Re: Torsion bar rust

[tobyp@xxxx]

The torsion bar is made from cryogenically tempered spring steel, and 
is highly stressed due to the 90 degree twist that it has to go 
through every time the door is opened or closed. Any scratches or 
corrosion pits (even microscopic pits) can lead to fatigue cracks in 
the bar, which will eventually result in failure of the bar in 
fatigue. The bar should be thoroughly cleaned with a fine scotchbrite 
pad or stainless steel wool, but not regular steel wool. The iron 
particles in steel wool will create a corrosion cell very quickly, if 
they are imbedde din the material of the bar. The cleaned bar should 
then be painted with a good rust-inhibiting paint, or treated with a 
rust inhibitor such as cosmoline, or something like it. BTW - 
replacement of the bar is no big deal ... BUYING the replacement can 
be, as I understand it.

--- In dmcnews@xxxx, RJRavalli@xxxx wrote:
> How worried should I be about slight signs of torsion bar rust on my 
driver's side that I have been recently noticing? Is this something I 
can cure on my own or am I talking about a difficult torsion bar 
replacement?
> 
> Thank you for any help,
> 
> Richard