clocking

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downsr

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Can anyone explain clocking or indexing of the torsion bar 70 duster.Also where should the adjusting arm on the lca be positioned.All the way down on the adjusting pad where the adjusting bolt comes through .This seams to change how far the adjusting bolt sticks out of the lower control arm when adjusting ride height
 
Clocking is the difference in the manufactured angles of the two ends of the bar, relative to eachother. It is built into the bar and cannot be changed in the field. If you take a T-bar and put it on a flat surface, and if both ends sit flat on that surface with no rocking then it has no clocking. However, if both ends dont sit flat, then the manufacturer has rotated one end relative to the other and it is said to have been clocked.
 
downsr said:
Any help with the adjusting arm
Click to expand...

My approach:

If you're rebuilding the front with stock bars make sure the LCA pivot shafts are not torqued. Jack up the car and Let the LCA's hang.
Back out the adjusting bolt so they have no tension then rotate the adjusting lever as far down to the adjusting bolt as you can, then install the torsion bars ( there is a left and right as indicated on the bar end make sure to position accordingly).

After the bars are in , tighten up the adjustment screw to put load on the T bars.

Factory manual says measure from the pivot of the LCA to the ground (they presume you have level workplace) and the lowest part of the LCA (by the steering knuckle) to the ground.

Subtract the knuckle measurement from the pivot measurement and that is your ride height.

Rule of thumb is tighten with the front end off the ground so there is less load on the screw and loosen with the car on the ground.

You'll need to bounce and roll the car between adjustments to settle the suspension.

once you have the height set, torque in the LCA pivots and wrap up loose ends.

The manual will give you the spec for your factory setting but you can tune that to suit your preference.

I hope this helps
 
AlV said:
My approach:

If you're rebuilding the front with stock bars make sure the LCA pivot shafts are not torqued. Jack up the car and Let the LCA's hang.
Back out the adjusting bolt so they have no tension then rotate the adjusting lever as far down to the adjusting bolt as you can, then install the torsion bars ( there is a left and right as indicated on the bar end make sure to position accordingly).

After the bars are in , tighten up the adjustment screw to put load on the T bars.

Factory manual says measure from the pivot of the LCA to the ground (they presume you have level workplace) and the lowest part of the LCA (by the steering knuckle) to the ground.

Subtract the knuckle measurement from the pivot measurement and that is your ride height.

Rule of thumb is tighten with the front end off the ground so there is less load on the screw and loosen with the car on the ground.

You'll need to bounce and roll the car between adjustments to settle the suspension.

once you have the height set, torque in the LCA pivots and wrap up loose ends.

The manual will give you the spec for your factory setting but you can tune that to suit your preference.

I hope this helps
Click to expand...

X2
That's how it's done.
 
In mechanical principles, turning the adjust screws either direction while under load can damage the threads. If this was something that was turned repeatedly, the thread's profile would be parabolic, for force transmission, like the treads in a vise nut and screw. These factory threads aren't though. Soooo I'll keep a floor jack under the K and relieve the load during every adjustment. Need to roll and jounce it after every adjustment anyway.
I've heard of clocking issues with aftermarket bars but never dealt with those.
What I have found where reinstalling stock bars... If the upper arm eccentrics are left loose and out of capture pockets and the upper bump stop is not installed, the lower arm will drop low enough to let the torsion bar engage even with the adjusters set at about half travel. Afterwards when its all going to alignment specs, minimal adjusting is required. That's pretty much how it was designed to work anyway. One adjust screw head may or may not show below the arm a little more than the other. That's normal. A whole lot of factors play into equalizing the stance,, rear leaf spring condition, drive line weight distribution, etc...
We can bet that the guys on the factory assembly line who did this day after day knew exactly where the preliminary "sweet spot" setting was for both ride height adjusters and upper arm eccentrics.
For us and our used or reproduction parts, its trail and error.
 
From post #3, I kinda got the feeling you are having a problem locating the adjuster bolts, into the sockets, on the adjuster arms, inside the LCAs. Are you OK there?
-I usually take the adjuster bolts right out and put a dab of anti-seize there in the sockets, and on the saddles,and after cleaning the threads, a bit on them too. Now I know some guys might frown on that, but after all the years of doing alignments, I never experienced, or got a report of, even one adjuster bolt that backed out. At onetime I marked the boltheads. I dont bother anymore.
-And I know I shouldnt tell you this either, but with the anti-seize in there its a breeze to adjust the ride height, on the turning plates,without jacking the car up.
-And on your Duster, if you have 24 inch front tires (235/70-14), a good initial ride height setting might be 5.75 to 6 inches between the lowest point of the K-frame and the surface under the wheels(usually floor). You can usually go up to a 1/4 inch either way. But at 5.5 inches speed bumps become an issue with most brands of under-the-draglink headers. And with those same 24 inch tires,when you get much past 6.25 inches, cornering becomes uncomfortable (at least for me). For my S-clone, I have set the suspension at 1/4 inch,front down-rake, as measured at the rocker ends, and the K clearance at 5.75 inches.(This required rear spring and mounting point changes as well.) I have TTIs so speed bumps dont drag. After numerous adjustments and alignments; I have found this to work for me, for over 14 years and 125,000 miles. Dont forget that each time you change the ride height, its back to the alignment shop.
-BTW, why do you ask about clocking?
 
Just trying to understand what is meant by clocking.When installing torsion bars with everything unloaded.Where should the adjusting arm(arm with socket for the adjusting bolt)
be positioned.
 
I think this was all said above, but to summarize...

Stock bars - no clocking.

With car up, suspension relaxed. Back adjuster screws till almost out, arms down to blocks

Slide torsion bars in. Ok if arm comes off block a little to get bar in.
Just be sure to get correct left and right. Front/back does not matter

Tighten adjusters to best gestimate.
Lower, bounce, measure,
Jack up again and repeat as needed.
 
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