Torsion Bar slipped out??

[Daniel]

Well we had one today.... Marjon, my wife was shaken by the very, very loud BANG it made and the drop the coach made on the right front instantly!

To tell the whole story. We never had any problems had like that, not on normal not on BLM
Land like access roads.

We went yesterday to Applied to ask them to look over my steering, level height and front height ( especially right side was low!)
They checked out all of that and Jim who was supervising his mechanics started with leveling the back, used my Schräder valves to level it, used
fixed wooden blocks at a specific length for the Rear and Back.

Then they went to tighten the front torsion bar especially right side, it was lower. They used the unloader tool but still those young guys where
wrestling with a long bar to get the needed 10 turns more tight, left side only two were necessary.

Now the GMC was with the blocks under the frame exactly on its factory heights specifications !
Excellent!

Because it was late we could spent the night at the Applied RV Resort .... LOL
And in the morning after breakfast I needed some more stuff, not only for myself but also European friends, bought them, chatted a bit with Nick and
Jim and of we went to do some shopping and wanted just to make turn towards the Walmart, a very loud BANG and a quick drop on the right front made me
stop instantly.

Looking outside it dropped significantly! Luckily I could drive it very slowly, no dragging en we weren't on the highway so back to Applied.

At first the mechanic had to get it back to some height, otherwise we could not even go on the Ramp.
At first he thought the end of the bar was crushed! But later on it was clear, it slipped, popped out ...

Well we needed a new pork chop and they reassembled it. But on Saturday a new leveling and adjusting was not possible anymore, so for now we could
still stay at the Applied RV Resort (no where any vacant campground spots ...SF has his fly an ships festivities!)
We have to wait till Monday, then leveling and adjusting will be done, once again.
And the next day, by a Tire/Alignment shop nearby and who does more GMC's for Jim, we go for an alignment.

We also replaced that old still original steering damper for a new one .....

My question, if the torsion bar is not fully in place and one thightens a bolt, that many turns, despite the unloader tool, can you actually force it
almost out of its normal position so during the next ride it can "pop out" ... ?

Bye, Daniel,

Still on our Fall trip from Tucson, over LA to Canyonville, OR, GMCWS Rally, now back over Redding and currently in Fremont, CA ... heading Fresno,
Bakersfield, Barstow, VoF, Las Vegas and then Lake Havasu City ....
--
Daniel Jacobs, NL-USA 1977 GMC Eleganza II, Rebuild 455 (2019) 3.55 FD. FiTech and (Modified) FCC, Selector Valve and Electric Pump, insulated
GasTanks, 100A Alternator, APC, McDash, Schräder Valves + extern Fills, Ceramic Film, TPMS, FlexSteel Seats

 

[Ken B]

That is something that no one would normally check. The rear end of the bar should be almost all the way back in the cross member frame but not
touching it. There is spec on it that I do not remember. What I said in the previous posting is if you have worn lower control arm bushings then
there can be a slight amount of forward and backward movement on the bar as you accelerate and decelerate. Over many hundreds or ever thousands of
cycles the movement can pull that bar put of the pork chop.

I never ever lube the pork chop socket. The should never be any movement there. While it is hard to see there, If you do see rust coming out of the
socket then there is movement.

I do liberally lube the LCA socket on the other end of the bar hoping that if there ever was any movement it would only be on that end and not move
the bar.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Jim Hupy]

I second what Ken says, and add this: torsion bars are a coil spring that
never got wound up. They are made from spring steel, a special alloy that
has the microscopic inner structure of a rubber band. They were originally
engineered to support the static load of the front of the gross vehicle
weight, plus the dynamic loading of pitch and yaw and braking weight
transfer from the coach, and to resist the shock loading that occurs from
irregularities in the road.
And they have done their job very well for far longer than any
engineering team could have forseen.
Some of the abuse they have encountered during their life cycle have
been quite severe, not the least of which is jacking up the entire front of
the coach with a floor jack.
They also posses properties not dissimilar to those of a rubber band.
They can endure their original design stresses quite well, but, stretched
too far only a few times and their yield strength limit is
exceeded, and failure is imminent.
The original parts supply resided with dealerships and GM parts
depot's. Never in large supply. If there are still any of them out there,
Cinnebar more than likely has them. Out here in the Wild Western Frontier,
they might as well be on the moon.
So, Peter Huber in California, contacted a spring manufacturer and
had small batches of bars created that were 19% stronger than the original
specs to compensate for the propensity of today's coach owners to overload
the hell out of their rigs. Don't know if he still has any, but I still
have 5 sets, 4 of which were made with the hex on one end longer to engage
more of the socket in the lower control arm.
They are expensive and heavy, and available if anyone needs them.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sun, Oct 13, 2019, 4:59 AM Ken Burton via Gmclist <

> That is something that no one would normally check. The rear end of the
> bar should be almost all the way back in the cross member frame but not
> touching it. There is spec on it that I do not remember. What I said in
> the previous posting is if you have worn lower control arm bushings then
> there can be a slight amount of forward and backward movement on the bar
> as you accelerate and decelerate. Over many hundreds or ever thousands of
> cycles the movement can pull that bar put of the pork chop.
>
> I never ever lube the pork chop socket. The should never be any movement
> there. While it is hard to see there, If you do see rust coming out of the
> socket then there is movement.
>
> I do liberally lube the LCA socket on the other end of the bar hoping that
> if there ever was any movement it would only be on that end and not move
> the bar.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[jim kanomata1]

I hate having a shop as we are always blamed for things .
If we did ALL the checking, then they will bitch.
I resent this as we only charged for 1/3 labor time and free pork chop.
Next time take it to another shop as I do not need this type of business.

