Torsion bars don't seem to adjust

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Richie

Richie

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Hi everybody.

When I adjust my torsion bars the ride height seems to stay the same. Nothing is wrong with the mounts they were rebuilt. There's now way the bars would be twisting in the mounts.
 
Not the first time but the second time the jack was in a deep dirt hole...not pavement or concrete and the tires were just touching the ground so maybe that was the problem.
 
were the torsion bars removed from the car? did they get put back in the proper side of the car (left and right side are diffrent) when reinstalling them did you loosen the adjuster all the way and turn the front socket toward the adjuster?
 
They must have been taken out when he fixed the mount. As for the other questions I have no idea.
 
were both sides in need of repair? if so then maybe he put them back in the wrong sides? they are numbered so anyone sure of how that works please chime in.. I think the even nuber goes to drivers side...not sure I just label em when I pull em ( the number is on the end) main thing is to find that out then jack up the car, check to see they are in the right sides. if they are in the correct side the slide loosen the adjuster bolt all the way..slide the bars backwards...move the adjuster lever towards the adjuster bolt then reinstall the torsion bar. i ajust the bolt till it is level with the bottom of the control arm for a starting point then go from there....when you get the height you want then start measuring flom level ground to the rockers of the car at front and rear locations to level the car rock the car up and down at the bumpers each time you adjust it to get it to static height and remeasure
Richie said:
They must have been taken out when he fixed the mount. As for the other questions I have no idea.
Click to expand...
 
waggin said:
were both sides in need of repair? if so then maybe he put them back in the wrong sides? they are numbered so anyone sure of how that works please chime in.. I think the even nuber goes to drivers side...not sure I just label em when I pull em ( the number is on the end) main thing is to find that out then jack up the car, check to see they are in the right sides. if they are in the correct side the slide loosen the adjuster bolt all the way..slide the bars backwards...move the adjuster lever towards the adjuster bolt then reinstall the torsion bar. i ajust the bolt till it is level with the bottom of the control arm for a starting point then go from there....when you get the height you want then start measuring flom level ground to the rockers of the car at front and rear locations to level the car rock the car up and down at the bumpers each time you adjust it to get it to static height and remeasure
Click to expand...

Yes the whole torsion bar mount was capped with a "Rust Technitions" cap he did a fantastic job so both would have been removed. Ok that sounds good. I'll wait to see witch side is what number. Something isn't right because from what I've read about how you can raise the front of the car up just doesn't seem to work. I would like to a little because mine is pretty low.
 
Like waggon said; they need to be clocked. If you can install them with the upper control arm bumpers in place; not clocked correctly. You basically have to undo the upper ball joint and stand on the lower control arm, while some one slides the bar in. Then adjust, Maybe 4+ turns, let it down on the floor, jump up and down on the front bumper, more adjusting. From the bottom of the lbj to the bottom of the bar housing should be about 1 7/8"
 
You aren't cranking on the strut rod nut are you? We had a guy with this exact same question a couple months ago and that's what he was doing.
 
The bars install with a slight pre load too. The bump stops under the upper arms need to be removed and the upper arm moved all the way down to get install with pre load.
 
Well the bolt is right at the top of the control arm up inside and you can see the little bar about 2 inches long beside it right?
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
The bolt should be sticking down out of the bottom of the lower control arm
Click to expand...

It's not but that's what I'm turning. Couldn't find a Dart one but here's a pretty good pic. We could store it for other lunk heads like myself that need help on the same subject :)
 

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If it's not poring rain out tomorrow I'll back the car out of the shed, get it raise right off of the ground and turn those bolts out further and see what happens. If it's still the same height then I'll know for sure something's haywire.
 
Hey Richie are you trying to raise the car or lower it?

Reading your last post you mention turning the bolts out to see what happens. I'm wondering if something is hitting and holding the car up.

I know someone talked about upper control arm bumpers, but what about the lower control arm bumpers ??? Maybe you are on the lower bumper and that is all you can get.
 
ok thanks for the pic's Now I see the problem...my Micrometer eye see's them slant six torsion bars in there and that big block too you ain't hidin nuthin from old Wagg's......and actually you can loosen the lower control arm pivot bolt and it will spin freely so you dont have to stand on the lower control arm. the torsion bars are NOT installed with any preload don't know why someone would think that so just be cautious of too much advice..I been doin this for 29 years now and have no intention of steerin ya wrong, nor do I think anyone else here would. love the torque strap on the engine that should do the trick :cheers:
 
I'm lookin carefully at the pic ....so here comes a question is that pic taken recently and in the pic are you trying to get the front end to come up a lil' bit more? if so then I have to say I see the lever that the adjuster moves and it appers to be proper and that means the torsion bars are clocked correctly meaning you need a larger diameter torsion bar to carry the big block....Jmo.....
 
hey now that aint even fair I'm lookin at this thinkin a body....wtf? thats a 73 and later b body???? I recognize that front sway bar end link and the fact that the k frame is diffrent..I had to put on my reading glasses and I dont have reading glasses
 
karebeaar66 said:
Hey Richie are you trying to raise the car or lower it?

Reading your last post you mention turning the bolts out to see what happens. I'm wondering if something is hitting and holding the car up.

I know someone talked about upper control arm bumpers, but what about the lower control arm bumpers ??? Maybe you are on the lower bumper and that is all you can get.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the rubbers? If so yes it's on them but I want to raise it and to do that you let the bolts out right? If I don't slow to 15 or 10 mph when I go over the railway tracks close to my home my car scrapes the pavement, mind you the tracks are very un even but it shouldn't do that. It needs to be a bit higher
 
You don't stand on the lca to pre-load, just helps bar slip in. That chain for torque? I couldn't figure it out.
 
waggin said:
clockwise with the blots to raise the car higher
Click to expand...



So tighten the bolts the car goes higher. If that's so I know right now that they're haywire because last year I had the car off of the ground and adjusted and tested adjusted and test till the bolts were tightened all the way and no change in height.
 
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