99 4X4 S-10 lower control arm

[NINFan]

finally figured out what was going on with the front end sway on this POS. So now, the next chapter in the never-ending saga of the money pit 99 Blazer.

looks like the problem has been that the bracket where the sway bar attaches has been loose for a long time and finally let go. i got a lower control arm from a junk yard, but have never done one on a car w torsion bar suspension. tips are appreciated.

i've looked on the web, and i guess you're supposed to release the pressure on the torsion bar? i'm wondering why, though. if you're taking the whole control arm down, isn't all the pressure going to come off anyway? hmmm. unless it's torsioned the other way. guess that would make more sense. anyway, tips, please.

thanks

[MT-2500]

Back off the torsion bar first.
Good Luck

[Reflash]

Count the exposed threads for the adjusting bolt for the torsion bar as well as count how many turns you back the bolt out. This way when you reassemble, you can put it back fairly close to what it was. Otherwise you may have front end alignment issues.

[Airjer_]

I have not had to release the tension on the torsion bar to replace the lower control arm. Just remember when you seperate the knuck and remove the shock to have a jack under the control arm to hold back the force. Also it will need to be high enough to allow the control arm to rotate almost until it is straight up and down.

[Blue Bowtie]

Originally Posted by Airjer_

I realize you think you're right, but I know I am right!

In this case, I believe you are right.

Further, if the problem is only the sway (stabilizer) bar, there should be no need to even drop the LCA. There should be no tension on the sway bay.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by Airjer_

I have not had to release the tension on the torsion bar to replace the lower control arm. Just remember when you seperate the knuck and remove the shock to have a jack under the control arm to hold back the force. Also it will need to be high enough to allow the control arm to rotate almost until it is straight up and down.

Yes it can be done that way.

But that way is just like playing with a loaded shot gun.

For the DIY it is a lot safer to unload his gun first { back it off before starting on it} before staring on it.


A torsion bar is loaded with around 1000 lbs of pressure that can take off a hand or fooot or head that gets in the road or under it when droping a front end.

[NINFan]

sorry - for some reason i wasn't subscribed to this thread, so i didn't think there were any replies.

i've had the whole steering knuckle apart on this before to put in a front bearing, so i'm ok with not releasing the tension first.

Originally Posted by Reflash

Count the exposed threads for the adjusting bolt for the torsion bar as well as count how many turns you back the bolt out. This way when you reassemble, you can put it back fairly close to what it was. Otherwise you may have front end alignment issues.

won't it have to be aligned after replacing the LCA anyway?

[steel2007]

I've done a lot of work on my 97 front end, and I'll say that it'd be best to avoid tampering with the setting on the torsion bars, unless you've got a lot of time to work on them. Lots of people advise the trick of counting threads to get them back to where they were, but I'll tell you from experience that is not necessarily reliable. If you end up with your ride height uneven, your braking and cornering will suffer substantially. If you really need to fiddle with the torsion bars, the correct way to finish is to check the trim height on both sides when you're done, adjust as needed, then have it realigned. As an aside. my braking and steering improved a lot after I did this. These vehicles have a tendency to sink in the front over the years, as the torsion bars weaken. But like others here, i'm still not quite sure what you're trying to do. I'll be glad to tell you what I know if you can be a little more specific.

[NINFan]

finally got around to doing this job. not that bad, really. as i said, i've taken the whole thing apart before for ball joints, bearing etc., so it was just a matter of breaking the ball joints and taking the whole thing apart. what concerns me is that when i put it back together, it was just a matter of jacking up the car from under the LCA and positioning the knuckle into the ball joint. i would have thought that if there's supposed to be that much pressure on it from the torsion bar, it should have been a lot harder to do. is there a way (in a shop) to measure the torsion? can you adjust it just by tightening the bolt? it would seem to me that if there's that much tension on it, you wouldn't be able to tighten the bolt without releasing the torsion first.

[djd99]

Originally Posted by NINFan

finally got around to doing this job. not that bad, really. as i said, i've taken the whole thing apart before for ball joints, bearing etc., so it was just a matter of breaking the ball joints and taking the whole thing apart. what concerns me is that when i put it back together, it was just a matter of jacking up the car from under the LCA and positioning the knuckle into the ball joint. i would have thought that if there's supposed to be that much pressure on it from the torsion bar, it should have been a lot harder to do. is there a way (in a shop) to measure the torsion? can you adjust it just by tightening the bolt? it would seem to me that if there's that much tension on it, you wouldn't be able to tighten the bolt without releasing the torsion first.

Yes that's what that bolt was designed to do load and unload tension.

[NINFan]

^^
what i meant was, can you just tighten the bolt with the suspension assembled, or do you need to unload the torsion first.