I think I am off by 60*. Torsion bars

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Kent mosby

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I just reinstalled my torsion bars and I think I am off a notch. After researching here a bit I think I am off a bit. I ran out of time last night to fix this. From my research here, I need to loosen the LCA bolt, remove the upper control arm bump stop, raise the car up so that the suspension is hanging full weight. At this point, the flats on the torsion bars should line up, or be close. Then install the bars, adjust ride height and finally torque the lca nut back up. As stupid as I feel about this, I hope it is fixable. Any help appreciated.
 
With the adjusting bolt backed all the way out and the suspension hanging at full droop, the bars should be closed to lining up with the socket. Sometimes the upper bump stop needs to be removed to get the suspension a little bit lower.
 
Stock or aftermarket bars? Stock they should need to go back into the location they came out of. Some aftermarket bars are clocked and have a left and right.
 
They are stock bars, I have the right and left correct. What bugs me is how high up the adjuster arm is without anything pushing it up. In the pics, the car is completely seated on the suspension.
 
The adjuster is clocked to the side, and you probably need to put it back up in the air take the adjuster all the way out and the rest and reinstall the torsion bar with the lower control arm swing downward towards the ground more. Looks like you needed to have the control arm pointing down more toward the ground, like you off a hex. Show us how much adjuster bolt is in or out, that's a dead giveaway when the car sits too low and has the adjuster all the way in. Make sure to back them off when reinstalling then readjust them to stock height, screwed in about 1/4 sticking out from the bottom of the arm.
 
The adjuster bolt is backed out all the way. I can adjust it all the way in and it just barely touches. What "clocks" the adjustment arm that the adjuster sits in relative to the LCA. At rest without the torsion bar in and the LCA hanging down, the arm sits higher up like it is in the pics.
 
Kent mosby said:
The adjuster bolt is backed out all the way. I can adjust it all the way in and it just barely touches. What "clocks" the adjustment arm that the adjuster sits in relative to the LCA. At rest without the torsion bar in and the LCA hanging down, the arm sits higher up like it is in the pics.
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The other side of the bar, it needs to spin out, drivers side say.. so clock it left a hex, with it still in the arm...then once you have your arm bolt seated as well as the strut rod and torqued...lower the car 'some' get it to where it's close to a high looking ride height...then adjust the adjuster in to like i said and lower the car down and see what you have .

The torsion bar needs to be under a good amount of twist to support the car, it's almost 2000 lbs on the front of an a body, each front corner on the typical 108 w/b disc brake p/s small block a body car weighs about 940/890lbs, the rear with 8 3/4 is around 750 +/-40lbs roughly. A hair more for 111 w/b cars
 
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yes, in addition, you will probably have to disconnect the shock, and maybe the brake hose, too. Like someone advised, the head of the adjusting bolt should be visible beneath the LCA, after ride height is adjusted. Personally, I try to adjust the ride height so it is midway between the jounce and rebound bumpers, but others may see it differently.
 
FWIW, I am trying to get this ready for friday's last drag race of the season. My new torsion bars from PST got stuck in oregon for 5 days and will not arrive until Friday sometime so I had to use my old ones. This has a RB motor in it so my settings of the adjuster bolt may be different but the principles are the same.
 
I would double check the left vs right. Two dif part numbers.

Also be sure your torsion bar cross member recepticals are not twisting.

Lastly what the others have said about full unrestricted droop on the LCA
 
Try "rigging" a big 2x4 or something so you can pry down on the LCA when it's hanging. And as said above, be mindful of the shock and brake hose. You may even need to loosen the LCA pivot nut and or the strut rod, and don't forget the anti-roll bar if you have one
 
I cut about 8" off an old torsion bar. I insert the hex in the control arm and use a pipe wrench to rotate the adjust all the way down. You need the adjuster bolt almost out so the arm can rotate all the way down. Jack car up so suspension is hanging. Never had to remove the bump stops myself but I have heard that its required sometimes.
 
I was off 60*. It was easy after removing the upper bump stops to get it correct. The adjuster bolt is even with the bottom of the lca and there is only 1/2 inch max between the lower stops and the frame. It will get me by until the new torsion bars arrive. Thanks everyone for all the help.
 
I unbolted the spindle and let it hang, then I took a pipe wrench and used it on the round OD of the socket part and turned down to give it another 1" of drop and the torsion bar slid in/out. It needed that extra 1" or so in my case and also a jack under the front door hinge area.
 
I am about to change my torsion bars and with this technique will I achieve stock height or will it lower the car. I am researching now because I want to lower my front end but keep proper alignment, my last mopar I only backed off the LCA bolt and achieved the ride height but could never get my alignment correct without raising the car. Sorry for hijacking this thread.
 
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