Months ago I took the wing off my GT and am now tired of catching the deck lid flying up when using the inside release. After reading all the archive threads I got a ratcheting strap from O'Reilly's, took off the deck lid, and cleared out the path the strap would need between the 'U'shaped bottom' of the torsion bar and the trunk lip.

Here is the Archive Thread with the exact method: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...040223-2-043677.html

So far all appeared to be ok:



After ratcheting the bar away from the pin head and having the 'pin' ready to drive out of the hole I noticed the S-hook on the strap had slipped up from the 'bottom' of the U to the 'top.' So I backed off the strap and placed a small vice-grip on the U to keep the hook from moving. I tightened the strap again and moved the pin back one hole to reduce the load on the torsion bar. The pin slipped easily from the 'middle' set of holes but if you look towards the red Arrow in the picture you can see the bar is barely hanging on to the bracket and ready to let go):



Seconds after I moved my hand from the pin (Thank God!), the bar let go:



I have been trying for about an hour now to get the bar back into position but it won't go all the way up (at least, it won't go up high enough so one could get the pin under the lip of the bar inside.) I have unbolted the 'hinge' on the other side so I can now move the bar around quite a bit but I can't get it to go up as high as is needed.

Questions:

1-how can I recover from this?

2-On the other side, how can I keep this from happening when ratcheting up the tension? i.e. The ratchet is working to pull the bar away from the firewall but it is also pulling it down

Just about to head out for the night but 'thanks' in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

John

[This message has been edited by Notorio (edited 08-22-2015).]

Nothing I can add that wasn't already stated HERE.

Look somewhat similar?

quote Originally posted by Patrick: In the image below, the red arrow indicates where the out of place torsion rod needs to go. It should be located behind the other rod, parallel to it. I believe there's actually a "nub" on the bracket that the rod sort of clips behind.

quote Originally posted by Notorio: On the other side, how can I keep this from happening when ratcheting up the tension? i.e. The ratchet is working to pull the bar away from the firewall but it is also pulling it down

Well, don't do it that way then! Get rid of the damn ratchet strap. Every time I see someone post a picture of a ratchet strap with their torsion rod rod pulled down I want to scream. Whose idea was that anyway?

I use a piece of a 2x4 several feet long that I lever against the inside of the trunk. The rope is attached to the 2x4 perhaps a foot higher than the top edge of the trunk. The end result is that you're pulling the torsion rod back... and up. Easy peasy.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 08-22-2015).]

Hate to say this but it appears you took a simple job and made it very difficult. Not sure why you took off the deck lid, unless it was already off for another reason.

The bracket you are pointing to has nothing to do with t-bar staying in place. the inside of the U portion is hooked and that portion rests on the adjustable pins. The angle in which you are pulling on the U appears to be downward when it should be upwards.

Hook the other hinge back the way it should be and work the torsion bar back up againts the firewall (plywood strip should keep the insulation from being shred) . No easy tricks... then pull the torsion bar in an up and out motion and insert pin in #1 or #2 position.

then repeat on other side.

2 minute operation.

------------------
Mark
' 85 2m6 3.4PR
In the Great Northwest!

OK, back and checking on your suggestions. Well, I'm a bit disappointed . Let me respond to the lectures:

Thanks, I know I made it harder than it has to be. Thanks, people probably try the 'strap' method b/c that is the one referred to in old threads and it seemed less risky than a 2x4 and rope fighting with a loaded spring. The strap wrench allows one to add/remove tension one notch at a time. It would have worked fine if I had been watching out for the downward pull. No, I didn't realize that the strap was pulling the bar DOWN. This is a mystery b/c the incline of the S-hook-to-the-trunk-lip is actually UP by several inches. So tomorrow I will try, again, to get the rod back into position.

Best way to fix this problem is to finish removing the torsion bars and replace them with one of Rodney Dickmans single strut kits.

quote Originally posted by Notorio: Well, I'm a bit disappointed . Let me respond to the lectures...

Hey, I had a smiley face in my post. Don't take it personally. I wasn't yelling at you.

quote Originally posted by Notorio: ...people probably try the 'strap' method b/c that is the one referred to in old threads and it seemed less risky than a 2x4 and rope fighting with a loaded spring.

I wish I had a picture taken of me using the method I described. There is no "fighting" as the leverage makes pulling the torsion rod(s) back (and up) easy.

quote Originally posted by Monkeyman: Best way to fix this problem is to finish removing the torsion bars and replace them with one of Rodney Dickmans single strut kits.

No way.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 08-23-2015).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick: No way.

Way.

quote Originally posted by Monkeyman: Way.

No.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: No.

Yes.

OK, Rodney's kit is my back-up position. Here I go to try again. If I can't get the strap to fix this I'll try the 2x4. My thought was to lay a pipe across the strut towers so the strap will go up and over it, giving a much more 'upward' pull.

...

Many thanks, Patrick. Now on to a fun job -- I hope.