69 Chrysler 300. Trying to remove my torsion bars to install TTI headers.
Service Manual says to Remove Upper Control Arm Rebound Bumper. Unfortunately the stud in it just spins with nut. MUST it come out to allow more droop? If so, it will need cut out.
I have the lower anchor adjusting bolt all the way loose. There is no play in the torsion bar. Thx
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If the torsion bar adjuster bolt feels loose in it's fitting, there is no tension on the torsion bar from the torsion bar adjuster.
However, there can be tension on the torsion bar when the lower control arm position is too high.
I recently removed the torsion bars on my 1971 Plymouth Fury. Generally, I think the factory shop manual is right. But in your car, since the bumper is not hitting the subframe, something is keeping the suspension in too high a position. My guess is that your shock absorbers are fully extended and not allowing the suspension to drop any further. The 1st thing I would do is remove the lower shock mount bolt and nut and see if the upper control arm bumper drops on to the subframe.
If you have to remove the upper control arm bumper, you could try grabbing the upper control arm bumper with cloth over a pair of vise grips. I sprayed generous amounts of penetrating oil on the locknut. Then I removed the locknut with 9/16 socket and a 3/8 breaker bar. If the locknut doesn't move, you'll break the bumper off of the stud, so be careful about using too much torque.
Other than that, I like Dave's suggestion. Remove the lower bolt for the shock absorber, remove the brake rotor, and remove the 2 bolts that fasten the lower ball joint to the steering knuckle.
I have also seen torsion bars stick in the lower control arm even though there is no tension. If that happens, you can remove the nut at the front of the lower control arm pivot pin and tap the lower control arm and torsion bar towards the rear of the vehicle as an assembly. Then you can tap the lower control arm forward while using your torsion bar holding fixture to hold the torsion bar steady. Usually the lower control arm will pop right off the torsion bar.
