Morgonzo
Active Member
Hey all, here's another installment in the "If I can do it, You can do it" Tech series. This time, we're installing Dobinsons Torsion bars on the L300. As daunting as it might seem at first, it's quite simple. I have to send a HUGE thanks out to Mr Kellyn "Rasta" Karr for supplying these bars and talking me though it. So to start with get your 17mm racheting-end wrench (you have a set of ratcheting wrenches right?) a can of White Lithium grease and a dead-blow mallet. If you do not know where your T-bars are climb under your van and look for this 
This is your T-bar adjuster. These nuts (retaining nut and adjuster nut) are the only things you will have to wrench on in this entire job. Before you start wrenching, jack up your van and put it on some jack-stands...dont forget to chock your rear wheels 
. Undo both nuts until the adjusting end of the T-bar can be removed and set aside 
now you should have a bare end to the T-bar 
the next step is just to pull it out of the receiver on the front control arm. If there is any resistance, it's is because of the dust boot. Look behind the front wheel your working on and lift the dust flap to find the termination point of the T-bar and pull the dust-boot off the control arm (it was hard to get a pic of this sorry). T-bar should now just slide out. Here is the OEM next to the Dobby's notice the difference in diameter 
Now that you have the bar out (do one at a time..) it's time to put the dust-boots on the new bar. There's a method to getting these on to the thicker bar. The first one goes on backwards (wide-side first...use lotsa lube eh?) 
The second one needs to be flipped inside out, and then flipped back over once on the bar (a flat-head screwdriver helps to flip the bottom of the boot over, just be careful to not cut the boot with the screwdriver..). Did I mention that these bars have to be orientated properly? on one end there is a letter and an arrow
The arrows MUST point to the inside of the van, NOT the outside otherwise No BUENO!. Lubricate the spline-end with grease and push into the receiver at the control arm. There should be NO splines showing when completely installed. Here's when you need the dead-blow hammer. Give the bar a couple of whacks till it seats properly. Slip the dust-boot over the receiver end 
Now the rest of the installation is the reverse of taking it out. Make sure the Saddle (the metal bit with the threaded adjuster rod) fits the way it did with the old bar. If the adjuster rod is not fitting nicely of the saddle is not seated right, the T-bar is not fully seated into the control arm receiver. This a good reason to do one at a time so you can compare what you did to what Mitsubishi did . Watch your Master cylinder lines when doing the Passenger side. The bar is a tight fit around these lines. Once back together, start to tighten up the main nut (hope your arm isn't tired...it'll take awhile) DO NOT crank the Dobby's back up to where the OEM bars sat. These have something like twice the spring tension. Just get the everything tight and then go a and measure your front gap. I measured from the bottom of the hub to top of the door arch, and adjusted till she sat at 21 and 3/4 inches. Kelly shared with me that when he first put his on, he leveled the van (like I was going too) and it was WAY to much. These vans should have a slight rake (nose slightly down) to handle well. Once the nose is riding where you want it, go for a quick jog around the block to seat the bars and then go straight to your friendly local Alignment shop.
I have to say that these bars have made a HUGE difference in the way my van behaves. All the crunchy, creaky noises I used to hear going over speed-bumps, pot-holes, cracks in the asphalt ect is all gone. Braking is way less scary and i'm not thrown into the ceiling when I hit a bump. NICE!!!
So, do your bars! Your van will thank you! Happy Holidays to all my Delica Brothers and Sisters!
Morgonzo.
This is your T-bar adjuster. These nuts (retaining nut and adjuster nut) are the only things you will have to wrench on in this entire job. Before you start wrenching, jack up your van and put it on some jack-stands...dont forget to chock your rear wheels . Undo both nuts until the adjusting end of the T-bar can be removed and set aside now you should have a bare end to the T-bar the next step is just to pull it out of the receiver on the front control arm. If there is any resistance, it's is because of the dust boot. Look behind the front wheel your working on and lift the dust flap to find the termination point of the T-bar and pull the dust-boot off the control arm (it was hard to get a pic of this sorry). T-bar should now just slide out. Here is the OEM next to the Dobby's notice the difference in diameter Now that you have the bar out (do one at a time..) it's time to put the dust-boots on the new bar. There's a method to getting these on to the thicker bar. The first one goes on backwards (wide-side first...use lotsa lube eh?) The second one needs to be flipped inside out, and then flipped back over once on the bar (a flat-head screwdriver helps to flip the bottom of the boot over, just be careful to not cut the boot with the screwdriver..). Did I mention that these bars have to be orientated properly? on one end there is a letter and an arrowThe arrows MUST point to the inside of the van, NOT the outside otherwise No BUENO!. Lubricate the spline-end with grease and push into the receiver at the control arm. There should be NO splines showing when completely installed. Here's when you need the dead-blow hammer. Give the bar a couple of whacks till it seats properly. Slip the dust-boot over the receiver end Now the rest of the installation is the reverse of taking it out. Make sure the Saddle (the metal bit with the threaded adjuster rod) fits the way it did with the old bar. If the adjuster rod is not fitting nicely of the saddle is not seated right, the T-bar is not fully seated into the control arm receiver. This a good reason to do one at a time so you can compare what you did to what Mitsubishi did . Watch your Master cylinder lines when doing the Passenger side. The bar is a tight fit around these lines. Once back together, start to tighten up the main nut (hope your arm isn't tired...it'll take awhile) DO NOT crank the Dobby's back up to where the OEM bars sat. These have something like twice the spring tension. Just get the everything tight and then go a and measure your front gap. I measured from the bottom of the hub to top of the door arch, and adjusted till she sat at 21 and 3/4 inches. Kelly shared with me that when he first put his on, he leveled the van (like I was going too) and it was WAY to much. These vans should have a slight rake (nose slightly down) to handle well. Once the nose is riding where you want it, go for a quick jog around the block to seat the bars and then go straight to your friendly local Alignment shop. I have to say that these bars have made a HUGE difference in the way my van behaves. All the crunchy, creaky noises I used to hear going over speed-bumps, pot-holes, cracks in the asphalt ect is all gone. Braking is way less scary and i'm not thrown into the ceiling when I hit a bump. NICE!!!
So, do your bars! Your van will thank you! Happy Holidays to all my Delica Brothers and Sisters!
Morgonzo.
