trunk lid torsion rods

[boss49472]

Does anyone know the diameter of the 1972 trunk lid torsion rods for a vehicle with a rear spoiler?  Is there any procedure for installing them correctly to keep the trunk lid open?

 

[delawarebill]

first what body style is it ? on my '73 f/b with the wing, it came with one bar. looked online and found another and put two in and worked just fine. now if my understanding is correct there was no difference in the two of mine. no left/right. there is a tool to use but i just used two vice grips and fastened them tight. also when i did mine i put them in the slot for the most tension.

 

[rackerm]

Here is the previous thread on Torsion bar installation... https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-how-to-safely-install-trunk-torsion-bars

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Does anyone know the diameter of the 1972 trunk lid torsion rods for a vehicle with a rear spoiler?  Is there any procedure for installing them correctly to keep the trunk lid open?

I just put mine in a couple weeks ago and came up with an easy way. I have a convertible just where you put the rod end in the slots increases the torsion on the rod. I will have to measure but I would guess 5/16" dia.

The Cougar had a heavier trunk and used two rods.

The Mach 1 or sportsroof has a different hinge design than the convertible so the method I used will not work for you unless it is a coupe or vert.

I used the center slot on the left side, no spoiler, and put the rod in place there and took a piece of wire and wired it so it would not come out. I then went to the right side and took a pipe wrench and twisted the rod until I could get the end inside the hinge. I could not go all the way so I took the jack for the car and put it under the rod jacked it up in line with the hinge and then took a seal puller and snapped the rod in place with one hit. You should chamfer the end of the rod going into the hinge it will go in easier.

The Ford manual says to use a pipe wrench to install but I could not get it to grip the diameter of the rod so I went to the end and used the 90 deg. bend to catch the pipe wrench.

If you have a Mach 1 this info is useless, lol. Do a search several have got injured doing this same thing. Be careful.

 

[waterlife]

Does anyone know the diameter of the 1972 trunk lid torsion rods for a vehicle with a rear spoiler?  Is there any procedure for installing ththete is a special tooem correctly to keep the trunk lid open?

Theres a special tool that  bends the torsion bars so that the trunk come up quickly. I only know that WCCC sells the tool, $25

 

[capttourettes]

I've compared the rods in a few of the parts cars out back and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. 2 cars without spoiler - 2 rods in one and 1 in the other. Both open well. The car with 1 rod is set with more tension and doesn't seem to be missing one. (no rub marks in the paint) 2 rods with all of the spoiler cars I have and have seen. All of the rods seem to be the same diameter.