1996 GMC K1500 torsion bar stubbornness.
 

Hi all. I haven't been around much in the last 10 years, but I'm back. And I need some help. Not because I'm back. That's beside the point. :D

I have a 96 K1500 that I'm rebuilding the front suspension. Everything came apart quite nicely until it was time to drop the lower control arms. Everything came to a screeching halt. I can't get the torsion bars to move. I've removed the tension from them and have been soaking both ends in PB Blaster regularly for the last two weeks.

I can now feel the torsion keys moving independently of the torsion bars, so I think they should move. I've done this same thing before, but it was close to 30 years ago. I'm thinking that I should just unbolt the crossmember from the frame and see if I can push it and the keys back off the bars. If I can get the back end of the bars free, I think I can get the LCAs out even with the bars in them. Maybe. I think.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Matt

Re: 1996 GMC K1500 torsion bar stubbornness.
 

Is there absolutely zero tension on the bar? Heat is probably going to be you friend, or if you're replacing the lower control arm, cut it out of your way and just hammer the bar to get key all the way loose so you can reinstall everything.

Re: 1996 GMC K1500 torsion bar stubbornness.
 

Unfortunately I'm not planning on replacing the lower control arms, otherwise I probably would have gone that route already. I used heat on the keys and I think that's what helped break those loose-ish.

I have the control arms jacked up to remove their weight/torque from the torsion bar. Last time I did this was on an 88 or 89 truck but it was in the mid 90's so it hadn't had nearly the time to rust everything together as this one has. I really don't think it has been apart since the it left the factory. I'm almost positive the lower ball joints are original as are the lower control arm bushings. The only pieces that I know have been replaced are the sway-bar end links. If I can't get the torsion bars loose, I'll probably just press the new LBJs in and pay someone to do the bushings, which I'd rather not do.

One thing I did learn (remember?) working through this is to never comment to anyone on how well things are going. Right before I started on the torsion bars, I mentioned to my wife that it was going much smoother than I had anticipated. That was a mistake. 😅