torsion bars wore out?

[Caman96]

I wouldn’t mess with that either. And I agree, it looks more like the LCA’s, but looking closer, I think you see abnormal wear on both. I’m kinda baffled as to how it could even happen.

 

[BMarino]

Are you sure you haven't misplaced right and left torsion bars? Not sure if it applies to gmt400s, but usually torsion bars have a specific side... If you swapped them, maybe that could be your issue.

 

[Caman96]

Are you sure you haven't misplaced right and left torsion bars? Not sure if it applies to gmt400s, but usually torsion bars have a specific side... If you swapped them, maybe that could be your issue.

Yes, side specific, but not dimensionally different sizes.

 

[lukeapre]

I marked the bars before I removed them. They're the back in the right spot. Same orientation, same sides. To me it does look like both are slightly worn making a sizable gap. And yea I agree, no idea how these get worn like that, if they are worn. I can see the spring rate getting soft after time, but to wear inside like that, I don't know. I did find a video of a guy changing out bushings on his lower control arms, sure enough I can see light through the control arm where the bars fit in. He has the exact same suburban. His was not cleaned either and I could still see a gap. Maybe its these trucks alone? 1999 k2500s? I thought Gm was scavenging parts around this time. Maybe this item on their list got the old "good nuf"? To replace bars and lower control arms is about $1000k. I could go with a slightly softer bar rate, little smoother ride, and I do need lower control arm bushings....new control arms come with new bushings....thousand dollars is hard to justify for lca bushings, but with costs of cars these days.....shop would charge me hundreds to replace my bushings anyway....In the name of safety.....add to all that my seasoned process for justifying things that aren't necessary.... I appreciate the feed back guys. I'm going to do some more research and see if replacement is really an appropriate option. Thanks again!

 

[Hipster]

I wouldn’t mess with that either. And I agree, it looks more like the LCA’s, but looking closer, I think you see abnormal wear on both. I’m kinda baffled as to how it could even happen.

I'm wondering if the bars are indigenous to the truck. A lot can happen in 20+ years. Aftermarket replacements that didn't fit quite right etc. I would slide them back out and look closee at the wear on both pieces.

 

[Caman96]

Yeah, I’m trying to understand how a bar that fits tightly(at least supposed to) could spin around in LCA. The wrong one could.

 

[Hipster]

I do need lower control arm bushings

Maybe his wiped out control arm bushings created for him, the same problem you're seeing. Letting everything walk around and get wallowed out.

 

[Caman96]

I remember years ago, I had my 74 Plymouth Satellite jacked up, can’t remember what I was doing, when I heard a BANG that was so loud, I literally thought someone had fired a gun near my ears. I didn’t realize until I lowered the car, and one side was nearly touching the ground what had happened. Torsion bar broke!

 

[Hipster]

I remember years ago, I had my 74 Plymouth Satellite jacked up, can’t remember what I was doing, when I heard a BANG that was so loud, I literally thought someone had fired a gun near my ears. I didn’t realize until I lowered the car, and one side was nearly touching the ground what had happened. Torsion bar broke!

I mess with a lot of mopars. You might have tore the hex out of the control arm, or the t-bar fractured, or the crossmember that anchors the t-bar ripped loose from the unibody. I put P.S.T 1.03 bars in my Duster, and after wire brushing the hexes out and adding a touch of grease they were a tight fit. I've also seen Mopar one's break, slant 6 bars when cranked.

 

[Caman96]

I mess with a lot of mopars. You might have tore the hex out of the control arm, or the t-bar fractured, or the crossmember that anchors the t-bar ripped loose from the unibody. I put P.S.T 1.03 bars in my Duster . and after wirebrushing the hexes out and adding a touch of grease they were a tugh fit.

Yeah, I wasn’t even messing with it, it just exploded!