4bangercraig

Posted this in buildup- shoulda just been here I think.
87 longbed, 22R carb'd, IFS front end. (with some configuration anomalies)

Hey yall. So I was doing my bushings this weekend...
My trusty Haynes manual read for a truck with the torsion bars connected on the lower control arm- mine hook up to the upper arm.
So I skipped that first step, "remove torsion bars," when I started in on the upper control arm. I looked at it and said to myself, "well shucks, looks like the torsion bar'll just hold the control arm right in place. All's I gotta do is disconnect the upper arm from the frame, burn the old bushings out, and press the new ones in."
Not so much.
When I yanked that last bolt, the upper arm sprang up and wedged my wrench against the steering column. The torsion bar pressed up against the undercarriage. And the bolts became very far away from the bolt holes.
Oops.
Funny thing is, the ball joint is still in place. EVERYTHING'S still in place. Only the control arm is doing a salute and the torsion bar don't look quite straight.

Just wanted to share my story with you guys. And maybe if one of you has been in this particular pickle, get a little knowledge I don't have to earn myself.
My general plan is to pb blast the heck out of the torsion adjuster bolt overnight (leaving it wedged all funny- but I suspect it's what sprang up in the first place and caught my wrench) and try to yank the torsion bar tomorrow. Hopefully it'll loosen up once it's disconnected from the back end and I can move the arm around a little, disconnect the torsion bar in the front, and free my poor upper arm.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have beer to drink.

Cheers,
-Craig

GenXr

LOL, good luck....and report back how you fixed it.

Teuf

I removed my upper, and I did release torsion pressure. Went smooth as silk.

B.R.D.

How did the torsion bolt go Craig? I tried adjusting mine the other day after soaking with WD40 for two days. I finally got the bolt to break free from the half moon shaped keeper on the bottom but couldnt get a wrench on the top nut to keep it from turning.

Teuf

Mine has always been free. After a lift install I would check the height weekly, and wd40 the underneath after every wash. Whats blocking the upper nut?

B.R.D.

Nothings blocking it, I just dont have a 22mm wrench to put on it.

norcal707

then go get one...

Teuf

OOOOOOOOOkay, well, you know what you have to do then?

rockcrawlinray

damn, you need to think critically next time tell everyone how it went why dontcha.

4bangercraig

I P.B. blasted the heck out of the whole bolt assembly and then let it sit overnight. Then I stuck one 22mm crescent wrench on the bolt head and wedged it against the frame crossmember. Stuck a second 22mm wrench on the top nut (the lock nut). You gotta free the lock nut before adjusting the torsion bar adjustment nut (unless yours is like my passenger side TBar, which is missing its locknut :-) Even after the P.B. Blaster soak, I ended up using a crowbar between the frame and the upper wrench. But I broke the nut free without snapping the bolt!
After that it was real easy to free the control arm, yank it out of the truck, and then stare at it for awhile wondering how those bushings are ever coming out of there.
I got new polyurethane energy suspension bushings, which need to use the OEM sleeve. So no brutal cutting, torching, or pounding to get the old ones out. Saw a youtube video about how to make your own bushing press. I'll probably try that before buying a hundred dollar specialty tool I'll never need again.
And that's about as far as I got before my bro friends showed up and iced me and my birthday party started. I'm biking to work this week...
On the bright side, now I got plenty of time for my critical thinking.
;~)

If anybody knows an old timey trick for getting bushings out from around the cam-style arm shaft, lemme know!

Git er did!
-Craig

B.R.D.

Ha, left myself wide open for that one.

4bangercraig

Actually, you might need to go get two.
Unless you got a 22mm socket and a breaker bar for the bottom.
:-D

OutlawMike

Just burn them out with a propane torch. You will not hurt the sleeves. It is a smelly mess, best done outside, but it is the best way to get those old rubber bushings out of there.

Good luck