After watching all the videos on Youtube (thanks John for the excellent ones you posted) I’m left with only one question. Does the suspension have to be dropped down? Some show it being removed and others show the car simply being raised on the lift with the wheels intact.
I just did exactly this a month ago. You have to relax the torsion bars in order to remove them else they bind on their splines becoming as immovable as the great pyramids. The only way to do this is to release either the upper or lower ball joint. I released the upper. I left the anti-roll bar attached. As long as you can raise/lower the hubs at the same time this works. If the anti-roll bar binds or runs out of travel, disconnect it.
The reason you saw the wheels (hubs, no reason to re-install the wheels) back in position was probably to spare the brake line from damage. It was let down again to re-install the torsion bars.
To remove the engine the reaction plate needs to be removed…as per the maintenance manual this can be removed without disconnecting the front hubs and thus leaving all the tension in the torsion bars…however its far easier and you dont have to worry about tension in the bars if you release the hubs
'Tis true - I have done it both ways.
But I liken leaving the tension in the torsion bars to disarming a Claymore mine. Much easier and less stressful for me to have the suspension at full droop and no tension on the bars.
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nice picture!
I am studying all of this closely as I really need to replace the rubbers in the upper and lower control arms. in simple terms it looks as tho I need to tackle disarming these claymores myself.
I am sure once I get after it things will be pretty straight forward, but there is a mystique about the bars , at least to me. I fear the loud pop, or bang or something flying past my head at terminal velocity.
and then of course the old “while I am here” syndrome will take over and cost me additional money.
Bob F