Torsion arm help

[Holset]

In the process or replacing the torsion arms, and not making the greatest progress. Have followed the Bentley, and still can not get the arm out of the beam tube. Loosened the nut and set screw on the beam loosened the nut and set screw on the arm, yet still no joy. Any help is appreciated.
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'72 Sunroof Deluxe "Hippie" the bus
'75 FI 1600 Std Bug "Bob" the bug (sold)
'69 Campmobile "Otter bus"

GySgt U.S.M.C. (Ret)

[SGKent]

Gotta watch your fingers while you do this. Repeat. Gotta watch your fingers while you do this.

Use a jack carefully to put just enough tension on the upper arm to pull out the rubber snubber. Do not lift it so much you topple it off the jack stands. Watch carefully that it doesn't start lifting the front. get the snubber out and try to keep your fingers out in case the jack failed. Use pliers or something if you can.

Let the jack down slowly and carefully.

Verify that everything is off the torsion arm. Remove the grub screw on the torsion arm completely (retighten the one in the center). Lay a strong piece of wood or use a lead hemmer and give it a good whack from the inside out. It should come right off.

The lower one will come off easily.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[old DKP driver]

you do not loosen the CENTER grub screw on the beam to remove the arms.

I did my share of ball joints and never removed the center grub screw in order to remove the out arms.

Then center grub screw holds the position of the torsion springs in place
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V.W.owner since 1967

[Holset]

Thanks for the suggestions. When I get in from the office tonight I'll give it another go.
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'72 Sunroof Deluxe "Hippie" the bus
'75 FI 1600 Std Bug "Bob" the bug (sold)
'69 Campmobile "Otter bus"

GySgt U.S.M.C. (Ret)

[pkrboo]

BFH required to get the top arm out once the top bump stop has been removed
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1979 Sage Green Westfalia P22

[SGKent]

[atmellovw]

You need to get the top arm to this point with a hammer before it will pull out by hand:

Using leverage can help to maybe get it moving a bit before you start with the hammer.

Bottom arm should just pull out as soon as the set screw it loosened.
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1972 Westy ("Bubbles") - Pastel White - 1700(1974 MT) - Dual Solex

[Holset]

Thanks again for the suggestions. Got home from work,and vola! Torsion arm is off. The lower one came off like a dream. Now the issue is The lower one will not side back in. The upper went in with no major issue. Ideas????
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'72 Sunroof Deluxe "Hippie" the bus
'75 FI 1600 Std Bug "Bob" the bug (sold)
'69 Campmobile "Otter bus"

GySgt U.S.M.C. (Ret)

[atmellovw]

The problem is most likely that the torsion bars are not line up right. Do they look like this or are they all splayed out:

I used a bit of JB weld to hold them in place as originally there was a weld there and then it still may take a little finesse to get them on. Note that I removed the c-clamp and plastic tie before installation of arm!
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1972 Westy ("Bubbles") - Pastel White - 1700(1974 MT) - Dual Solex

[SGKent]

if the center grub screw is loose it will make it splay worse. It will go on it you try to line them up and then rotate it a little back and forth. Do not pound on it to get it started.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[fusername]

that splay is no fun to fight with. someone should mill out a piece of metal to slide over the leaves so the install is easier. it is by far the worst part of taking apart a beam.
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[email protected]
Need something custom bent up? shoot me an email, maybe we can make it work!

FORSALE: Thrust cut T4 and 1.9 main bearings

[Holset]

Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions. When I get in tonight I will give it another try. I look forward to doing the other side now with great delight...... not.
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'72 Sunroof Deluxe "Hippie" the bus
'75 FI 1600 Std Bug "Bob" the bug (sold)
'69 Campmobile "Otter bus"

GySgt U.S.M.C. (Ret)

[fusername]

and if I could make a request, if you have the time while assembling the front end and have a angle indicator like what you use to set the rear spring plate angle, if you would post up the angle of the lower arm when it is in the resting position? a rough number is good enough. it's not a huge deal if you don't have the time, but if you wdid it would be awesome.
Thanks!
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[email protected]
Need something custom bent up? shoot me an email, maybe we can make it work!

