Removing my tortion bars

[MisterGreen17]

Hey, has anyone completely loosened their tortion bars enough to remove them? I have the GM service manual, and it says I need a special "unloading tool" to get my tortion bars out. From the picture, though, it just looks to me like a big C-clamp...does anyone know if I can just use a regular C-clamp to unload the bars?

Actually, I should probably mention what I'm trying to accomplish here, because maybe I don't even have to go that far...

While offroading a while back, I slammed the tortion bar crossmember into a rock and pivoted it back on its mounts. I don't think any of the actual mounting components were damaged, but I've been unable to whack the crossmember back into its original position with my hand sledge. I guess there's really just too much resistance being applied by the tortion bars, and I'm hoping that if they were looser (or removed), I'd then be able to pivot the crossmember back into place. Does anyone think that if I just back the adjusting screws off all the way, without pulling the tortion bars out, that doing that alone might lessen the resistance enough to whack the crossmember forward again? Also, the service manual mentions raising the vehicle up...is that really necessary? Would it possibly help me accomplish what I'm trying to do?

The slanted cant you can see when looking at my truck from the side is really just bugging me bad...

Thanks

 

[ygmn]

Look in off road section then the LIFT sub section...

A thread in there somewhere with pics on how to do this...

 

[SRFNSNO]

Hey: whats up.
Yes lifting the AV up and letting the suspension drop will lessen the load on the T-Bar.
And if I remember right some one on the site did do a Key swap using C-clamps.

With the AV on the ground the T-Bar is carring all the weight of the Truck.

Good luck>

 

[MisterGreen17]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply ygmn and SRFNSNO...I did find that thread, and it pretty much told me everything I need to know. The bolt puller looks like a good alternative, too...a little more stable, perhaps, than using something like a C-clamp.

I just got some "full" skid plates fabricated last week to prevent this from being an issue in the future...just kicking myself now for not getting it done sooner so that I would've avoided the whole hassle of attempting this.

Work and school have kept me pretty busy lately, otherwise I'd be in here (or out on the trail) a lot more...hopefully that'll change come summer...

 

[SRFNSNO]

I hear Paragon's Landlords are backing out of there Agreement.
and they will be loosing the land to development.

 

[stingray502]

I saw something just the other day on TV...it is the show with the guy named "BUZZ" on it. Anyway he was lowering a Tahoe and was taking the keys out. He showed the tool enough to know that it looked like a C clamp but there was something different about it that let you get access to the bolt or somthing. Anyway it was made clear on the show that it looked like a C clamp but it was not. Maybe Autozone or some place has one for you to rent?

 

[MisterGreen17]

It's true. ? Paragon is fighting it in court, but I was signed up to go on this month's trail ride and it got cancelled at the last minute because of some legal action that came up all of a sudden.

I hear Paragon's Landlords are backing out of there Agreement.
and they will be loosing the land to development.

Thanks for the suggestion, too, stingray. I guess I'm going try just loosening the adjusting bolts first to see if that gets enough of the tension off, and if it isn't, then I'll try to find a place that will rent me the tool.

Hey, as long as I measure up to the bottom of each fender before I do anything and make sure it comes out the same when I'm done, there's no need for me to get another alignment, is there?