What the best torsion bar and leaf spring combo?
Thanks ya I'm just wanting it to handle good on the street and ride decent.
well, its both parts and tuning as with anything in street rodding.
There were a variety of leafs available even amongst the v-8 cars. If the leafs are really well used, like 80k miles, lots of cargo or people or drag race launches on slicks, they could simply be worn out. You local spring shop can sell you new. However I will say that not all replacement springs are equal in quality. Measure the thickness of the leaves as well as the number of leaves. Since you are running a strong engine and a heavy axle, a thick main leaf will help it last longer.
Torsion bars. For street use, use one of the largest the factory offered, or anything up to 1.03 in the aftermarket. Yes there is a big range in spring rates from .89" diameter to 1.03" but based on your question you'll probably be happy with almost anything in that spread. If you're running stick tires then lean higher, if you don't like stiff rides or are using a typical street tire (eg BFG Radial TA) then stay in the .89-.99 range.
A front Sway Bar will make the most noticible difference. Use polyurethane bushings for the sway bar and end links for the best response.
On the tuning side, set your ride hieght a little on the low side (say 1.5" using chrysler method of measuring front ride ht) and align for a little bit of negative camber, 1-3 degrees of positive caster, and just a little bit of toe in so its close to zero when moving.
