Is there a safe and proper way to lower a '66 transaxle? I've lowered the front tube axle 2" with the torsion bar level system, bought from Obsolete Parts. Would like the rear to have the same profile.
Thank you. Rick
if I am not not mistaken yours is swing axle.
if you lower your car you will have wheels leaning in, how much? depends on how low you go.
this is fairly easy procedure with some caveats. basicaly swing axles are connected to torsion bars by tortion plates that bolt to the ends of the axles and where break assembly meets the axle tubes. These torsion bars have 2 sets of notches one on the inside and another on the outer side, Outerside notches are larger and give you more drop or lift so you probably want to change possition on the inner side.
what you will need to do is
1) disconnect emergency break cables from the handle inside the car, jack the rear end up, remove rear wheels and shocks. 2) mark position of the axle tube on the plates! otherwise you will mess up rear alignment. 3) unbolt 3 bolts connecting plate to the axle tube and carefuly swing them back just enough to get them out of the plate 4) using a jack preload end of the plate, now remember to keep jack stand under the car while you preloading, you easly drop the car on the ground at this point. 5) unbolt torsion bar cover plate, it's a trapesoid plate secured by 4 bolts you should see the end of the torsion bar sticking through the plate. 6) mark position of the torsion bar on in the plate, this is important as you want to make adjusments to the inner position. 7) carefuly tap the springplate out of the housing hopefuly along with bar but they never comeout together that is why you should mark their positions. remove jack from underneath the plate once it passes the recesed portion of the housing.8) now the tricky part. pull out the torsion bar of just to get it out of the rotate it up. direction will vary depending on which side of the car you are. remember those are best done in a small increments and it's easy to skip one notch and go 2 while 1 on the opposite site.
9) reinstall the plate, preload again with the jack. and tap it back in. 10) reinstall the cover. 11) bolt axle tube back to it's original placement. 12) mount the wheels. 13) reconnect emergency break cables.done
I've done this procedure a few times as I could not get the same angles on both sides.
so it's fairly easy, but does take time.
Good luck, Anton
P.S. If anybody has a better procedure, please comment.
Rick Bass wrote:
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