94 Trunk Spring

[Ragsdale]

Ok, I thought it has struts but apparently it has springs, anyways left one snapped on me the other day.. how much of a pain is it to replace them? Where could I find one? Is it even worth it? =/

[grey3800]

Mine broke last summer, its not a spring but a torsion bar, two of them. First off for the working one, take some vise grips and dial down the tension setting on it, there should be three settings. This will improve the life of that bar, only downside is your trunk will only lift an inch or two rather than all the way.

Yes you can fix the broken bar if you can find the other piece. They dont sell these anymore at the dealership, if you can find it at the wrecker, go for that. Take the two pieces and have them welded back together. I used a AC welder on 100amps and have used my trunk everyday since. I set both torque rods are on lowest tension setting to maximize their life, trunk opens two inches now instead of 3/4 way.

To remove the torsion bar: (from FSM)
1. Remove C pillar trim
1.5 (not listed in book) but i definitely recall having to remove rear deck to gain access for step 3, this also includes rear lower and upper seat to get to rear deck.
2. remove retaining clip (at end of torque rod)
3. loosen but to not remove hinge retaining bolts (helps to have one person with a wrench inside and another in the trunk loosening the bolt)
4. remove hinge nut on fastener in rear compartment
-I dont recall if i did this step ^. I remember that a nut/bolt had to be removed so the bar could be taken out.
5. Support rear compartment lid
6. relieve tension on the torque rod to be remove (should be done since it broke!)
7. remove torque rod (easier said than done, took about 5 minutes of wiggling to get it out)

Total time (not including welding), and i took my sweet time,
1hr for removal.
30 min for replacement and finishing.

welding (prep weld paint) 30 minutes.

ill try and post a pic of my repair job when i get a chance

[Icebound]

Just an update to this topic....

I was wondering if grey3800 might have an update as to whether the welded rod has stood up, two years later...

I did mine today. I don't do welding, but I talked my local garage into welding the rod for me. He said it won't work (loss of temper, etc.), but I talked him into it. And since I give him lots of business, the price was right....

The process is pretty much as grey described it.... I expand it with a few clarifications.

1. You can get one of those auto upholstery pry tools in behind the rear trim panels, to pry up the push-in fasterners.
2. Remove the rear seat by pushing "down and in" on the front of it, to release its hangars in two places.
3. Remove the rear seat back....4 nuts on the floor. (Middle two nuts also hold the centre seat belts.) Then lift strait upward to release 3 hangars near the top.


4. remove the rear deck trim as follows...

Remove 3 push-in fasteners behind the seat back. Be careful, the rear deck trim is a sort of fiberglass-reinforced cardboard and will probably crack around the fasteners. It might be worth-while to cut off the heads of the fasteners, instead. Anyway, it is hidden behind the rear seat so no big deal, if you don't allow the crack to be too big.
The two small tweeters come with the deck trim, and have to be disconnected.
Slide the seat belts out through their slots to free the deck from the belts.

5. Support the trunk lid fully open. This is Canada. A curling brush is exactly the correct length.

6. Loosen 2 bolts (on rear deck inside car), and one nut inside trunk, on each side. One or both of the bolts on the deck, may be hidden under that black water-shield.

On the side where you have to get the rod in, completely remove the nut in the trunk, and remove the rear-most bolt on the deck (closest to the rear glass). Loosen the remaining bolt "considerably", but DO NOT remove.

You may want to put some protection on the edge of the trunk on that side, while you try to work the rod into place, to prevent scratching the finish.

7. Work the rod into place around that stud from which you removed the nut. You may need to lower the trunk lid and support it with a shorter stick. Careful not to knock the stick out while working.

I found it useful to "undo" the torque on the other (unbroken) rod. That way it can be pushed out of the way if it interferes while you are re-installing the welded one.

Grey, above, mentions vice grips? I used the hollow steel handle of a small hydraulic jack over the end of the torque-adjustment end.


8. Insert the end of the rod into its holes in the hinge-arm.
The "keepers" at the end of the rod have long since disappeared. In order to hold the rod in its hole in the hinge-arm, I tied it with a cable tie. You will need to have it tied tight while getting the torque-adjust end into place. Otherwise you will keep losing it out of its hole in the hinge-arm... Remember to REMOVE the tie after all done.

9. I adjusted the torque to the "most forward" slot (closest to the back seat). The lid raises just and inch or 2 in that setting, and it should have the least torque on the rod, when in the "closed" position.

10. After setting the "torque-setting", make sure the rods are in their "slot" (at the hinge end) and in behind the tab (at the torque-setting end). The book-procedure uses a "special tool" to help achieve that, but it looks to be easy enough to accomplish without it.


11. Cut away the temporary ties that were installed at step 8. The rods need room to articulate, but it is unlikely that they would come out of the hinge, once the torque-setting end is in place.

---

A dozen test opens-closes and it hasn't broken yet... LOL.... It has already outlasted my mechanic's prediction....


...

[uuyankee]

Thanks for Icebound's excellent instructions on replacing the trunk spring and some updated observations.

-Confirmed from several dealers that the springs are no longer available from GM and that the supply at Vintage Auto Parts is gone. Salvage yards are the only source.

-Now that Pontiac dealers are all closed, local Chevy dealers seemed less well informed about how to install the spring.

-In my SSEi there are two push in fasteners inside the trunk on the forward wall next to the little hatch that need to be removed in order to lift out the rear seat back (Step 3)

-The torsion rods (springs) seem to come in two slightly different configurations. The ones in my 93 SSEi had an offset bend in the long straight center section. The leftover one from the pair I had bought 2 years ago for 94 SSE had a simple straight long section. Even with the offset the rods were exactly the same length and the bent ends matched in shape and size. I was able to use the other style rod without difficulty. The only potential problem is that the rods don't cross at the section covered by the rubber cushioning. I'm not sure whether that will cause any future problems.

[willwren]

Please don't dig up old topics (this one has been twice). To keep the board current, it's best to start a NEW topic, and link back to the old one if it has related information.