Need help with torsion bars

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boosted

boosted

Life Needs Air
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My 67 cudas torsion arms are not connected to the bolt. Car had blocks in it. I am taking them out. Carvisvrunning in the air on stands. If I Jack the wheelbup will the lever the bolt goes in come back down? Or how should I do it?
 
The bolts don't actually connect to arm.
The tip of the adjuster bolts sit in a pocket in the arm on the end of the torsion bar.
If you jack the wheel up the arm doesn't move, but the bolt should go up towards the pocket in the arm.

I think part of the problem is people may not be understanding what you mean.
 
I think he was actually talking about the torsion bar adjuster.. seems TrailBeast made him happy...
 
Sounds like the adjuster bolts aren't screwed in far enough. The car is on jack stands, so the LCA's are hanging down as far as they'll go. The bolt isn't touching the torsion bar lever arm. Jacking the wheel up will probably get the bolt to touch the arm, but at that adjustment if you hit a pot hole and drop the LCA arm as far as it will go the bolt and arm will separate, and them slam back together when the suspension rebounds. Not to mention that it probably means the ride height will be REALLY low when you set the car on it's wheels.

Sounds to me like the the adjuster needs to be tightened until the bolt touches the arm, plus an extra turn or two. Then set the car on the ground and figure out the ride height. When you're done the car will need an alignment.

The other possibility is that the LCA's were indexed incorrectly when the torsion bars were installed. They can be installed a hex flat off, which changes the range of adjustment for the LCA's and the ride height. What size torsion bars are they? The other possibility is that you have larger, aftermarket torsion bars which are indexed differently than stock bars. That's not a problem, but again it can change the range of adjustment for the ride height.
 
72bluNblu said:
Sounds like the adjuster bolts aren't screwed in far enough. The car is on jack stands, so the LCA's are hanging down as far as they'll go. The bolt isn't touching the torsion bar lever arm. Jacking the wheel up will probably get the bolt to touch the arm, but at that adjustment if you hit a pot hole and drop the LCA arm as far as it will go the bolt and arm will separate, and them slam back together when the suspension rebounds. Not to mention that it probably means the ride height will be REALLY low when you set the car on it's wheels.

Sounds to me like the the adjuster needs to be tightened until the bolt touches the arm, plus an extra turn or two. Then set the car on the ground and figure out the ride height. When you're done the car will need an alignment.

The other possibility is that the LCA's were indexed incorrectly when the torsion bars were installed. They can be installed a hex flat off, which changes the range of adjustment for the LCA's and the ride height. What size torsion bars are they? The other possibility is that you have larger, aftermarket torsion bars which are indexed differently than stock bars. That's not a problem, but again it can change the range of adjustment for the ride height.
Click to expand...

All very possibly true.
 
Yes the torsion bar adjuster. The adjusting bolt just moves around and the adjusting socket is a good ways away from the adjusting nut. So I guess there may be an issue there. I will see about it again on Saturday.
 
boosted said:
Yes the torsion bar adjuster. The adjusting bolt just moves around and the adjusting socket is a good ways away from the adjusting nut. So I guess there may be an issue there. I will see about it again on Saturday.
Click to expand...

Pictures will make it a lot easier for us to understand what you're talking about.

But, if the car is up on stands and the adjusters were backed out it's very possible that the adjusting bolts would be away from the lever arms. If the adjusting bolt isn't in contact with the lever arm it can pivot around in the LCA, the threaded adjuster block has a half round on it because the angle of the bolt has to change slightly as the adjustment changes. So, when the adjusting bolt is free of the lever arm it just flops around. Do you have the stock torsion bars on the car?
 
Yes all stock and original. Guy just put a poly motor in it blocks. I guess it was heavy and lowered the front to much and he did not know to adjust it.
 
Well removed the blocks, torsion adjusters all the way up and the socket it fits into is still 2" from them and is pinned to the top as far up as it will go on both sides.. So now I do not have a clue... I guess yank the motor and take the front end apart...
 
Gonna need pictures on this one, something definitely isn't right.
 
Yea I will in the morning.. I took those blocks off and let the Jack down and the car sat ontop of the jack...lol.. So it is back up on jack stands and I will put the blocks back just so I can get it out front and yank the motor and trans out... Then address this and put my 360 in it....
 
Best to take most of the weight off when adjusting the T-bar bolts, otherwise people have stripped the threads.

Find what diameter T-bars you have. Allow 3 mil for paint thickness. They have colored stripes to identify (red, olive, ...) and there are PN's stamped in the end, if the last guy was nice enough to face the needed numbers to the aft side. There is also a L & R T-bar, and you can't/shouldn't swap them. With thick enough T-bars, the control arms won't sit on the bump stops even with a 440 engine. After-market ones are much thicker than stock.
 
Well here is what I have found. The torsion bar sockets where the bolts go into are locked all the way up. The t bar bolts cannot get to them. I let the car off the stands it will hit the floor. The bolts are all the way in. What would make this be this way?
 
Sounds to me the guy that put the torsion bars in did not clock them correctly. Need to jack car up, turm the adjuster bolts all the out, take clips off the rear of the torsion bar, remove the torsion bars. then make sure the part that hits the adjuster bolt is all the way down, or as far as it will go and still allow the torsion bar to line up correctly. You wont have to remove the Bars, just slide them back off the lower control arms allowing you to adjust correctly.
 
Someone else might have a better explanation, but Im pretty sure the are not installed in the right position.
 
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