If anyone can help… (or redirect to correct forum if this isn’t one)
My missus dad has a old Volvo FL6 and has snapped one of the support bars under the cab (in front of the engine itself as per the photo)
Now I am very handy with the spanners and thought it might be best to do this with me and her dad to get the truck 100% again (to save on bills at the garage)
has anyone done something like this before? Am I right in thinking that the cab based needs to be supported by something like a forklift arm next to where the pole is bolted to the support?. and undo the bolts so it all falls out and refit a new one?
I have done them on F88s many years ago. If they are the same to do you would have to tilt the cab further over than the cab would go when you tilting it, then you take the pressure off them to put you new one in.
If this is the case and you need to to let the cab go over further than it dose, make sure you use a strap to stop it falling right over.
Like Peter says, you have to let the cab go all the way over so the torsion is taken out of the torsion bar (I know, but it sounds worse than it is). What you really need is a decent strap hooked up to a beam or similar- ideally, get yourself into a barn if you can. Best idea anyway at this time of year. When the cab is nearing the limit of it’s tilt watch out for things like rubber gaiters, wiring & pipework coming under too much strain.
You will find that, once you’ve fitted the new torsion bar, the cab will be 100% easier to tilt. Unlike the F88, which didn’t seem to be that easy even with two new bars!
Best of luck.
Oh, and by the way, you will find that it’s easier if you crack the nuts on both ends before you tilt the cab. They will be easier to get at with a long barred socket. And half a gallon of WD40!
And another thing, in my opinion it would be as well to replace BOTH torsion bars. If one of them was at the end of it’s life, you can bet the other one is the same age and will save you having to do it all over again in a month’s time.
