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How do you (SAFELY) adjust the trunk tension rods?

854 Views 3 Replies 1 Participant Last post by  Guest
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According to my manual, you use Ford special tool XXXX to adjust these rods. Well, I don't have Ford special tool so I made my own by looking at the picture in the book. I tried using both 16g sheet metal and a block of wood, a 1x4 I think.

All I succeeded in doing was damn near killing myself! I managed to get the rod popped off the bracket both times, and it took me forever to get it back on. I understand how the tool is supposed to work - the notch at the top is where the bar sits in the tool and the hole at the middle slips over the end of the bar - but there's a problem: as you start pulling the bar back, putting more tension on it to get it in the next bracket slot, the bar is flexing, meaning the end of the bar is moving AWAY from the tool. Since there's only a stub of the bar sticking out as it is, it only needs to slip just slightly before it's out of the tool and whips out of the bracket.

Anyone got any ideas? I can successfully get the bar into the first slot in the bracket from when it's disconnected with the tool, but if I put any more tension on it to get to the next bracket slot out it comes. It really sux because my trunk whacks me in the head if I'm on even the slightest incline...

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It will be good to follow this one - I'm about to attempt to fix my falling trunk myself - I didnt realize it would be such a pain!
Good luck!
I had an OEM spoiler put on my g/f's Impreza for her, and the thing came w/ new tension rods, for the life of me I couldn't get them in, they suggested a tool similar to Ford's. I finally broke down and had my body man put the rods in, and when I asked him how he got those stinking things in there he just said "welding gloves and lots of swear words"... Sorry I can't be more helpful! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

-Jason

'72 Mach 1 || '90 Talon TSi AWD
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"Thats not a leak, my car's marking its territory!"
"If you've done it, it ain't braggin'." -Roy Rogers
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A friend of mine put his in with the aid of two vice-grips. Sorry that I have no more detail.
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