

Does your wife have a blow torch for cooking? Heat it up some but be very careful to not melt anything like bushings or cables. You could also try a very hot hair drier. This helps dilate the bolt and loosen up.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone

 

[SolidusJ]

The very top of the threaded shaft should have flat sides where you can grab it with adjustable wrench while you loosen the bolt. Does your wife have a blow torch for cooking? Heat it up some but be very careful to not melt anything like bushings or cables. You could also try a very hot hair drier. This helps dilate the bolt and loosen up. "Ex Umbris Venimus"Sent from my iPhone

I picked up a mini torche for heat shrink on my wires that should help.

 

[Bigunit]

solid, spray it with some of the original PB Blaster - let it sit & penetrate for a while & let it do its thing. We had the same issue with Alrock's shocks when we tried to remove them a couple of weeks ago. They finally came loose after he rigged another wrench (for more leverage) onto the end of the small wrench that we were using to try turn the threaded shaft with the small flat sides while holding the nut below it with an adjustable wrench.

 

[Hunner]

Once you use WD-40 PB advises it will take more time for it to overcome that crap. Like maybe overnight.
Use some vice grips and set them to squeeze the shaft at the top has hard as you lock them.
Do you have the shock extenders at the bottom of the shock?

 

[SolidusJ]

Once you use WD-40 PB advises it will take more time for it to overcome that crap. Like maybe overnight.Use some vice grips and set them to squeeze the shaft at the top has hard as you lock them. Do you have the shock extenders at the bottom of the shock?

Yes they are at the bottom I'll take picture after this morning ruck march.

 

[Hunner]

Ok I will be in my Lazy Boy waiting.
I should have added that is one of those places I use ant-seize. If you get them tight I have never had a problem with them coming off. Also I kept the hardware from the OEM shocks as I like the way it is made and helps keep them from turning, solved a problem with my limit straps getting out of line.
Do they look like this?