Torsion bars

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CRUZE 418

CRUZE 418

FABO Gold Member
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Question, does it matter which direction the torsion bar goes in? L, left side / R, right side. Does that letter R/L need to be facing to the front or rear? I know, dumb question, but a friend is trying to tell me that the letter needs to face the rear. I do not believe that it matters.
 
Look at the flats on the tortion bars for a side. Note their orientation. Turn the bar around, are the flats still in the same orientation? If so doesn't matter, if not matters but couldn't tell you which way is right!
 
Sides matter, Ends do not. I always put the L&R to the rear so I can easily double check them.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Question, does it matter which direction the torsion bar goes in? L, left side / R, right side. Does that letter R/L need to be facing to the front or rear? I know, dumb question, but a friend is trying to tell me that the letter needs to face the rear. I do not believe that it matters.
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With Chrysler odd numbers are on the drivers side, even numbers on the passenger side. The big block bars are 894 and 895, so 894 goes on the passenger side...
 
Okay, my '72 has aftermarket bars in it. I do know that I have the left and right where they are supposed to be, but I do have the letters facing forward. The reason this even came up is because I have something in the front right suspension croaking like a damn frog. Everything is tight/lubricated.
I am going to pull it all back apart and look for something. I will turn the bars then so that the letters can be seen from the rear.
Thank you guys for the help, I do appreciate it!
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Okay, my '72 has aftermarket bars in it. I do know that I have the left and right where they are supposed to be, but I do have the letters facing forward. The reason this even came up is because I have something in the front right suspension croaking like a damn frog. Everything is tight/lubricated.
I am going to pull it all back apart and look for something. I will turn the bars then so that the letters can be seen from the rear.
Thank you guys for the help, I do appreciate it!
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That croaking sound reminds me of my '69 Charger doing that. It ended up being the LCA bushing.
 
Will have to check that right bushing when I take it apart. Something is certainly wrong.
It's sucks when both cars have issues!
 
Dont tighten the lower control arm pivots until car is on the ground with all the weight on the front suspension, I set ride height before also. If you tighten them with suspension hanging when you set it down it will destroy your lower control arm bushings.
 
dak**rt said:
Dont tighten the lower control arm pivots until car is on the ground with all the weight on the front suspension, I set ride height before also. If you tighten them with suspension hanging when you set it down it will destroy your lower control arm bushings.
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Yup. If you tightened it all in the air, a bushing might be giving up, spinning slightly in the shell, or even metal groaning.
I'd suggest raising the front end, loosening the lca bolt, lowering it down and then retightening. Might cure your problem.

If you have a sway bar, try disconnecting it at both ends to rule it in or out too.
 
I am a little guilty of all of the above. Could not see a way of torquing it here on the ground, couldn't swing a torque wrench. Plus I had to test drive it enough to get the bugs out for the drive to the alignment shop. They torqued the lca's. Did not loosen and then torque. So, I am back to square one. Either I have ruined the bushings or not. Will try loosening and retorque first, which means going back to the alignment shop. It's always something.
The bushings are pressed into the k-member? Will take a look at the FSM. At least I think I know what I am looking for now. Month of July is pretty much shot for me, so may be awhile before I have answers.
Will post when I get things sorted out.
Thank you all for hopefully pointing me in the right direction!.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
I am a little guilty of all of the above. Could not see a way of torquing it here on the ground, couldn't swing a torque wrench. Plus I had to test drive it enough to get the bugs out for the drive to the alignment shop. They torqued the lca's. Did not loosen and then torque. So, I am back to square one. Either I have ruined the bushings or not. Will try loosening and retorque first, which means going back to the alignment shop. It's always something.
The bushings are pressed into the k-member? Will take a look at the FSM. At least I think I know what I am looking for now. Month of July is pretty much shot for me, so may be awhile before I have answers.
Will post when I get things sorted out.
Thank you all for hopefully pointing me in the right direction!.
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The bushings are pressed into the LCA. If the LCA pivot nuts were torqued with the suspension hanging you've probably torn the rubber bushings. Nothing in the rubber LCA bushing/LCA pivot pin assembly spins, so, all of the travel in the suspension has to come from flex in those rubber bushings. So the pivot nuts have to be torqued at ride height so half the travel is flex one way and the other half is flex in the opposite direction. If they're torqued with the control arms on the bump stops, all the travel is in the same direction and that's more travel than the rubber can flex.

