Excellent. When reinstalling, its a good idea to coat them with anti-seize. Instead of counting the turns with the adjustment nut, I simply measured the top of the bolt, to the base of the brace. DO NOT USE A REGULAR C-CLAMP - BUY THE RIGHT TOOL. The truck HAS to be off the ground to do this correctly. You need to get as much tension off the keys as possible. Funny story.. I bought my truck new (custom order), and when I picked it up, it had a slight lean to the left. I asked why it was like that, and the dealer said it was probably because of the 35 gallon tank full of fuel. It always bugged me, but I motored on. When it came time to rebuild the front end, I discovered that the driver side torsion key adjustment bolt wasn't even touching the key! I guess the factory forgot to set it. Drove it for 15 years like that. Now it rides flat like it supposed to.
@hawkdsl Thanks for the good points. We forgot to mention that the front of the truck was up on jack stands, it's in the description now. To your point about the adjustment nut, we actually did both but we only mentioned the turns. Can't believe the forgot to set on of your adjustment bolts! That would have bothered the crap out of me!!
@@SuburbanRanch It drove me crazy.. and I was amazed that the bolt was still in place. She had her fun back in the day, 4 wheeling and all the other ruff stuff. But that bolt was still there. Crazy.
man thank you so much, i was so scared of my torsion bars before this video. i really appreciate it, ive changed every single thing on the front suspension and still have a wobble. Im on a time crunch and this shows me i know i can do my lower control arm bushings in one night and still get to work the next day hahaha
@Anything Roam It would probably be pushing it to replace the lower control arm bushings in 1 night! We didn’t replace those ourselves so I don’t know how long it will take. We had a shop do it.
If you have a rusty truck like mine it’ll be seized. Easiest way I found was to cut a notch in the crossmember to give me space to pull the torsion bar lower and cut a relief slot in the torsion key. Once I did this the key popped free immediately. I welded the cross member back up on both sides on the bench, hit it with black paint, and it’s good as new. Slide the new keys on and you’re done. Takes like 2 hours Helps if you’re a journeyman welder I guess lol
Thank you so much for this.I am replacing a transfer case on a GMC3500 out in the Arizona desert and this cross member needs to be removed to get it out. I went ahead and bought the tool from Amazon.
I have just done this on my 1999 Tahoe 4x4. I needed to disconnect the muffler flange so that the pipe would go out of the way, like it does in your video @2:00. I also used the OTC 7822 tool, which has worked out better in my case, as it has a slanted side towards the exhaust for extra clearance. There is another version, OTC 7832, which has equivalent shape to the OEM tool that you are using. However, I must say I find both either OTC versions BETTER than OEM, because their use of 7/8-14 thread vs. the 7/8-9 thread that the OEM tool in this video is using.
I wish it were that easy for my Yukon. Another crossmember and a fuel tank prevent good hammer strikes. The torsion bar became one with the lower control arm and the key. Had to cut the key out. Now trying to find stock key replacements. Still great video!
One thing Ive done as a DIY beginner is mark how the bar is loaded into the keys at both ends with paint. That way you know for sure you will load it exactly how it was. Otherwise it is possible to not have it loaded into the lower control arm right.
if your removing them altogether, I can only assume you're doing lower a arm bushings and ball joints. Excited for that video, as I'm preping to do it myself!
I did my 89 GMC,the bars wouldn't budge hammering them the easiest way was the put a portapower with a bolt on an open end a good amount of pressure and it
Even though yours was rusted, you got lucky, I've pounded on the end of my torsion bar trying to remove it and so far have no luck. I am going to try CRC freeze off on the torsion bar, see if that helps. I've never used it before, but would rather not heat the metal, since it is a spring metal, I don't want to heat it up. But most of the heat would be on the torsion key anyway, which is getting replaced. So if the freeze off doesn't work, I'll get the torch.
Good pace on the video and excellent explanations of every step. One thing though, you MUST avoid scratching the torsion bars which can/will lead to a crack and failure.
