How to Replace Torsion Bar 1998-2012 Ford Ranger
Created on: 2016-12-14
Find out how to remove the torsion key and bar with the steps in this how-to video. Note: This is a high tension and potentially dangerous procedure
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the wheel lock lug nut with a wheel lock key
- Loosen the 19mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Torsion Key Cover
- Mark an index where the torsion bar enters the front lower control arm
- Mark an index where the key meets the backside of the bar
- Count the number of turns it takes to remove the middle 13mm tensioner bolt
- Remove the four 13mm bolts from the key cover
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This is a high tension and potentially dangerous procedure
step 3 :Removing the Torsion Key
- Set a two jaw puller into both side of the crossmember
- Install the forcing screw into the divet on the torsion key
- Add tension with a socket and breaker bar to move the key off of the keeper
- Slide the keeper out of the crossmember
- Loosen the two jaw puller to release tension from the key
- Tap the key off of the end of the torsion bar with a hammer
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step 4 :Removing the Torsion Bar
- Hit and release the torsion bar from the lower control arm with a hammer
- Remove the torsion bar from the control arm
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step 5 :Installing the Torsion Bar
- Insert the torsion bar into the control arm
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step 6 :Installing the Torsion Key
- Insert the torsion key to the torsion bar
- Set a two jaw puller into both side of the crossmember
- Install the forcing screw into the divet on the torsion key
- Add tension with a socket and breaker bar to move the key up
- Insert the adjustor block into the crossmember and below the key
- Loosen the tension to lower the torsion key onto the adjustor block
- Remove the two jaw puller
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step 7 :Reinstalling the Torsion Key Cover
- Reinstall the cover and the four 13mm bolts
- Hand-tighten the adjusting bolt until it touches the bottom of the torsion key
- Tighten the adjusting bolt back to the number of turns used to remove it
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step 8 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds of torque in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
Tools needed
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13mm Socket
Socket Extensions
Hammer
Rust Penetrant
Pry Bar
Jack Stands
19mm Socket
Safety Glasses
2 Jaw Gear Puller
Gloves
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Marker / Writing Utensil
Hi, I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years! We're dedicated to delivering quality auto parts, expert customer service, and fast and free shipping, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We've created thousands of videos to help you install our parts with confidence. That saves you time and money, so visit us at 1AAuto.com, your trusted source for quality auto parts.
In this video, we're going to be working with our 2001 Ford Ranger four-wheel drive. We're going to show you how to remove and replace a torsion bar, which is the spring for your front suspension on this particular vehicle. We perform this procedure only on the passenger side but where this is the spring for the front suspension it should always be replaced in pairs, and the procedure is the same for the driver's side. This part is under high tension and requires some special tools in order to remove safely so please be sure you are properly equipped and confident before making this repair safely.
If you like this video, please click subscribe. We have a ton more information on this truck as well as many other makes and models. If you ever need parts for your vehicle you can follow the link down in the description over to 1AAuto.com.
Here are the items you'll need for this repair: 13-19mm sockets, ratchet, socket extension, braker bar, pry bar, hammer, two-jaw puller, rust penetrant, marker, flat blade screwdriver, safety glasses, gloves, jack and jack stands
Using a flat blade screwdriver, remove the center cap from your wheel. Using a 19 millimeter socket and breaker bar, loosen your lug nuts one turn. We have a wheel lock on ours so we'll be using a wheel lock key to remove it. Raise and support your vehicle.
We're using a lift, but this job can easily be done in the driveway with a jack and jack stands. Finish removing your lug nuts by hand. Remove your wheel and tire from the vehicle.
Your torsion bar is the spring suspension for the front end of the vehicle. We're going to index where it goes into our lower control arm here just to make sure that everything goes back in the same way it came out. Now we know to make this side of the arm match there. At the rear of the torsion bar is what's called the torsion key, which this bolt tightens and loosens that key to add more or less tension to the bar. We'll index the key to the back side of the bar, as well just to make sure everything goes together the same.
This 13 millimeter bolt and this access panel here is what tensions the key for the torsion. What we're going to do is make sure we count the number of rotations to remove it so we can install it the same number of turns. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen turns. Remove this cover with the two 13 millimeter bolts at the top and two more at the bottom. Be sure to hold onto this cover when you remove the last bolt.
Removing the keeper from the torsion bar and key is a high-tension and a potentially dangerous procedure, so be sure to wear proper safety equipment during this step. This divot in the torsion key is designed to have a two-jaw puller set into it, set the jaws on both sides of the cross member, and install the forcing screw into the divot. Using the appropriate size socket for your particular two jaw puller and a breaker bar, add tension until this keeper can be removed. Once the key has been moved up and off of the keeper, lift up and slide the keeper out of your cross-member then carefully loosen the two-jaw puller until all of the tension is off of the key. Now that the tension is off of your bar, you can tap the key off the end of your torsion bar with a hammer.
We soaked our torsion key in penetrating oil. Now we're going to pry it down with a pry bar, tap it loose of this little cover up here that we can pull down, and then remove the key from the torsion bar, then remove our pry bar.
Using a large hammer, hit the torsion bar and release it from the lower control arm. Now that we've hit the control arm to break some of the rust loose, and you may just be able to grab this torsion bar and remove it by hand, but ours is rusted in there. We're going to use a large punch and a big hammer and try and tap the torsion bar free from the control arm. Once it's been loosened up enough, remove it from the control arm.
We've transferred our indexing mark onto the socket of our new control arm, which we'll line up the mark on our torsion bar to. It simply slides in. Line up your indexing marks and reinstall your torsion key onto the other end of the bar.
Reinstall the two-jaw puller into the divot on your torsion key. Again, make sure it's on there nice and secure. Use your proper safety equipment and a 16 millimeter socket and ratchet for our particular puller. Run that torsion key up until we can get our adjuster block back to the cross-member. Once it's through, reinstall the adjuster block and its channels into the cross-member and carefully lower the torsion key back onto it.
Reinstall the cover and three 13 millimeter bolts. Tighten the bolts down with a 13 millimeter socket and ratchet. Get the bolt in by hand for your adjuster block just until it touches the bottom of your torsion key at which point we use the 13 millimeter socket and ratchet to install the exact same number of turns we used to remove it.
Reinstall your wheel and tire onto the hub and get your lug nuts on as tight as you can with the wheel in the air. Put the weight of the vehicle back onto the tires. Now we'll torque our lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a cross-pattern making sure you end with your locking wheel lug if you have one. Again, these are a 19 millimeter. Line up the tabs on your center cap. Place them over the lug nuts. Tap it into place.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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