help lowering my saxo please... asap...

[bibby]

i tryed to lower my saxo on saturday! didnt happen! i couldnt seen to get the washer infront of the torsion bar off? it seens like there isnt a washer there its just like its a piece of metal before the torsion bar? has anyone else seen this before? i tryed for around 3 hours to get it off but couldnt do it? anyone help me to solve this problem asap please?? :wall:

[bibby]

bump...

[Toad]

It should be a washer, but it's slightly different than the norm. It's about the size of a ten pence piece, and has a small, off-centre hole. When the hole in the washer is aligned with the hole in the torsion bar, the washer cannot be removed. This is the whole point of the washer, as when you tighten the bolt onto the end of the torsion bar, the washer is locked in place, preventing the torsion bar from moving out from the trailling arm.

When the washer is placed into position inside the arm, it will actually slide about a little, as the area has been cut out increasing its diameter. So the trick to getting the washer out, is to use a small screwdriver and move the washer about until it's no longer dug in to the grooved area, and then flick it out. :)

[bibby]

tar for that mate sounds fairly true! thank you very much for ya help! will lower my car on friday yayyyy!

[Toad]

No worries. Remember, if you managed to unscrew a bolt from the end of the torsion bar, then the piece of metal in between MUST have a hole in it! lol :D

[bibby]

yer it has a hole in it and yes it was offset one side had an open space on it! i couldnt get the washer out! i used wd40 but ill try and hook it out! and use a screw driver on the side were theres a space! has the washer got like vents to stop it from movin if you get what i mean?

[Toad]

No, the washer is completely flat with a small hole in it, nothing else to it. Can you slide it about? You won't be able to hook it out by placing the screwdriver on one of the sides where there's space, as the thickness of the screwdriver will cause the other end of the washer to move into the dug out area... You will need to place the screwdriver in the actual hole of the washer, and move the washer about until you have the whole of it out of the dug out are, and then you can flick it! ;)

[bibby]

ohhh i get ya now! i didnt realise i had to do it that way. so should i move the washer towards the little gap? so it comes out of the little dug out bit yer?

[Toad]

Thing is chap, the washer's diameter is very similar to the diameter of the main hole, so if you wedge a screwdriver on one side of the washer, chances are that the washer will no longer be lined up for coming out. You need to use the hole in the washer to move it about until you've got all of the washer out of the dug out, and then try flicking...

[darkslag72]

sounds like a friday lowering session, me aswel lol

[stevenet15]

use a flat head screwdriver and hammer to lightly tap against the ridge of the hole on the washer so it moves the washer down bringing it out of the lip & ligning it up so u can then hook it out

[bibby]

done the washin but now i carnt get the torsion bar out??? how might i do this???

[Toad]

LOL. Why did have a feeling this was going to be the case? :ponder:

What instrument are you using to release the torsion bar? Did you remember to take the bolt from the opposite side out? You don't have to take the washer out from the opposite side, just the bolt...

[Baynesey]

http://www.suzukituning.com/PSA/Suspension/Lowering.htm

might help

[stevenet15]

done the washin but now i carnt get the torsion bar out??? how might i do this???

its realy pissing me off going over this same shit day after day all your questions will be answered in a search lol

these guides are good:

http://www.badgermotorsport.co.uk/lowering.htm

http://www.suzukituning.com/PSA/Suspension/Lowering.htm

and here is some info from me:

firstly take the shocks off so that the suspension arms dont have any pull on them apart from there own weight, then do measurements (measure from behind the hub to the bottom of the car & note measurments)

Then undo the ARB plate bolts so u can rotate the ARB out the way, next u need to remove all the torx bolts and offcenetered washers from both ends of both torsion bars

now get some WD40 and cokacola and plater it around the ends of the torsion bars and splines this will help eat into the rust and help free it off

then you can either try slide hammering the torsion bar out if its still seised in you can try the bolt and socket method as shown in the pic below (make sure that the bolt has at least 10-15mm in the torsion bar before pulling out or u will rip the threads)

socket and bolt method
http://www.asbomotorsport.co.uk/files/torsionbarend1.gif

if its still not budging then you can get a mate to hit the other side of the torsion bar with a 7lb lump hammer and a bar with you slide hammer or socket and bolt the other side, the pressure of both forces against the torsion bar normally frees it up

lump hammer and bar:
http://www.asbomotorsport.co.uk/files/torsionbarend2.gif

if its still not budging then u can use a blow torch to heat the ends around the torsion bar up as the metal expands it normally healts to break the seal of the rust and help free it up

also sometimes if u put a jack under the arm ur trying to remove the torsion bar from and jsut tkae it up a few mm it helps take a little weight off the torsion bar which can help it have less stress to come out. u can keep applying WD40/coke mixture throughout the different stages to try help it and just have to keep trying, they will give way eventually

once done and out measure and use a jack to hold the arm at the new height u want and then pop the torsion bar back in, and fit everything back on, do some for both sides, job done

here is also a animated pic i made showing torsion bars

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/stevecnet/Animation2darker.gif