Im having a hard time replacing the spring plates and torsion bars back into position on the chassis, the problem being that I cant push the spring plate and torsion bar back far enough into chassis so spring plate rests on bump stops, and when I can get end cap on and tighten bolts up it starts to bend and is no where near tight up to chassis.
All i can think is the torsion bar bushings im using are wrong, they appear too big, the suppliers gave me four bushes which are all the same, I think this is right for a 1956 beetle, anyone got any ideas? should this be an easy job?
A large turn buckle from the hardware store. Attach one end to the springplate end via the holes where the axle bolts, and the other to the shock mount on the chassis. Then tighten the turn buckle, this should pull the spring plate up.
what you have to do is
put two bolts in diagonal on the end capwith everything in then wind the spring plat so it clears the put the other 2 in the do them up tight
yeah i think i know what you mean,
Ill go to the volks shop tomorrow and see if they have the correct bushes, cause was a struggle to compress them into position,
Thanks for contributions all...
When you get the correct bushes, use some longer bolts for the end cap, get it screwed down and then replace the long bolts with proper ones. Have you set your spring plate angle up yet? If you gave to much angle they can be hard to get back together.
If you have a spare spring plate or some scrap steel steel, bolt it to the spring plate so that you have an extra long spring plate, then using a floor jack lift the spring plate up by the very end.
I havent set up spring plates with a protractor, but I took photos before I removed spring plates and gauged the position on that.
I used the trolley and turnbuckle method to jack up spring plate which worked, and used hardware clamps to try and press spring plate side ways into torsion housing but just cant get it in enough to rest on spring plate rest.
Pull one side apart again-make sure you have the inside bush pushed fully home-put some lube on it and try to fit the torsion bar/spring plate back,but in a position that has no tension on the torsion bar(somewhere between the upper and lower bump stops)and see if it goes in all the way without a lot of persuasion.I always put heaps of grease on the splines on both ends.If it goes all the way then you know it should once you tension it up.