Most excellent videos, Dan! Been thinking about replacing control arm bushings while I'm half way there doing ball joints on my '98 Tahoe 4WD but not looking forward to working on my back from a creeper... wish I had high lift! It has "only" 206k miles so it could probably wait a little but since everything else will be new... So thinking about the rusted-in torsion bars others have been "cussing" ;) over (and you started off praying over - too funny!) got me thinking. Once the bars are fully unloaded, wouldn't there be enough play to just drop the lower swing arms down a little below the frame mounts to be able to slide the swing arm forward and off the torsion bar left in place with a hanger wire? That would avoid taking out the cross bar and dealing with torsion bar frozen in the key, yes? Assuming, of course, the bar isn't frozen into the control arm!
@Rob Whitlow That’s actually a pretty good question. My guess is there won’t be enough room to drop the control arm without removing the torsion bar but you could give it a shot.
Hey Guys .. love the channel. I have a slight drop (sag) on the passenger side of my 1996 k1500. I rebuilt the entire front end and rear end and was surprised to see that the problem was unresolved. Could this be a torsion bar adjustment thing?
@Jay T Ours was also slightly lower on the passenger side. We suspected it was for weight offset of the full gas tank and driver but we are still unsure.
Great Video. If you was going to remove the lower control arm anyway, would it be easier to remove the torsion bar with the lower arm instead of removing that central cross member?
@Daz Dazzar You could remove the lower control arms with the torsion bars once you knock them out of the keys. It’s one less step, but the lower control arms will be much heavier and harder to handle
Would you happen to know what size those torsion bar adjustment bolts are? I went out there the other day with a 3/4 inch socket and it was a bit loose. I'm guessing an 18mm ?
When re installing, do you have the tire hanging freely or do you jack the tire up, putting the weight on torsion key as it's lowered, if that makes sense
So I am doing a 2015 k3500 and when I unscrewed the tension bolt there was no more tension and everything came out by hand floating super easy. Is there something wrong with my setup?
@@SuburbanRanch my uncle has pulled the lower control arm bushing off and now needs the rivets gone from the ball joints. I told him he should just bought the whole lower control arm and did it in one piece but he's been hammering away to get the bushing out, I fear the jagged edges might shear the new bushing under pressure, plus he's towing a 30 ft 5th wheel gooseneck on a ball hitch. It's a 90z k1500 everything rebuilt new engine. Just updating the whole front end. He's about to drive it from Utah to Texas so hopefully he'll make it. Although I wouldn't doubt if the wrecker has to come grab it from the drive way lol
@Ashton Guillory We actually have a video on removing those rivets. You have to use the old lower control arms because they don’t make new ones. Here’s that video though. th-cam.com/video/Q97TVSpFQ8s/w-d-xo.html
What if I just need to replace the mounts do I just put the torsion bars back in the same way? I got one side installed no hassle but the other side is the not fitting in
@John Wilson You can probably remove the transmission without removing the torsion bars and crossmember, but it will be a lot harder to pull the transfer case out since you will have to lift it over the crossmember
@@SuburbanRanch am I gonna need to move the hole crossmember out of the way also? Or do I have enough room to pull the torsion bar out of the way some and pull the out the old control arm and install new?
I'm getting ready to install my torsion bars on my 97 Chevy k1500 suburban and I was wondering if there's any front suspension parts that need taken off before I crank the torsion bars? Like do shocks or anything like that need taken off before cranking them?
@Bread 101 No, nothing on the front suspension needs to be removed. The from end of the truck should be up though. We have a video on reinstalling the torsion bars actually, we start the torsion bars at 36:45. th-cam.com/video/VQ6Y5VoUQBw/w-d-xo.html
@@SuburbanRanch I'm in the process of putting the front suspension back together I didn't know if there was anything I had to keep off before loading the torsion bars. Thanks for the info I appreciate it!
Ya believe me when the one I am working on hasn't been took a part 1990 Chevy Silverado 4×4 30 years 3 grown men beat on that dam thing all day with no luck what so ever
@seamorebuttz In our upcoming videos we will be rebuilding the front suspension and removing the torsion bar is the first step in that process. Lots of people remove these to install lift keys as well.
