North American Turbocoupe Organization



Resetting the trunk lid torsion bars
Not B Anymore Offline
Administrator
#1
Went to pick up a few groceries after work today. Got the trunk loaded up, closed the lid, and heard a quite loud pop and then what sounded like breaking glass in the trunk. I'm not afraid to admit, it startled the bejubus out of me! My first thought was that I didn't have anything glass in the trunk? My second thought was that I had just popped a torsion bar. My third thought was that I was going to open the trunk to find said torsion bar sticking out of my subwoofer!

Well, fortunately there was no damaged audio equipment and the groceries were ok. One of the torsion bars had, over time, worked it's way out of the hole in the hinge that they go in. Good God - what a PITA to reset those things! At least until I figured out the "easy" way to do it, but it only works if you have a foot-long screwdriver or something similar.

In the side of the hinge assembly there is a large, rectangular hole.
[Image: IMG_2079.jpg]

If you look through that hole, if the trim panel is not obstructing it you will see a circular hole in the side of the trunk
[Image: ?action=view&current=IMG_2083.jpg]
May be a little hard to see. The circular hole is circled in red.

So what I did was re-insert the torsion bar into the hole on the one side (in the hinge). Then I was able to pull the other side (the side that goes on the hooks) up enough by hand to stick my screwdriver through the rectangular hole and get it under the bar. Then I worked the screwdriver in more and through the round hole in the side of the trunk. Now you can let go of the screwdriver and the torsion bar can't spring back.
[Image: IMG_2086-1.jpg]
[Image: IMG_2087.jpg]

After that it's just a matter of pulling up on the screwdriver until the torsion bar slips onto that first hook.
[Image: IMG_2085.jpg]

I didn't search on this at all so it may have been covered before, but I bet there weren't any sweet pictures to go along with it! Hope this helps someone.

FYI - apparently there is nothing actually holding the torsion bar in the hole in the hinge besides the tension on it. I don't know about you, but I am now going to periodically give the bar a whack with a rubber mallet to make sure it remains fully inserted in the trunk hinge (that's the lesson by the way!).
Brian Leavitt
'86 TC 5-Speed -- MS2x w/COP | 83 lb. injectors | T3/T4 50 Trim Stage 3 .63AR | Full 3" Exhaust - No Cat | Motorsport FMIC | Ranger Roller | Ported E6 | Walbro 255HP | Kirban | 20psi | 120-amp 3G | 8.8" 3.55 rear | '03 Cobra Wheels
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