Trunk hood adjustment

[67 GTX]

Does anyone have some insight on how to adjust the torsion bars for the trunk lid? My trunk does not stay open when I let it go; it always wants to fall back down.

Does one simply have to fight on of the torsion bars out of its adjustment slot, and move it to another? Any tips on doing that?

 

[zyzzyx]

When I have to re-install the torsion bars that I have taken out, this is what I do. First, I remove the rear seat. Bottom & Top. I take a ten foot length of 1/8" aircraft cable that you can buy at the hardware store
and put a loop around the installed torsion bar and then put a U-bolt clamp around the cable so while you're inside the car you can pull with enough force to move the torsion bar to the next slot. Have someone in the trunk with a pair of pointy-nosed vise-Grips to put the torsion bar out-and-into the correct slot.
Do one on each side until you have the right tension. If you use up all of the slots, and still the trunk lid falls, you need new torsion bars. That's it! Good luck!

 

[Tori]

how do you know which way to move the bar when they are still installed ?

 

[mopar 3 B]

When I have to re-install the torsion bars that I have taken out, this is what I do. First, I remove the rear seat. Bottom & Top. I take a ten foot length of 1/8" aircraft cable that you can buy at the hardware store
and put a loop around the installed torsion bar and then put a U-bolt clamp around the cable so while you're inside the car you can pull with enough force to move the torsion bar to the next slot. Have someone in the trunk with a pair of pointy-nosed vise-Grips to put the torsion bar out-and-into the correct slot.
Do one on each side until you have the right tension. If you use up all of the slots, and still the trunk lid falls, you need new torsion bars. That's it! Good luck!

If the one in the trunk has ever been caught by flying cable fat chance that will ever be done again.

 

[Tori]

In case anyone else comes here looking to find how to adjust the rods, this is what worked for me.

I used a ratchet strap hooked to the end of the torsion and to the trunk latch striker. Pulling it at that angle pulls the rod from the hole, and backward which is the direction you need to ad more tension. It will find the next hole and releasing the strap isn't a big deal since its partly in the hole by this point.

* one thing to be aware of is you'll be dragging the end of the rod from one hole to the next so expect it to leave a deep scratch unless you deal with that ahead of time. maybe using a second person to keep the tip pryed out away from the bracket would work. (i did this by myself)

 

[Photon440]

You could always make up a tool to do the job, like this one by 5wndwcpe a few years ago: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/thats-nice-but-what-the-hell-is-it-part-3.50638/

 

[Tori]

Wish i could have found that 3 hours ago. I'd have made one.

Would have been even better if that was posted in a thread that would show up under some key word that people would be using.

 

[Photon440]

Well, it will now.