Easy torsion bar removal
The lathe I have easy access to is a chinese made direct drive thingy with cheap drills. I'll give it a go.
02-10-2014 | 07:26 AM
#19
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,008
Likes: 95
From: Hyde Park, NY
It just has to hold the torsion bar, and have a tail stock that has a drill chuck. Put it on a low speed 200-400 RPM, drill in about an inch or so, then use a tap to cut the threads.
When I use a tap on the lathe, I put in a "live center" or some pointy thing in the tail stock... I can use this in the dimple at the back of the tap handle to make sure the tap is going into the hole straight. Then I usually hold the tap, and while the lathe is in neutral, turn the chuck by hand to start threading the tap in.
When I use a tap on the lathe, I put in a "live center" or some pointy thing in the tail stock... I can use this in the dimple at the back of the tap handle to make sure the tap is going into the hole straight. Then I usually hold the tap, and while the lathe is in neutral, turn the chuck by hand to start threading the tap in.
02-10-2014 | 07:46 AM
#20
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 5
From: Norway
Good tip. I will have to check if ther is such a thing. Last time I just clamped the tap in the universal drill chuck in the tail stock. I didn't clamp the tail stock but left it slide freely on the rails. Then I turned the chuck by hand. Once the tap started cutting it simply pulled the tail stock along. It was very easy to do it this way.
02-10-2014 | 11:41 AM
#22
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 5
From: Norway
02-10-2014 | 12:31 PM
#23
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6,769
Likes: 298
From: Palm Beach, Florida
It has been done, but you need 911 torsion bars. Here you go.
Also 911 TB's are plentiful and cheap
02-10-2014 | 12:59 PM
#24
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 5
From: Norway
02-10-2014 | 07:30 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,528
Likes: 34
From: Honolulu,HI
No need to drop the trans - just the rear suspension. Most people find they can index them properly in 3-4 iterations of remove-install...
Re: welding the ends of the torsion bars - welding on a tab is a a very small amount of heat for the mass of the entire bar, so there is no ill effect.
I drilled and tapped those on a lathe. To get them out, after making the rocker holes and getting the end caps off, I used an aluminum bar as a large punch and hammered on one bar, pushing the other one out enough to grab by hand, then switched sides and hammered the first one out.
Re: welding the ends of the torsion bars - welding on a tab is a a very small amount of heat for the mass of the entire bar, so there is no ill effect.
I drilled and tapped those on a lathe. To get them out, after making the rocker holes and getting the end caps off, I used an aluminum bar as a large punch and hammered on one bar, pushing the other one out enough to grab by hand, then switched sides and hammered the first one out.
02-11-2014 | 05:29 AM
#26
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 468
Likes: 2
From: Auckland, NZ
I just went through this one - about half way through the 3rd attempt my second kid was born and the car spent about 10 months on stands... Just buttoned it up and all went well. The elephant racing spring plates look ideal to me in retrospect... I probably will do it all again when I go to bigger bars...
