61 apache front torsion bar removal

[64tantruck]

hello all,

Ive searched all over looking for info on how to remove the front torsion bars. currently the entire front is out of the truck. Ive added the 73-87 front end. The old front end is sitting on the garage. As it sets, it will not fit in my cargo van to transport to a friends house. If I can remove the bars, it will slide into the van. The rear crossmember we removed a few nights ago. How do the bars seperate from the lower A arms?

Thanks,
Glenn

[markeb01]

Per the 1960 Chevy Shop Manual, you just unwind the bars, and pull them out the back. In the real world I didn’t find that too easy:



Once the front suspension was out on the floor, I lined up a heavy steel bar in front of the torsion bars and beat on them with a 10 pound sledge hammer just to see if I could get them out. They never budged at all and everything went to the dumps in one piece. Others may have had better results.

[64tantruck]

Thanks for the info. I believe mine will have to stay the way they are. Perhaps another way to transport them would be better

[C40]

I need to remove the torsion bars from a 1962 Chevrolet C40 and the only helpful information I have found is the shop manual page uploaded in this thread by Markeb01. But before doing this I will like to hear from someone else in this forum that that’s really all you have to do and there is no need for a special tool to unload the torsion bars. Just unscrew the bolts with the suspension at full rebound and shocks removed. If some one has done this please confirm that and any additional information and or advise is very much appreciated.

[notsolo]

No help on a C 40...On a regular c10, I removed them without any special tools. No real details 35 yrs ago...might have had weight on it. Add a strap or safety chain and back off the bolt. I think mine had a 6 inch fine thread bolt, I still use it as a spring compressor.

[C40]

Originally Posted by notsolo

No help on a C 40...On a regular c10, I removed them without any special tools. No real details 35 yrs ago...might have had weight on it. Add a strap or safety chain and back off the bolt. I think mine had a 6 inch fine thread bolt, I still use it as a spring compressor.

From the information that I have been able to find. The C40 suspension is similar to the C10, C20 and C30 models. I appreciate you very much thank you for taking the time to help