Trunk springs

you need a picture?

Z06killinSBF said:

That could help. Thanks

Click to expand...

if you can wait till tomorrow, i will snap one and post it around lunch time

I did this job just 2 weeks ago! %^&king nearly killed me!! (as well as taking some chips out of the paintwork )

I'll try to explain it in words as I took no pics. I consider this system to have 6 parts, 2 individual parts and 2 joined parts: Left bracket/Left hinge (joined) right bracket/Right hinge (joined). Left/Right torsion bars ( they are different). The brackets attach to the chassis, the hinges attach to the trunk lid.

It IS a 2 person job. Although it is entirely possible someone else may have done it on their own, after what it took for me to get it together, I can't see a way of doing it alone.

Once the 'preload' assembly is done there is only torsion between the brackets and the hinges. The assembly of the 2 brackets/hinges and the 2 torsion bars will not try to tear each other apart, the torsion only lies between the brackets and the hinges. Once the pre-torsion is applied the entire assembly can be carefully put in the car.

Firstly, figure out the installed layout of the torsion bars. This took me quite some time and I'm afraid to say that I have no pics. Suffice to say, the 2 torsion bars between each side cross, and they cross very close to the roof of the trunk, (ie they don't hang down!). Once you have decided that there is no possible way this could be correct convince yourself that it is!!! One end of the torsion bars has to be twisted at least 180° from its freestanding position. Although this seems impossible (I thought it was!) it can be done, but not with the brackets in the car.

Here's how I finally got them hooked up: I firmly clamped the LHS hinge into a vice(use protective jaws!) and held the second (RHS) hinge/bracket in front of my chest. Imagine me standing in this formation: closest to me is the RHS hinge, then the LHS hinge is in the vice directly in front of me.

I put one of the torsion bars into its final resting place, between the clamped hinge and the hinge I was holding. By rotating the hinge I was holding clockwise, I put just enough torsion on the first bar to hold it in place.

This is where your helper comes in handy. Get them to place the second torsion bar end in location on the clamped bracket. You will notice that the loose end of the second torsion bar (facing you) is over 180° away from it's locating hook in the bracket you are holding. This is correct!!

Before you go any further get some zipties and tie the ends of the 2 torsion bars to the hinge/bracket in the vice and also to the first torsion bar in the bracket end you are holding. The zipties will not be holding the full tension of the torsion bars - the hooks will do this, they just have to prevent the torsion bars from slipping out of the 'hooks'. (NOTE: this is where I initially went wrong and hence the paintchip issue.. We got the torsion bars installed but when we went to move the assembly one of the ends slipped out of the hooks and the whole assembly let go like a bomb and the torsion bars went flying)

Now, here's where it gets really scary. Rotate the hinge assembly you are holding clockwise against the torsion in the first rod. Note that there are 3 possible locations for the 'loose' end of the second torsion bar in the RHS bracket you are holding. When you are turning the bracket, get your hepler to guide the 'loose' end into the first 'hook' it comes to. Once the torsion bar end is in the hook, you can slowly release the tension by letting the RHS bracket roatate counterclockwise until it comes to rest. Now, the only torsion is between the brackets and the hinges.

DO NOT LET THE ASSEMBLY GO!!!! Get your helper to ziptie the last torsion bar end to the bracket you are holding the same way that the clamped end was done.

STILL DO NOT LET IT GO!!!! Get your helper on the 'vice' end bracket. Undo the vice and together very carefully move the entire assembly into the car. This should not be a problem seeing you have ziptied the torsion bars to the bracket/hinges. Bolt the assembly into the car and you are ready to place the trunk lid.

I might be able to get hold of a camera in the next few days and take some happy snaps of the installation. It will explain better the final resting place of the torsion bars.

Good Luck!

Here are some pics that might help... though mine is a vert.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/68converted/rightsidetrunksprings.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/68converted/FullLengthsprings.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/68converted/Leftsidetrunksprings.jpg

And just for fun... the snow out the front door from our blizzard.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/68converted/Dec29thsnow.jpg

Oops... mine is a '68. I did not see yours is a '66, sorry.

68converted said:

Oops... mine is a '68. I did not see yours is a '66, sorry.

Click to expand...

They look pretty similar. I'd like to know how they did it in the factory. Must be a special tool for it or something.

Good luck driving to work today.....

thanks for the info

Quick thanks to all. Got my torsion bars in right after years of propping the trunk open with a wooden rod.

Ozstang65 is not kidding when he says that the biggest leap is convinging yourself that they install about 180 degrees opposite of what looks correct.

It can be done by one person with the hinge assembly in place in a '67 convertible, but not without scratching some paint, a whole lot of cursing, and the aforementioned risk to teeth and eyes. Ozstang65's out of the car, two person method sounds a lot better, so long as you have the assistant.