FORSALE: Thrust cut T4 and 1.9 main bearings

[brotha bran]

I'll just tack on to this thread since it's related, just reverse (installation) of the OP.

I got my passenger side steering knuckle installed to the ball joints fairly easily once I found the sweet spot to place the jack underneath the knuckle. Lifted the lower arm w/ knuckle up and loosely attached the top ball joint. Done.

However, on the driver's side, I'm having a hell of a time. Any time I get close to the top ball joint, the bus begins to lift off the stands. I stop as soon as I see this happening because it worries me to see that even slightly.

Any tips to make this an easier/safer job? I tried using a ratchet strap instead, since that wouldn't have the ability to lift the whole bus, but I couldn't ratchet it enough to get at the threads at all...
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1976 Transporter "Betsy" [Reef Blue, Rebuilt 2L w/ Raby CS heads, 010 Auto. ]
1968 Single Cab "Neptune" [Neptune Blue, stock, stock, stock]

[atmellovw]

Have a person with some weight sit in the drivers seat?
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1972 Westy ("Bubbles") - Pastel White - 1700(1974 MT) - Dual Solex

[brotha bran]

I thought about that. The bus is fairly empty as I'm in mid-restoration mode, so I'm sure it's coming up easier than normal. Maybe I'll grab some of the weights from my weight bench and put them in the front...see if that helps any.

I didn't know if there was a tool to make it easier. The VW shop manual shows something almost like a spring compressor being utilized to bring the two arms close enough together (where I got the idea for the ratchet strap).
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1976 Transporter "Betsy" [Reef Blue, Rebuilt 2L w/ Raby CS heads, 010 Auto. ]
1968 Single Cab "Neptune" [Neptune Blue, stock, stock, stock]

[brotha bran]

Well, I put just about 125lbs of weights in the front end, and it still lifted just as easily up off the stand. I would just keep going but don't want to risk any possibility of the body falling off the stands.

Ideas?
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1976 Transporter "Betsy" [Reef Blue, Rebuilt 2L w/ Raby CS heads, 010 Auto. ]
1968 Single Cab "Neptune" [Neptune Blue, stock, stock, stock]

[Amskeptic]

[sammler]

Chose to replace lower arm first - just to see how to do it. Easy!

Upper arm:

- removed bump stop and arm is resting on the metal where the bump stop was. Arm is still under considerable tension. Must use floor jack to get the upper arm off of the metal stop.

- removed grub screw also on other side upper arm. It is also under considerable tension.Grub screw in center was tightened before working on the torsion arm.

- removed center grub screw - this changes nothing in the tension of either upper arm.

With all the rubber bump stops removed -
- should there be any tension on the upper arm
- the lower arms were a few millimeters above the metal bump stop and not under any tension, very easy to remove.

Raised left side upper arm with floor jack (all 3 upper grub screws removed hoping right side tension would change - it did not.

How can I "release the tension" on the upper arms? I have use a BFH on both upper arms but nothing loosened.

Lower arms were well greased - looking up into the place where the center grub screw was removed it appears to be greased but I am going to grease the upper tube and move the arms up and down with a jack to see if lubrication does anything helpful.

Advice or suggestions would be appreciated. I want to go camping this weekend!!!

Pat
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Pat

[Desertbusman]

You can't "release the tension" on the upper arm. Grease or removing the other grub screws won't do anything to help. Actually loosening or removing the center and opposite grub screws might make a big mess for you if some of the leaves pull out. First get the steering knuckle removed from the torsion arms so it's out of the way and so the bottom torsion arm is out of the picture. Then with a jack as far outward end on the upper torsion arm as you can get it lift it up. You must have already done that if you removed the bump stop. Get a big pry and pry it out until it clears the stop. Just beating it to death isn't the answer.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy