This weekend, I lowered my tailgate and heard a large "bang". The torsion bar snapped, but fortunately it didn't break my new rear window. Man the tailgate is heavy without the torsion bar!

I have a new bar on order, but can't really see into the tailgate to find out how it is attached.

From what I can tell, there is a collar in the middle of the tailgate. Are there any other connection/attachment points? Can anyone enlighten me on the best way to replace this?

TIA,
Ned.

 

Unfortunately, the easiest way to get at the torsion bar is to remove the rest of the guts of the gate. Its also safer in the event you miss getting it aligned and it springs free. You got very lucky that it didn't snap the glass. On the driver's side there is a channel in the framework of the gate that the end of the bar sits in. It is imperative that this channel be intact and not rusted because its the only thing holding the inside end of the bar. There are two brackets holding it against the floor of the gate. You can see the bolt heads on the outside bottom of the gate near the drain holes. Once the steel loop in the jamb on the passenger side is removed, the bar will be free of tension. Obviously, take care when removing the bolts holding the loop in place. I have found it helps to do this with the gate as close to fully closed as your fingers and tools will allow. The two bottom brakets will need to be removed, then the bar will slide out the side of the gate. If its broken, you won't have to worry about the 90 degree bend at the driver's side end. If the bar is not broken and the channel let the end of the bar spin free, you will need to maneuver the bar around the bend to get it out of the gate. If the latter is indeed the problem, you will have to do some custom work to repair the channel or replace the entire gate. Check the pics below. You are in luck, I am in the midst of replacing my own tailgate so mine is already minus most of the guts.

 

I really appreciate your help Greystreak... it is difficult to see into the tailgate, so I am working by feel.

I can feel the channel in the gate near the driver's side and it feel's fine, in fact the other portion of the torsion bar is still in it. The bar appears to have broken at the bend at the driver's side.

No worries removing the torsion bar from the passenger's side of the body as there is no tension in the bar anymore. It appears that once I take the tailgate off, the existion bar will just slide out. No worries about the 90 degree bend at the driver's side as that is where the bar broke.

How is the vertical portion of the bend on the driver's side held in in the channel? I don't see any bolt's or fasteners. Does it just clip in?

Could you PM me with the link to your photos... they don't appear in you message.

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

I was planning on tackling this job this weekend and would appreciate any photos and tips you have as well. Since I have owned my Bronco the torsion bar has just been loose so I don't know where the break is. I purchased a new bar from Bronco Graveyard and have been dreading having to rip the tailgate apart to replace it.

 

Well, I was able to get the old bar out...

Fortunately (or unfortunately) my tailgate cables are broken, so I let the tailgate down and moved the window 1/2 way up. I then un bolted the bottom brackets and pulled the old torsion bar out.

It was as I thought... there was some rust at the 90 degree bend and that's where she snapped.

I had to work late tonight, so I wasn't able to go by Ford to pick up the new bar, but hopefully it goes in as easily as the old one came out. The difficult part will be bolting it back up to the body on the passenger side.

Ned.

 

Well, I got it done.

Removing and reinserting the bar was straight forward (with Greystreaks' info). The most dificult part was bolting the passenger side of the torsion bar to the body. Definitely a two person job.

Just a tip I learned the hard way, don't torque down the bolts too hard or they'll shear off and send the torsion bar into your hand (ouch!).

 

Did you ever get the pics? I sent them along in an email.

 

I would appreciate those pics if you could send them my way, Greystreak. Thanks!

 

Sorry Greaystreak, I may have received your email, but I didn't notice it in my Hotmail account. I get so much spam, it is hard to see the legitimate messages.

Thanks 'tho.

Ned

 

Wow, you are lucky the window didn't break. I however, wasn't so lucky. Thursday I was lowering my tailgate and KAPOW! The entire window exploded. So, Friday after $300 it is fixed. Now, the auto glass specialists that I took it to, said that the torsion bar was loose. I really don't have the time or the money to fix it, so does anyone have any ideas. Keep in mind I don't have access to any serious tools, a.k.a. cutters, or welders, or any professional tools. I wish I did, but I don't. Anyway, is there anyone who lives in or near S.E. wisconsin or farther that I could travel to have this fixed. Also, I am looking for somewhere to have my cats cut and a pipe welded in place. I have Indiana plates so I don't need to worry about smog. Any help would be greatly appreciated on any of these requests. Thanks for such a great forum!

Drew

1993 Bronco XLT 302 AT

 

You don't really need any special tools to replace the torsion bar. A couple of sockets and an extra pair of hands for when you install it into the jamb on the passenger side as Ned said. The bar itself is available from any Ford dealer or Jeff's Bronco Graveyard. If memory from two days ago serves, the bar comes free after removing the two clamps (one bolt a piece) in the bottom of the tailgate and the tension ring in the passenger side jamb. It amounts to four bolts. Lower the gate, close the latch on the driver's side manually (the window won't move unless you do this) and carefully run the window up enough so you can get below it to work on the bar. If you need to run the window all the way out, support it somehow lest it snap again.

I would have included this info when Ned posted earlier but I hadn't done it myself in a long while until last Thursday when I removed the old t-gate and put the new Rhino-lined one in.

 

Well, I tore into my tailgate today and found the problem. The bar had rusted and broken off at the bend inside the tailgate. Now the problem becomes that I can't remove the brackets holding the bar in. I can get to the bolt on the outside, I can see the bolt turning inside, but it doesn't actually back out. Any ideas?

 

Wake,

You should have two of these brackets holding the torsion bar (photo isn't the way it is installed in the tailgate):

Reach your hand in and feel for the bracket while backing out the bolts (one per bracket). Mine came free with no problem. I was then able to pull the remainder of the torsion bar out. Installing the new one will take a few attemts if you have an exterior tire mount like I do. Definitely get yourself a pry bar and another person to bolt the torsion bar to the body (my hand is still purple).

By the way, the torsion bar cost $66 cdn ($52 us) at my local dealer.

 

I found the brackets and the bolts no problem. The problem is that when I turn the bolt it just turns and doesn't act like it is threaded into anything so it isn't backing out.

 

Get a vice grip in there to hold it, or grind off the head of the bolt. The nut is spot welded onto the bracket so yours has come undone. I just replaced my Torsion bar in my 96 bronco, had to undo the right hinge so I can pull the bar out, man what a Job I had installing that new torison bar by myself, make sure you get someone to help you with the install. Now I can close my tailgate with one finger.