@Suburban Ranch - Hey.....Absolutely love your ViDz buddy...Srry ....don't know your name...So whats your name....I'm Steve - with my 1988 Chevy K 1500 4x4 Silverado Off Road Edition Z-71. Well,,,, at least thats what all the stickers on the truck are saying - hell...who knows what it really is ....with all this new Technology now days it could very well be a Dodge Power Wagon dressed in chevy colors and clothes - just kidding - and trying to put a smile on your face my brother...hope it worked - Have a great day Mr. No Name....lmao Steve Capizzi Age 57 Columbus, Ohio USA And Yes - - - I am a CHEVY MAN...!!!
@@SuburbanRanch Hi Dan - And your welcome...!! Now if you could please tell me the reason why the Torsion Bars would need replacing on your truck - cuz they look perfectly fine to me Dan...?? But...I'm not a mechanic like you are,,,,so give it to me - Why replace them...?? Thanks Steve
Oh ....and I'm sorry Dan....One more question......why does'nt my 1988 chevy k 1500 come with coil springs and a sway bar in the the front end cuz it seems to be missing both of them...???
@steven capizzi In this case, the torsion bars are being removed as the first step in the process of removing the lower control arms so that we can replace the lower control arm bushings. Regarding your other question, the torsion bars are the springs, the k series trucks do not have coil springs. Not sure about your sway bar, perhaps someone removed it?
@Zombie Nugz Yeah we got lucky with no rust. I have seen a video of a guy using a jackhammer but this sounds like a good idea. th-cam.com/video/AYxZzWj0yX0/w-d-xo.html
Excellent. When reinstalling, its a good idea to coat them with anti-seize. Instead of counting the turns with the adjustment nut, I simply measured the top of the bolt, to the base of the brace.
DO NOT USE A REGULAR C-CLAMP - BUY THE RIGHT TOOL. The truck HAS to be off the ground to do this correctly. You need to get as much tension off the keys as possible.
Funny story.. I bought my truck new (custom order), and when I picked it up, it had a slight lean to the left. I asked why it was like that, and the dealer said it was probably because of the 35 gallon tank full of fuel. It always bugged me, but I motored on. When it came time to rebuild the front end, I discovered that the driver side torsion key adjustment bolt wasn't even touching the key! I guess the factory forgot to set it. Drove it for 15 years like that. Now it rides flat like it supposed to.
@hawkdsl Thanks for the good points. We forgot to mention that the front of the truck was up on jack stands, it's in the description now. To your point about the adjustment nut, we actually did both but we only mentioned the turns. Can't believe the forgot to set on of your adjustment bolts! That would have bothered the crap out of me!!
@@SuburbanRanch It drove me crazy.. and I was amazed that the bolt was still in place. She had her fun back in the day, 4 wheeling and all the other ruff stuff. But that bolt was still there. Crazy.
I just measured from bottom of bar to the bolt. Would they fix it at the alignment shop anyway? I see kids turning them all the way up all the time.
@REEF X mr Measuring from the bottom of the bolt is fine. But alignment does not adjust ride height.
@@SuburbanRanch so all it affects is ride height?
You are one of the most useful TH-cam mechanics. You give great descriptions and so what to do very nice
Man, keep these videos going. You are so thorough and explain things so easily
man thank you so much, i was so scared of my torsion bars before this video. i really appreciate it, ive changed every single thing on the front suspension and still have a wobble. Im on a time crunch and this shows me i know i can do my lower control arm bushings in one night and still get to work the next day hahaha
@Anything Roam It would probably be pushing it to replace the lower control arm bushings in 1 night! We didn’t replace those ourselves so I don’t know how long it will take. We had a shop do it.
@@SuburbanRanch maybe just one side hahaha
If you have a rusty truck like mine it’ll be seized. Easiest way I found was to cut a notch in the crossmember to give me space to pull the torsion bar lower and cut a relief slot in the torsion key.
Once I did this the key popped free immediately. I welded the cross member back up on both sides on the bench, hit it with black paint, and it’s good as new. Slide the new keys on and you’re done. Takes like 2 hours
Helps if you’re a journeyman welder I guess lol
This makes me way less afraid to tackle leveling keys on my k3500! Thank you
Thank you so much for this.I am replacing a transfer case on a GMC3500 out in the Arizona desert and this cross member needs to be removed to get it out. I went ahead and bought the tool from Amazon.
