Torsion bar or door adjustment?

[Maritime-elf]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. But is there a way to tell if my Torsion bar broke or just needs adjusted? I havent driven the car in about 9 months, I was overseas, anyway, I came back to discover the passenger door doesn't open. Driver side still pops open but the passenger side is heavy and hard to open. I assume it could be a bad strut? and I can try replacing one first, but if I pull the handle nothing happens. If I lift the door the whole way it does not stay open. Any insight would be helpful.

[82DMC12]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. But is there a way to tell if my Torsion bar broke or just needs adjusted? I havent driven the car in about 9 months, I was overseas, anyway, I came back to discover the passenger door doesn't open. Driver side still pops open but the passenger side is heavy and hard to open. I assume it could be a bad strut? and I can try replacing one first, but if I pull the handle nothing happens. If I lift the door the whole way it does not stay open. Any insight would be helpful.

If the door strut is completely shot, then yeah the door will be pretty heavy. It's even heavier if the torsion bar is broken though. Most people would need both hands and a fair amount of strength to lift a door open with no strut OR torsion bar installed ( I have both out right now).

Get a friend to hold the door open and try swapping struts from side to side. Also as you lift the door up and down you should see the torsion bar twisting. If it's broken inside the roof box, it's just going to rotate and drag in the hole.

[David T]

Get the door all the way open and just look at the torsion bar. If it broke it will be obvious, they break right where it passes the rear hinge. If it didn't break a quick test is to just switch the struts side-to-side. The good one from the driver's side should hold the passenger door open (assuming the torsion bar is not broken of course).

[Maritime-elf]

I think it might be the Torsion bar. There is play in the bar. I can move it forward and aft about 1/2 a centimeter. I have a spare set of struts and I will make a replacement to see the result but I am pretty sure, I shouldnt be able to move the bar forward and aft.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I think it might be the Torsion bar. There is play in the bar. I can move it forward and aft about 1/2 a centimeter. I have a spare set of struts and I will make a replacement to see the result but I am pretty sure, I shouldnt be able to move the bar forward and aft.

If you don't see the bar broken, then it must be one of the end plates released.

[Maritime-elf]

If you don't see the bar broken, then it must be one of the end plates released.

Thank you for the glimmer of hope I will remove the sunshade and check.