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viiking Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2013 Posts: 2668 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:35 am Post subject: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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I need to replace the inner and outer rubber torsion bar bushes on my bug to the original height as I am doing a restoration.
I have seen all of the videos etc on how to lower or raise the suspension but one thing is not clear to me.
If I accidentally remove the entire torsion bar when trying to remove the inner bush, I need to replace the torsion bar back into its original position.
How do I know what this is. That is, the inner location. I assume that the torsion bar can go back into any one of the 40+ locations, but I don't think I will be able to see what point it came out of, compared to the outside one which is visible.
I understand that you need to mark the position of the spring plate once the tension is removed and use an inclinometer/protractor to determine the angle of the spring plate in relation to level.
But does this mean it doesn't matter which notch the inside torsion bar connects to as long as the angle when I have finished (by adjusting the relationship of the spring plate and outside torsion bar) is exactly the same before and after?
When talking about lowering the suspension. it gets confusing when people talk about adjusting the "inner by 'x' notches to the right and the outside by 'y' notches to the left etc. But how do they know what the "zero" position is. |
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vwhelmot Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 617 Location: united kingdom
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:47 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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It doesn't matter which splines the torsion bar locate too, as long as the drop angle before its jacked back up to the stop is right and as factory spec then it will be fine. The outer splines are finer than the inner splines to make it easier to make fine adjustments using a mixture of the two. |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34013 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:55 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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If you measure the angle the spring plate is at before you remove the torsion bar (with it hanging free of the stop), you will be able to verify it's at the same clock position by measuring again after installation. As long as you don't simultaneously remove the bar from both the inner and outer splines, you will be able to clearly measure whether you put it back where it came from. So mark the our end, and if for some reason it slips off, put it back to align the marks. Then the only variable is the inner splines, and as I said, you can tell if it is back in the original position. |
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viiking Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2013 Posts: 2668 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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OK I think I’ve got it now. Between Chris Vallone and other videos i got confused about the different references to chalk marks and I realise that you should mark the torsion bar BEFORE you remove it off the “lip” and then mark it AFTER when it hangs free. As I am not changing the height as long as I don’t have both ends off at the same time I only have to worry about one marking.
Then withdraw the torsion bar with the outer spring plate attached, install the new bushing, install the torsion bar back in starting at the AFTER mark and lift it back up onto the lip.
So really you only NEED worry about the AFTER markings. If you are correct starting at the AFTER mark it should line up as before.
Thanks everyone👍🏻 |
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pb_foots Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2010 Posts: 1089 Location: Ben Lomond, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:29 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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If you use the protractor to ensure that the stock angle is there on the spring plate during reassembly, I'm not sure why you need to use marks at all?
I must be missing something here. Pull the torsion bar, replace the bushings, reassemble and set the spring plate angle according to the chart for stock height, done. No? _________________
sjbartnik wrote: |
Engines get hot. They have fire inside. |
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viiking Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2013 Posts: 2668 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:55 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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Yes. |
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tonys1pr Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2015 Posts: 44 Location: Detroit, Michigan
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 9:21 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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I would seriously recommend buying a digital angle gauge for this ($30 from harbor freight).
You can calibrate it to zero on the bottom of the door opening for that side of the car and then easily adjust the spring plate on the splines to achieve the recommended angle.
I tried a manual protractor first and they are just too hard reading the fractions of an angle - particularly for those of us who need glasses. |
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 34013 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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tonys1pr wrote: |
I tried a manual protractor first and they are just too hard reading the fractions of an angle - particularly for those of us who need glasses. |
But the vernier works fine, just like on your slide rule.
You DO use a slide rule, don't you?! |
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pb_foots Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2010 Posts: 1089 Location: Ben Lomond, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:50 pm Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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KTPhil wrote: |
tonys1pr wrote: |
I tried a manual protractor first and they are just too hard reading the fractions of an angle - particularly for those of us who need glasses. |
But the vernier works fine, just like on your slide rule.
You DO use a slide rule, don't you?! |
Nope, but I can read a vernier caliper. Was a test when I was a young machine operator. You couldn't hang with the rest of the guys until you could read a caliper like a man. _________________
sjbartnik wrote: |
Engines get hot. They have fire inside. |
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viiking Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2013 Posts: 2668 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:18 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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KTPhil wrote: |
tonys1pr wrote: |
I tried a manual protractor first and they are just too hard reading the fractions of an angle - particularly for those of us who need glasses. |
But the vernier works fine, just like on your slide rule.
You DO use a slide rule, don't you?! |
Ahh.But what sort?
I can still remember both linear and circular slide rules. I store them both next to my abacus (no joke)l |
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andk5591 Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2005 Posts: 16758 Location: State College, PA
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:41 am Post subject: Re: How to reset rear torsion bar back to standard height |
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You can use the stock specs or simply determine where you want it to be. If the car is sitting level, you decide how much you want to change it. I assume you have or have found the charts with number of clicks to make the change.
Remove the outer plate and with the trailing arm relaxed, measure the angle and write it down. So lets say you want to raise the car 2". This would be 7 degrees and 30 minutes increase in angle. Lets say your initial measurement was 9 degrees.... Then your desired final angle will be 16 degrees 30 minutes. (you dont care if the car is level or not - you are simply making the change to what you want from where it was initially.)
So on the passenger side you would rotate the inner spline 9 clicks CCW and then slip the outer one on and rotate it until you come up with 16 degrees 30 minutes. You do the same thing on the other side BUT once again. Write down the initial setting and you want to add the desired number of degrees. Difference is that you will rotate the inner one CW instead.
I used to screw with leveling the car and all that, but it doesnt matter, assuming the car was sitting at the same height on both sides. I have done at least 6 or more cars this way.
Oh and I have both one of this cheap round dial angle finders that you get at Home Depot and a digital level...There are also smart phone apps, which I have as well. I actually prefer the cheap round dial. Once again, the absolute angle relative to level is not important. Its all about the relative angle. _________________ D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them... |
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