Trunk spring torsion bar broken

[blye]

Hi, one of my 99 ssei trunk spring torsion bars broke.
How expensive are these things at the dealer? or are there other brands?
If I go to the wrecker, what other models & years have the same one as the bonneville?

thanks

[nos4blood70]

I'd check at the dealer but I wonder if they'd still carry them.

As for the junk yard, I'm guessing all H-bodies from that era would have the same trunk bars.

[grey3800]

mine broke about 5 years ago, I was able to weld it back together with a simple AC welder. Its held us to daily use since then.

Good Luck!

[95naSTA]

IIRC all 92-99 torsion bars are the same and can be adjusted to compensate for spoiler vs. no spoiler.

[blye]

Hi I thought I'd update this. Instead of welding or getting new torsion bar springs, I hooked up two gas shocks and works great. Lifts the trunk lid in the air when I hit the trunk button. The shocks are fairly well concealed. One end of each gas shock connects to the hole on the trunk lid arm where the torsion bar was, and the other end is bolted to the back firewall.

[J Wikoff]

Pics? I might do that just because.

[1oldman]

Pics? I might do that just because.

maybe more than just you for the same reason. - BC

[blye]

Ok, here are some photos and a video:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN ... djSE9nZmJn

Watch Video of Trunk opening

I'm not sure what the gas shock specs are, I can try and look it up for you but the printing is fairly faint on the shocks. But they are a bit too strong, could have used something a bit less powerful.

[95naSTA]

Very cool. Nice idea and execution.

[skregal]

I bought a used torsion bar at the junkyard for $5 but it was such
a pain to install that your idea would have been easier, even if a little
more expensive. Nice idea and less dangerous than the old spring bar.

[uuyankee]

Thanks to blye for the idea of using a gas strut, like the ones that are used on mini-van hatches. There just weren't any springs available in from wrecking yards in my area. The hardest part of implementing the idea was finding the right kind of person to do it, since I couldn't do it myself. After many failed inquiries, I finally found a truck customizer who was well experienced, using struts for hatches and doors. For just over $100 parts and labor (which took about an hour of experimentation), my wife now has a 1993 trunk she can open. They ended up using an 18", 75 pound strut. One end is connected to the side of the curved hinge assembly. The other end on the forward wall of the trunk, right next to a cable way. Both end are attached to the standard ball mounts used with struts and do not take up any storage space. The mounts were attached with some sort of self tapping screw. I only did the side that broke. Now that I know what kind and where to mount it, the second one will be easier when the other spring snaps.

[Element6]

Blye, That is pretty trick. The car I bought has no spring action at all and I have been looking at how it should work. now that I know I can see what the situation is, but my assumption is that I will have to do something similar. thanks for forging the trail!

[Sirius]

Have you tried to adjust your trunk springs? Assuming both your springs are intact, this (from techinfo) might help:

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 13627.html



Kind of an old thread, BTW.