Key install without special tools?

[Corrod95]

you guys could just pay me the $100 or $150 your willing to spend and I will do it for you in less than a hour.
or just forget c clamps and buy a $25 puller and be done with it. this really isnt that hard:rofl:

 

[Alligator]

If he were close, I'd do it for free. Only takes 15 minutes a side...well, unless they are severely rusted.

 

[TheBac]

Tony, I have the proper C-clamp tool for the job. Do you want to borrow it? It just sits in my toolbox. Want me to ship it to you?

 

[hbseth]

Sorry to wake this old thread up but why not just;

1. Jack up the front end
2. Take off the wheel
3. Place a floor jack under the rotor
4. Take top nut off of shock to allow the lower control arm to do all of the work for you.

Seems like all of the tension would be taken out of the torsion bar for both R&R with the lower control arm past full extension..

If not, wouldn't it still allow for less tension on the Clamp of choice you're using? I know I'm overthinking it a little, adding some labor time with the extra steps too but seems safer, cheaper, and more logical then using so much FORCE

Ill let you know how it turns out..

 

[clrussell]

Sorry to wake this old thread up but why not just;



1. Jack up the front end

2. Take off the wheel

3. Place a floor jack under the rotor

4. Take top nut off of shock to allow the lower control arm to do all of the work for you.



Seems like all of the tension would be taken out of the torsion bar for both R&R with the lower control arm past full extension..



If not, wouldn't it still allow for less tension on the Clamp of choice you're using? I know I'm overthinking it a little, adding some labor time with the extra steps too but seems safer, cheaper, and more logical then using so much FORCE



Ill let you know how it turns out..

That works sometimes. I do this with lift kits. Although I take the lower ball joint loose


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[c20elephant]

I used to work at a wrecking yard in another life a long time ago, the Eldorado front wheel drives had torsion bars. Remove the wheel and tire, loosen the key bolt, remove the lower ball joint nut, lower the car to about 4 inches from the ground with the winch truck and give the spindle a whack with your BFH......getting it back together the opposite, not gonna happen..

Be safe and borrow/rent/purchase the correct tool...

 

[WolfLMM]

Old thread, but it's easy as pie

1- jack one side of truck up, place jack stand under

2- use bottle jack, with a 2 inch piece of steel with top turned down to 1/2 inch boss (to fit in dimple on key) get creative I used a blank piece of bar I had drilled a hole in and stuck a 1/2 stud in the hole, wide base narrow top boss to fit in key. It won't come out that way. Use you brains here guys. Make sure it's locked in.

3- raise jack till pressure on T nut is loose. Pull out tee nut, lower jack, remove key, reinstall new key, lift jack, insert nut, start bolt, release jack. Done with that side.

I was done in 20 minutes.

I've got the unloading tool, honestly it's very scary. Thing is sprung out like hell trying to twist torsion bar. Not using it anymore. The jack method is much safer and faster.

 

[bml2200]

You can use a standard c clamp, just remove the end plate so the ball goes into the socket on the key. You just won't have the tab that locks the c clamp into the x-member.

Been doing this for over 10 years now.

 

[Awenta]

Very old thread haha. Wheels off the ground is enough to turn them. Clamp works too, easy.

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[c20elephant]

Not just a regular C-clamp from Home Depot, Harbor Fraught etc., a welders C-clamp might have a strong enough C section to keep from twisting...

 

[WolfLMM]

It needs to be a thick c clamp. Being a machinist, we have some very heavy duty lifting clamps. Still, it's way easier to just use a jack. Hydraulics make the world go round. Let fluid do all the hard work

 

[Awenta]

Not just a regular C-clamp from Home Depot, Harbor Fraught etc., a welders C-clamp might have a strong enough C section to keep from twisting...

True. Should have mentioned that. I have a bunch of these

http://www.armstrongtools.com/clamp...lamp-heavy-duty-pattern-full-screw-5-3-8.html

Never tried it on keys because I just jack up the front. But I can guarantee that they won't flex. I've clamped the leaf spring pack together completely with them.

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