I have a set of 1" torsion bars been on a dart

[jerry6]

with no engine in it , been sitting for over 10 years , any chance the torsion bars are still good ?
Can torsion bars be re torsioned , like leaf springs are re arched , or do I toss them ? Upset , they are chrome plated , guy I bought the car off planned to show the car I guess .

 

[JLP]

I would imagine they are just fine. There are a tons of cars running around with 40+ year old t-bars. How well did the chrome hold up?

 

[FISHBREATH]

I would guess that 1" bars are still good. I've never heard of the bars being re-torsioned. I would pull them out and grease the cups, however.

 

[jerry6]

Chrome held up well , still looks good ,car has been sitting in garage most of the 10 years , guess I'll grease the cups and try them out .

 

[C130 Chief]

Re-torsioned?!? You do understand what the adjustment screw on the LCA is for right? The "rate" of a spring remains constant through it's life, but it will deform in time. Hence the adjustment.

I would be more concerned about the chrome plating. Hydrogen embrittlement is a result of the plating process and may shorten the life of the bars. Personally, I'd run them as-is. If one fails, and that's a big if, replace them then.

 

[RedFish]

I've never seen chrome plated torsion bars. They do have adjustment incorperated to compensate for fatigue where leaf springs or coil spings do not. If they sit with lttle or no load they should be fine.