Believe it or not I am not asking about rust or window problems. Today I replaced the two wiper strips and while they were out I peeked in and saw a wire wedged between the glass and a peice of metal low on the driver's side. I wondered if this could be the reason the glass does not always go down. The strip replacement went well and then I removed the access panel. The wire I saw is the defroster wire. I snapped the driver side latches closed and raised the window about half way with tailgate down when I saw the glass jump. The torsion bar pushes the glass toward the outer skin at the torsion bar bend. After getting the tailgate closed and window up I looked at the rusty metal by the bend in the torsion bar and decided to bend part of it over the torsion bar. The tailgate will not be used until I resolve this becuase I think the torsion bar could bend the metal back. My question...Is the bend in the torsion bar supposed to swing rearward and put pressure on the glass when the tailgate is down or is the torsion bar supposed to be secured to the inner door skin? Should I U-Bolt it to the inner skin? It appears to get out of the way of the window when the tailgate is up but puts pressure on the glass when tailgate is down. BTW, with the new strips the window operation was maybe an inch each way. I sprayed the register with aeresol white lithium grease but it did not help until I got the two tracks under the window that the register arms rollers run in. I keep silicone in the tracks on each end of the glass. Window works fine..........for now and I see where I will use POR-15 I just bought. So, I did not mention rust and don't think I have a window problem but would like to know about the torsion bar please.

 

I have never replied to my own post before but I may have found something and JBG What do you think?

http://www.broncograveyard.com/products/cat/0/-1/34574

 

The torsion bar should be secured to the inner TG skin like you said. If when you are opening the tail gate the old rusted torsion bar brackets let go, the preloaded torsion bar will spring out and it is almost a 100* guaranty it will shatter your rear window......see it happen too many times.


If I was you, I would order all the parts needed, including a new torsion bar, and be done with it. If you want though you could secure it to the inner TG skin like you said.....this will work as a stop gap measure.

 

Thanks. I ordered two Torsion Bar Brackets. This is good timing by finding out about it before I did the POR-15. I sure appreciate your taking the time to help an ol' boy out. I did lower the tailgate to reinstall the access panel. Then I noticed I could close it with one hand with the torsion bar sorta secured. I have been wondering how the previous owner, a little woman, ever closed it.

 

Just to reiterate Streetgangs thoughts. The end bracket in the gate is the single most critical piece of metal in the taligate for the reason stated. If it goes, the window is a victom without fail. b4hntn, it is a stroke if extremely good fotune that you caught the problem early. The rear glass is pricey to say the least.

You mentioned the ease/difficulty in raising the gate. With the torsion bar in place and the rear window regulator and glass removed, the gate will almost close itself with the bar installed (personal experience). My new gate had the bar installed before I had the inside of it rhino-lined. The hope being that the entire assembly would remain sealed against the elements. So far, so good.

 

Thanks greystreak92. I'm getting a lot of respect for the torsion bar from y'all. I sure don't want that piece of metal I bent over the torsion bar to let go and break the glass. I started removing the bracket screws while trying to hold the bar with a jack handle but decided against it until the inside brackets arrive and I look at everything. The bar does have a rubber hose over the bend where it touches the glass but that bar is TOUGH. I'll leave the tailgate up until the brackets arrive and are installed then apply the POR-15 I bought. Or....do you think I need to work on the rust first? I may get a littly more doppie than I already am with the POR-15 fumes if working inside and window up. I have never used it, just read instructions. Thanks again.

 

What is POR-15?



1988 Bronco - 302 - AOD - 3.55 Limited Slip - Manual Hubs - 208,000 miles

 

Well I was a fatality of the bar. I never cought it in time and I was lowering it and was sprayed in the face with glass. $650 later I have a new window and they did replace my tracks and gears because I guess they bent when the window went out, not to mention the years of rusting. I just removed the TG and pulled out the bar. Its heavy to shut it but I feel good inside knowing it isnt going to shatter.

 

I ordered it because many people like it for stopping rust. http://www.por15store.com

 

When I received my internal torsion bar brackets from JBG they included a cataloge. On p.96 is a great drawing of "Torsion bar and related" which shows the piece of tailgate inner skin wrapped around the bend in the torsion bar. It holds the bar like your fingers hold a glass of water but mine was rusty and straight out. The torsion bar hits the glass. When I replace the brackets I think I will try to U-bolt the bar to the inner skin near the bend.

 

That is the usual remedy when its that rusted.........I just scores a diamond plate t-gate access panel from a friend, and when I do the switch, I will go over everything in there, and lube up all points.......so far so good on the rust though.

 

Yes, the brackets in the bottom of the gate only hold the bar against the bottom. The actual retainer for the bent end of the bar is PART of the tailgate's inner structure. Rust is the most common reason for this metal "flap" for lack of a better term to thin out and let the bent end of the bar go careening into the back of the glass. The rubber sleeve over the end of the bar is to alleviate any clunking it may do when the gate is opened and closed. If this happens, you are stuck with the prospect of replaceing the entire gate OR rigging some other RELIABLE method of retaining the end of the bar. I can't stress the "reliable" portion of the previous sentence enough.

 

along the same lines, my gate is rusted REAL bad. Everything is working fine, but I am pretty sure that the torsion bar and its buddies have all rusted off. Do I need these? It closes easy enough, and everything electrical is working- well now it is. The other question is that the bottom of the gate is literally flaking off in big pieces, what should I do?

 

If you're lucky enought to have that big silver trim panel on the outside of the tg, then buy a repair panel for the lower tailgate. I plan on doing this at some point - the repair panel will replace the lower 7" skin of the tg, and most of the welds will be hidden by that trim - you'd only have to really finish the edges where it isn't covered. I've seen these panels on e-bay, and from LMC truck and I think Jeffs Bronco Graveyard. The trim would mean less finishwork to do - and just a simple job of seam sealing for water integrity. Otherwise, the length of the seam would be visible across the tg.

 

I finished it today. Last weekend I did steps 1 and 2 for the POR-15 in my tailgate (clean and etch) and secured the torsion bar. That piece of metal wrapping around the bend in the torsion bar is gone the way of the dash oil pressure guage--I no longer depend on them. The new u-bolts are working fine. Today I applied two coats of silver POR-15 to the inside bottom of the tailgate and following with a spray can of good undercoat. Adding a straw to the undercoat nozzel allowed me to fill the notorious trough and to fill behind the window mechanism supports that are almost against the outer skin. I also got the coolant return pipe over the radiator that returns from the intake manifold and some spots on my WW-II Army trailer. The POR-15 starter kit comes with gloves but I am still going to enjoy the stuff for awhile. Maybe the gloves should be vet's up-to-the-armpit style. That stuff is good. Cleaning the connections for the glass defroster got power to it again. To the next project.....