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Rear torsion bars
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Sweetbabyjane1
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 5:11 pm    Post subject: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Well it was a two day fight to remove the rear spring plates and torsion bars. I don't think they have ever been removed before. Between The Samba threads and YouTube we got them off thankfully. Because I was thinking there for a while that they were going to be permanent! And man they look terrible! They were dry, no grease at either end! I hope these can be cleaned up, painted and reused....

What do you all think? There are no chips in the metal, just a lot of surface rust and chipping paint.

As always your help and opinions are greatly appreciated.

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esde
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 6:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Have them bead blasted, then fresh paint and grease the splines. It's good practice to keep the left bar left, and right bar right.. spring steel doesn't always react well to changes in stress
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Busstom
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

^^^ True that...in fact, the "Bible" (Bentley) says they are pre-stressed and to never switch them.
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DeathRay64
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Busstom wrote:
^^^ True that...in fact, the "Bible" (Bentley) says they are pre-stressed and to never switch them.


I need to get to my manual but my shop is 30 mi away.

Is this the case for later models too? I wonder if this changed over time? I thought the splines were different on my '63 T1 so that they can only go one way? And that the splines are opposite on each side so that they can only be orientated so that the twist is always the same?

It's been about ten years since I set my rear ride height, but that is what I remember. Maybe I'm full of sh!t? That's what I thought.

I really need my manual right now... I think I need to start bringing it home after the weekend.
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Busstom
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

For Type 1s, I think there were three different lengths over the years, but the spline counts remained the same (40 inner, 44 outer). The spline angles are symmetrical, so you could take the left bar, stick it in the right side, and be twisting it the opposite direction Shame on you

I don't know what the Bentley says for later models, but I can't imagine their (VW's) practice and recommendations changed with later models, same old design, I suspect same rule.
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DeathRay64
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 10:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Well sh!t, i misremembered that. Thanks busstom.
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Ovally
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:15 am    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Busstom wrote:
^^^ True that...in fact, the "Bible" (Bentley) says they are pre-stressed and to never switch them.


The torsion bars are the same but in case of a repair it is better to keep the left bar left and the right bar right.

From August 1959 the torsion bars have been pre-stressed during manufacture. The letters L and R are stamped on the ends of the torsion bars.

Regards.
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Big Bull Shooter
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:29 am    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Those torsion bars look nasty! I just recently re-indexed my torsion bars and replaced the bushings. Many of the how to articles that I read stressed not to scratch the paint on the torsion bars, as it could allow corrosion and weak points. I think you should consider replacing those bars! My bars were amazingly clean, with just a wax type substance(maybe old grease) near the splines. Each bar is stamped as to wether it is left or right. I signed and dated mine, so when someone takes them apart 50 years from now, they might get a laugh! Laughing
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Busstom
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:47 am    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

DeathRay64 wrote:
Well sh!t, i misremembered that. Thanks busstom.
I try and help where I can, as long as I'm not misleading anybody Wink

Ovally wrote:
From August 1959 the torsion bars have been pre-stressed during manufacture.
Thanks for that clarification Ovally. I was going by my 1200 VOLKSWAGEN MANUAL (1961-1965) and had presumed that it was the same for earlier machines.
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Sweetbabyjane1
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

We have one that is stuck hard in the spring plate. We have done everything to get it out with no success. My husband even went as far as to drill a hole into the end of the spring plate and using a bolt to pound with a sledge, with no success. How do we get them apart? It is soaking in penetrating oil. He used heat.... What else is left?
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esde
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

Take the cap off the spring plate, and then you can use a press to drive them out. The cap is peened in, so you might wreck it getting it out. Then use heat and oil while you have some pressure on it
copied this from my 52 zwitter thread:
I did get the torsion bars out of the spring plates with the press, and heat. I had it pumped up till the supports started to flex and it was still stuck tight, so I started with the torch and BLAM.
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Tvättbjörn
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 6:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

esde wrote:
Have them bead blasted, then fresh paint and grease the splines. It's good practice to keep the left bar left, and right bar right.. spring steel doesn't always react well to changes in stress


Get a set "new" bars. They are marked L + R at one end. Clean one spot on the shaft and measure the diameter. They come in different diameter and length also.
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Sweetbabyjane1
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2023 7:51 am    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

A very late update as to what we were able to do. A friend of ours has a very powerful press. He was able to separate the the torsion bar from the plate! I sand blasted the bars and plate and repainted them. This friend has been working on VW's and Porsche for many years and never heard of an issue with repainting them. They are now remounted (that was not fun) and test driven on rough ground with no issues. The real test will be when the body finally is mounted and the rear end is carrying all the weight!
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Lindberg
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:50 am    Post subject: Re: Rear torsion bars Reply with quote

My kit car on '69 chassis rides very hard as there is so much less weight. I need to re-index the left side as it is 1"+ lower than right. Would lowering the right instead of raising the left soften the ride any?
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