The car does not have to be on the ground when you torque the LCA pivot nuts, you just need the LCA's in approximately the same position as they will be at ride height. So you can have the car lifted up to get at the pivot nut as long as the LCA is supported to place it at ride height.
 
I will just order 2 bushings and do it. Then, get my ride height, tighten with a rachet, then I can lift the front end and torque to 130 ft lbs. Right?
 
CRUZE 418 said:
I will just order 2 bushings and do it. Then, get my ride height, tighten with a rachet, then I can lift the front end and torque to 130 ft lbs. Right?
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You just need the pins loose enough so that they'll rotate in the K frame if you set the car on the ground to get the right height. So they don't have to be finger tight, just not overly tightened. Then yes, you can lift the front end up and put the car on jackstands, and then lift the LCA so that the angle is the same as it was at ride height, then torque the pivot nuts.
 
Sounds like it's easier to explain than doing it. Like everything, it's all in the details, isn't it? Will post the outcome, may be a month or so, July is very busy.
Thank you again!
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Sounds like it's easier to explain than doing it. Like everything, it's all in the details, isn't it? Will post the outcome, may be a month or so, July is very busy.
Thank you again!
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Yup, pretty easy to explain, just torque the pivot nuts with the LCA's at the same angle they'll be at ride height. Definitely easier said than done.

Another reason to like Poly or Delrin LCA bushings, the bushings rotate on the pins, they can be torqued anywhere.
 
Wow, they are proud of those. If they are that much apiece, I will go stock. Will call them tomorrow.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Wow, they are proud of those. If they are that much apiece, I will go stock. Will call them tomorrow.
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Last set you'll ever need. Less slop, less flex, less binding/resistance in the suspension travel.

Most of the rubber ones are garbage now anyway. A wonderful chart from @RealWing showing how many new reproduction rubber LCA bushings are straight junk. From this thread [URL="https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/lca-pin-loose-in-bushing.465142/page-2#post-1973048626"]LCA pin loose in bushing[/URL]

lca-bushing-dimensions-jpg.jpg
 
CRUZE 418 said:
That's a good point.
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Don't get me wrong, you don'd need Delrin LCA bushings on a cruiser. And honestly if you have stock strut rods and strut rod bushings you're probably better off with rubber LCA bushings. But from a price standpoint I think the benefits of the Delrin bushings are well worth the price.

I won't buy Moog at all now if I can help it. Proforged seems to be making the best quality replacement parts at the moment.
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Where do I get those?
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"Wow, they are proud of those. If they are that much apiece, I will go stock. Will call them tomorrow"
If you are referring to our delrin bushing set, the price is per pair. We recommend purchasing the set with the pivots as these items are carefully size matched. When you install a delrin bushing in a stock pin, leaving the inner sleeve in place, the surface is not round and the dimensions are not always consistent. We sized the pivots to fit the bushing perfectly as this is what rotates during suspension movement. Our pins are the same Rockwell hardness as the originals. This is important to retain the suspension during a severe impact. A pin that is made with material that is too hard can shear which can be dangerous.
 
All squared away, getting the delrins and shafts.
 
the aussies also make bushes
mackay rubber A1170 lower fits all mopar A bodies RBK1170 for a kit of 2

A1081 for uppers

Mackay
choose
chrylser
valiant
all
1978
CM
5.2 lite
regal wagon

gives you the v8 A body list

small company with big contracts small market... take a bit of pride in getting it right. Australians pride themselves on being able to break just about anything....:) so the parts they make tend to be of good quality....
their valiants got the upgrades to the chassis that the US reserved for Hemi and soft top cars, as standard, to stop bits breaking off on the way to the shops.

what you waste in import and postage you probably save in not having to do it again

i have to import everything, i'm in the UK so makes no odds to me, i don't hold the term "Made in USA" as close to my heart as many of you guys.... too often it doesn't fit or arrives broken, carries no sway in the quality stakes for me...(sorry)... so my front end is Mackay rubber. Japanese three 555 lower joints and NOS in MOPAR box uppers. The only moog used is the improved strut rod bush. I have had no problems in 10 years.
the rear trans mount they make, they used the early oblong block in a keyed cross member, to the end of production, 2 stud or 1 stud, doesn't turn to spongy cheese in 5 minutes flat. which is nice, most of the 6 cylinder engines used a rope seal so the mount has to put up with the "rust proofing" that provides

Dave
 
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