How did it work?
I have just done this on my 1999 Tahoe 4x4. I needed to disconnect the muffler flange so that the pipe would go out of the way, like it does in your video @2:00. I also used the OTC 7822 tool, which has worked out better in my case, as it has a slanted side towards the exhaust for extra clearance. There is another version, OTC 7832, which has equivalent shape to the OEM tool that you are using. However, I must say I find both either OTC versions BETTER than OEM, because their use of 7/8-14 thread vs. the 7/8-9 thread that the OEM tool in this video is using.
Thank you for your video. That torsion bar scared me until watching this.
I wish it were that easy for my Yukon. Another crossmember and a fuel tank prevent good hammer strikes. The torsion bar became one with the lower control arm and the key. Had to cut the key out. Now trying to find stock key replacements. Still great video!
Thanks for making this and future obs videos
Excellent video. Very well explained. Thank you sir.
One thing Ive done as a DIY beginner is mark how the bar is loaded into the keys at both ends with paint. That way you know for sure you will load it exactly how it was. Otherwise it is possible to not have it loaded into the lower control arm right.
Just the job im doing! Front suspension 1992 sub. Removing lower control arm now having a shop put in new parts i have.
Badass video!! Thanks man!! 👍
if your removing them altogether, I can only assume you're doing lower a arm bushings and ball joints. Excited for that video, as I'm preping to do it myself!
@Aiden Stefanson Yes, we plan on doing the lower ball joints and control arm bushings
Muchas gracias mi pana me fue de gran ayuda saludos desde el ecuador
Thank You!! my friend for the video!
I did my 89 GMC,the bars wouldn't budge hammering them the easiest way was the put a portapower with a bolt on an open end a good amount of pressure and it
great video
Even though yours was rusted, you got lucky, I've pounded on the end of my torsion bar trying to remove it and so far have no luck. I am going to try CRC freeze off on the torsion bar, see if that helps. I've never used it before, but would rather not heat the metal, since it is a spring metal, I don't want to heat it up. But most of the heat would be on the torsion key anyway, which is getting replaced. So if the freeze off doesn't work, I'll get the torch.
@foxrace0985 Yeah, we got lucky. I did see a video of a guy that used a full size jackhammer to get them out. Worst comes to worse... haha!
Great explanation thank you
Good pace on the video and excellent explanations of every step. One thing though, you MUST avoid scratching the torsion bars which can/will lead to a crack and failure.
Hey thanks a lot I’m going to get one of those
Very helpful. Thx.
Thanks I’m doing this today
Thank you
Most excellent videos, Dan! Been thinking about replacing control arm bushings while I'm half way there doing ball joints on my '98 Tahoe 4WD but not looking forward to working on my back from a creeper... wish I had high lift! It has "only" 206k miles so it could probably wait a little but since everything else will be new... So thinking about the rusted-in torsion bars others have been "cussing" ;) over (and you started off praying over - too funny!) got me thinking. Once the bars are fully unloaded, wouldn't there be enough play to just drop the lower swing arms down a little below the frame mounts to be able to slide the swing arm forward and off the torsion bar left in place with a hanger wire? That would avoid taking out the cross bar and dealing with torsion bar frozen in the key, yes? Assuming, of course, the bar isn't frozen into the control arm!
@Rob Whitlow That’s actually a pretty good question. My guess is there won’t be enough room to drop the control arm without removing the torsion bar but you could give it a shot.
Lots of PB blaster. @Rob Whitlow How did you end up with the rust? I'm looking at the same issue.
P.S. - - - - I just Subbed to your channel
thanks
You can take some bright colored paint and paint the bolt before you remove the bolt
Oh WHOA!
Does anyone know who might make a torsion bar support mount cant find one for my 1993
Yeah right tap on the end i have never seen one come out that easy
Southern truck with no rust!
Hey Guys .. love the channel. I have a slight drop (sag) on the passenger side of my 1996 k1500. I rebuilt the entire front end and rear end and was surprised to see that the problem was unresolved. Could this be a torsion bar adjustment thing?
@Jay T Ours was also slightly lower on the passenger side. We suspected it was for weight offset of the full gas tank and driver but we are still unsure.