On Sun, Oct 13, 2019 at 6:36 AM James Hupy via Gmclist <

> I second what Ken says, and add this: torsion bars are a coil spring that
> never got wound up. They are made from spring steel, a special alloy that
> has the microscopic inner structure of a rubber band. They were originally
> engineered to support the static load of the front of the gross vehicle
> weight, plus the dynamic loading of pitch and yaw and braking weight
> transfer from the coach, and to resist the shock loading that occurs from
> irregularities in the road.
> And they have done their job very well for far longer than any
> engineering team could have forseen.
> Some of the abuse they have encountered during their life cycle have
> been quite severe, not the least of which is jacking up the entire front of
> the coach with a floor jack.
> They also posses properties not dissimilar to those of a rubber band.
> They can endure their original design stresses quite well, but, stretched
> too far only a few times and their yield strength limit is
> exceeded, and failure is imminent.
> The original parts supply resided with dealerships and GM parts
> depot's. Never in large supply. If there are still any of them out there,
> Cinnebar more than likely has them. Out here in the Wild Western Frontier,
> they might as well be on the moon.
> So, Peter Huber in California, contacted a spring manufacturer and
> had small batches of bars created that were 19% stronger than the original
> specs to compensate for the propensity of today's coach owners to overload
> the hell out of their rigs. Don't know if he still has any, but I still
> have 5 sets, 4 of which were made with the hex on one end longer to engage
> more of the socket in the lower control arm.
> They are expensive and heavy, and available if anyone needs them.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>
> On Sun, Oct 13, 2019, 4:59 AM Ken Burton via Gmclist <

>
> > That is something that no one would normally check. The rear end of the
> > bar should be almost all the way back in the cross member frame but not
> > touching it. There is spec on it that I do not remember. What I said in
> > the previous posting is if you have worn lower control arm bushings then
> > there can be a slight amount of forward and backward movement on the bar
> > as you accelerate and decelerate. Over many hundreds or ever thousands
> of
> > cycles the movement can pull that bar put of the pork chop.
> >
> > I never ever lube the pork chop socket. The should never be any movement
> > there. While it is hard to see there, If you do see rust coming out of
> the
> > socket then there is movement.
> >
> > I do liberally lube the LCA socket on the other end of the bar hoping
> that
> > if there ever was any movement it would only be on that end and not move
> > the bar.
> > --
> > Ken Burton - N9KB
> > 76 Palm Beach
> > Hebron, Indiana
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502

 

[Daniel]

I am still at Applied, who are helping me very good.
If you read back my post, I never, ever have blamed anyone ...

I just asked, as a non-technician how things work, are or aren't possible ....

Somehow Jim is interpreting it wrong.
But I will talk to him today, in person.

This is an disadvantage of communicating this way, ones somebody reads it wrongly, it gives wrong reactions on reactions .... etc.

I anyone who knows me by now, or should, knows I am a reasonable guy.
If I made a mistake or offended somebody, I say sorry ..
But still reading back my message .... I see only objective notes, a neutral question about those torsion bars, and even a remark how well they are
taken care of us.

....... even helping us staying during the weekend on their "Applied RV Resort" ....

Daniel
--
Daniel Jacobs, NL-USA 1977 GMC Eleganza II, Rebuild 455 (2019) 3.55 FD. FiTech and (Modified) FCC, Selector Valve and Electric Pump, insulated
GasTanks, 100A Alternator, APC, McDash, Schräder Valves + extern Fills, Ceramic Film, TPMS, FlexSteel Seats

 

[Jim Hupy]

Ah yes, Chicken little is alive and well and lives next door to the
Garmin's on one side, and the Murphy's on the other. They all share the
same internet server.
But alas, the sky has not fallen as of yet, nor is it likely to
anytime soon. (Grin)
Jim Hupy ( home and rested from the 7 feathers rally)
Salem, Oregon

On Mon, Oct 14, 2019, 7:33 AM Daniel Jacobs via Gmclist <

> I am still at Applied, who are helping me very good.
> If you read back my post, I never, ever have blamed anyone ...
>
> I just asked, as a non-technician how things work, are or aren't possible
> ....
>
> Somehow Jim is interpreting it wrong.
> But I will talk to him today, in person.
>
> This is an disadvantage of communicating this way, ones somebody reads it
> wrongly, it gives wrong reactions on reactions .... etc.
>
> I anyone who knows me by now, or should, knows I am a reasonable guy.
> If I made a mistake or offended somebody, I say sorry ..
> But still reading back my message .... I see only objective notes, a
> neutral question about those torsion bars, and even a remark how well they
> are
> taken care of us.
>
> ....... even helping us staying during the weekend on their "Applied RV
> Resort" ....
>
> Daniel
> --
> Daniel Jacobs, NL-USA 1977 GMC Eleganza II, Rebuild 455 (2019) 3.55 FD.
> FiTech and (Modified) FCC, Selector Valve and Electric Pump, insulated
> GasTanks, 100A Alternator, APC, McDash, Schräder Valves + extern Fills,
> Ceramic Film, TPMS, FlexSteel Seats
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>