I am replacing the lower control arm bushings. Bought tool to remove torsion bars but cannot get it over torsion bar support frame. Bought the tool shown in Chassis Service manual for 66 olds toro. Anyone ever done this before. Tool was about $150 but is useless if I cannot figure out how to get it over frame. Space between floor and frame will not accommodate it...............HELP

 

Is the suspension compressed or hanging free? If it is hanging free you might have to put a jack under the wheel and move it up a little bit to get the tool where you need it. Sort of hard to visualize. Sorry.

 

thanks olds64. The tool goes over the support frame about midcar. There does not seem to be enough room to get the tool in to release the torque on the torsion bar. Getting it out of the lower control arm will be interesting especially since it has no weight on it since motor and trans are out. I have followed the chassis manual I have for my 66, but the picture of course shows the floor cut away. I am assuming I do not need to cut the floor. I will keep goin at it but hoping for some insight.

 

I know it's been almost three years since your post, but I'm curious how did it turn out for you? The manual for my '73 sez it may be necessary to pry btwn the crossmember and bottom of the body to make room to install the tool. I wonder too, if crushed/worn body mounts maybe make the situation worse?

 

I had the exact same problem a couple weeks ago, went to swap in my '69 disc brakes to get rid of the aweful drums, and was going to do the control arm bushings as well...

The reason your body sits ontop of the crossmember, is the body-mounts are shot. Leaving the body to ride lower on the frame than it should. So, you've got a couple options, you can replace the body mounts, or.....

If you are removing the lower control arm anyway, take out the steering knuckle, and disconnect the swaybar link, then you can lower the control arm, and the bar will un-torsion itself. THen you can take out the bolt, and the control arm can be pounded off.

I bought the service manual tool as well, so there was $80 well spent... But, it will be usefull in the future when I go to do my frame-off restoration when I have more room, money, and time.

 

Never worked on a Toronado but in my old air cooled VW days I would hook a chain from the bottom on the jack to the chassis and jack up the rear swing arm to remove the rear torsion bar.

 

Richard, that would add tension on a torsion bar.

If you are only removing the t-bars, and not the knuckle, you will probably not be able to slide them if they've never been removed. They will likely be stuck. You'll have to remove the control arm and carefully persuade them out with a BFH. Like Twilight said, if you remove the knuckle, you don't need the tool to unload the t-bars.

 

On the vw thats how it worked. You had to lift to get it off a stop then you could lower the jack to remove the tension.

Like I side I have never even been under a Toro so unless its in from of me I don'r know for sure but one way or another I would get it apart without any special tool.

 

I know this is a really old thread. I want to replace the bushing in my lower control arm, I have the steering knuckle off. Would I just be able to unbolt the control arm and pound it off the torsion bar? (Everything thing else is off the control arm)Without using the tool to release the tension?
i have the factory service manual and I have been studying various YouTube videos.
any insight would be appreciated