Great Video. If you was going to remove the lower control arm anyway, would it be easier to remove the torsion bar with the lower arm instead of removing that central cross member?
@Daz Dazzar You could remove the lower control arms with the torsion bars once you knock them out of the keys. It’s one less step, but the lower control arms will be much heavier and harder to handle
Omg.. It took PB Blaster, torch, and my plumber roommate's roto hammer to bust those torsion bars loose.
Would you happen to know what size those torsion bar adjustment bolts are? I went out there the other day with a 3/4 inch socket and it was a bit loose. I'm guessing an 18mm ?
@Brian Bechtol Yes they are 18mm.
@@SuburbanRanch Thanks!
When re installing, do you have the tire hanging freely or do you jack the tire up, putting the weight on torsion key as it's lowered, if that makes sense
You can leave it hanging freely, that will be the most relaxed position for the torsion bar.
What lift do you have? It looks nice. I am tired of crawling all over the ground .
@tim s It’s a rotary revolution
Hey I have a 94 full size blazer do you know what donor trucks I can use to replace it my torsion bar so I won't have to buy a new one?
@Eric Garcia I’m not sure on the torsion bar compatibility
So the torsion bar is loaded by it being twisted and the torsion key holds it under load?
@Meatwad Baggins Correct.
So I am doing a 2015 k3500 and when I unscrewed the tension bolt there was no more tension and everything came out by hand floating super easy. Is there something wrong with my setup?
That’s very odd!
Sub'd good stuff dude
Just putting this out there @suburbanranch your my fricken hero
I seen where you tapped it out of the back with the bolt but how do you get the torsion bar out of the lower control arm?
@Ashton Guillory The crossmember has to be removed. Shown at 3:47 in the video.
@@SuburbanRanch my uncle has pulled the lower control arm bushing off and now needs the rivets gone from the ball joints. I told him he should just bought the whole lower control arm and did it in one piece but he's been hammering away to get the bushing out, I fear the jagged edges might shear the new bushing under pressure, plus he's towing a 30 ft 5th wheel gooseneck on a ball hitch. It's a 90z k1500 everything rebuilt new engine. Just updating the whole front end. He's about to drive it from Utah to Texas so hopefully he'll make it. Although I wouldn't doubt if the wrecker has to come grab it from the drive way lol
@Ashton Guillory We actually have a video on removing those rivets. You have to use the old lower control arms because they don’t make new ones. Here’s that video though. th-cam.com/video/Q97TVSpFQ8s/w-d-xo.html
What is that stick you used to bang out the torsion bar
@Archangel Michael It’s just an old grade 8 bolt we use as a punch. We use it in the ball joint video we have as well.
On my 99 silverado, one of the torsion key adjustment bolts is bent in half but still threaded in. Any suggestions on how to get it out?
@Jose Carambot Can you grab the old bolt with a pair of vice grips and rotate it?
@@SuburbanRanch no it was bent in half so it wouldn't thread back out. I ended up just cutting it out.
What if I just need to replace the mounts do I just put the torsion bars back in the same way? I got one side installed no hassle but the other side is the not fitting in
@James Banteah Which mounts are you referring to?
@@SuburbanRanch the torsion crossmember mounts
@James Banteah Not sure why the other isn’t going in, but yes, put the torsion bars back in the same way they came out.
Did you have the trucks front end on the air or can I do it sitting on the ground?
The front end is in the air, supported by the frame.
What if you don’t have torsion bars? I have a 250 97 Lariat LD 7700 and there isn’t any I’m lost
@PizzaDoeJack Isn’t a Lariat a Ford? If so, totally different suspension.
If I don’t have a lift can I Jack just the front end up and block and secure it?
Yes
Thank you!
My torsion bar is siezed in control arm and in the key. I cut a peice of the bar out both side solid as fuck
Do you need to remove this to change transmission on a 89 k1500?
@John Wilson You can probably remove the transmission without removing the torsion bars and crossmember, but it will be a lot harder to pull the transfer case out since you will have to lift it over the crossmember
@@SuburbanRanch Those bars are stuck in the control arms. As long as the tranny shop can do the tranny with out remo
val all is good. ty
Do I have to unload the torsion bar in order to replace a lower control arm?
@Anthonny Palomares Yes you need to unload the torsion bars to remove the lower control arms.
@@SuburbanRanch am I gonna need to move the hole crossmember out of the way also? Or do I have enough room to pull the torsion bar out of the way some and pull the out the old control arm and install new?
@Anthonny Palomares You will have to remove the crossmember if you want to pull the torsion bars all the way out.
Can i just use a big c-clamp?
@Ian Westfall I wouldn’t. This tool has a little nub that fits into the divot on the crossmember and the key. Plus you can rent it for free.
Is the front wheels loaded or unloaded.
@rusty watts they should be unloaded
@@SuburbanRanch thanks
I'm getting ready to install my torsion bars on my 97 Chevy k1500 suburban and I was wondering if there's any front suspension parts that need taken off before I crank the torsion bars? Like do shocks or anything like that need taken off before cranking them?
@Bread 101 No, nothing on the front suspension needs to be removed. The from end of the truck should be up though. We have a video on reinstalling the torsion bars actually, we start the torsion bars at 36:45. th-cam.com/video/VQ6Y5VoUQBw/w-d-xo.html
@@SuburbanRanch I'm in the process of putting the front suspension back together I didn't know if there was anything I had to keep off before loading the torsion bars. Thanks for the info I appreciate it!
Ya believe me when the one I am working on hasn't been took a part 1990 Chevy Silverado 4×4 30 years 3 grown men beat on that dam thing all day with no luck what so ever
@Terry Crosby We were worried ours would be frozen as well. Have you tried adding some heat to it?
And for what purpose would this be removed???
@seamorebuttz In our upcoming videos we will be rebuilding the front suspension and removing the torsion bar is the first step in that process. Lots of people remove these to install lift keys as well.
@@SuburbanRanch thank you for the quick response. 1990 Silverado 1500 5.7 auto 2wd 122,000.
@seamorebuttz or in my case to remove the transfer case.
Brother please say tool name 🙏
@Fardeen Shalkh GM Torsion Bar Unloading Tool. OEM27278. We rented it from AutoZone
That key and torsion bar had been loosened b4 video.....
@Paul Roberts I promise it was not, we just got very lucky!
He asked the truck nicely at the beginning of the video
@Suburban Ranch - Hey.....Absolutely love your ViDz buddy...Srry ....don't know your name...So whats your name....I'm Steve - with my 1988 Chevy K 1500 4x4 Silverado Off Road Edition Z-71. Well,,,, at least thats what all the stickers on the truck are saying - hell...who knows what it really is ....with all this new Technology now days it could very well be a Dodge Power Wagon dressed in chevy colors and clothes - just kidding - and trying to put a smile on your face my brother...hope it worked - Have a great day Mr. No Name....lmao
Steve Capizzi
Age 57
Columbus, Ohio USA
And Yes - - - I am a CHEVY MAN...!!!
@Steven Capizzi Name is Dan, thanks for the kind words and the sub!
@@SuburbanRanch Hi Dan - And your welcome...!! Now if you could please tell me the reason why the Torsion Bars would need replacing on your truck - cuz they look perfectly fine to me Dan...?? But...I'm not a mechanic like you are,,,,so give it to me - Why replace them...??
Thanks
Steve
Oh ....and I'm sorry Dan....One more question......why does'nt my 1988 chevy k 1500 come with coil springs and a sway bar in the the front end cuz it seems to be missing both of them...???
@steven capizzi In this case, the torsion bars are being removed as the first step in the process of removing the lower control arms so that we can replace the lower control arm bushings. Regarding your other question, the torsion bars are the springs, the k series trucks do not have coil springs. Not sure about your sway bar, perhaps someone removed it?
Definitely not tapping it out like that
@Zombie Nugz Yeah we got lucky with no rust. I have seen a video of a guy using a jackhammer but this sounds like a good idea. th-cam.com/video/AYxZzWj0yX0/w-d-xo.html
does anyone know where i can find the crossmember? my dads rotted out and its a discounted part #15727332
@Brandon Salisbury Junkyard, should be easy to find one.