SPRINGS on 65 barracuda

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TerraBella

TerraBella

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Any help !!
Looking to replace the front coil springs on my 65 Barracuda
just getting it on the road and she seems to float a bit, now i know its a old car,but looking to have a bit of a stiffer or better ride/handeling
any one have any good ideas for me and what may be best

Thanks Guys!!!!
 
Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but '65 Barracudas didn't have coil springs, they used torsion bars. Now for the good news, any A body torsion bar will work and they are available in many sizes to tailor your ride. They run the gamut from what you have to so stiff that if you run over a dime in the road you can tell if it's heads or tails. Firmfeel, Just Suspension, PST, and Mancini Racing are just a few leads to find what you want in the way of shocks, steering boxes, bushings, torsion bars, and suspension bits to make the old fish ride and handle just the way you want it to. Give some thought to a brake upgrade as well, the old drums are not the best in the world and parts are getting scarce. BTW, welcome to the forum, these guys can set you up.
 
60's thru 70's Mopars don't have coil springs. They have torsion bars. You can easily adjust the front height with the adjuster bolts, but to increase the spring stiffness you need to install thicker torsion bars. The thinnest ones (slant six cars w/o AC, ~0.84"D I recall) are almost freebies, since most people want thicker ones, the exception being drag racers who prefer the thinnest ones. Changing torsion bars is much easier and safer than the coil springs used on GM & Ford cars.

Some people ask a lot for the thick bars, but I got a set for $10 at a local Mopar show that were the 2nd thickest "340 bars" (~0.88" D?), and the seller had many pairs. Thickest factory ones were for big-block Darts, but very rare. After-market sellers make them even >1"D, but those are probably teeth-shatteringly stiff.

Poke around and you will find much info on torsion bars and tables of info. You need A-body only, others won't fit. What you need depends on the front end weight, including AC compressor. If you lighten the engine w/ aluminum (intake, heads, water pump, radiator, Sanyo compressor), the torsion bars can be less stiff for the same handling.

Before you change torsion bars, make sure your problems aren't due to worn shocks. Give the front end the "bump test". It should stop bouncing on the first rebound. There are also spring-assisted shocks, but I have only seen for the rear type (eye hole on both ends).
 
BillGrissom said:
60's thru 70's Mopars don't have coil springs. They have torsion bars. You can easily adjust the front height with the adjuster bolts, but to increase the spring stiffness you need to install thicker torsion bars. The thinnest ones (slant six cars w/o AC, ~0.84"D I recall) are almost freebies, since most people want thicker ones, the exception being drag racers who prefer the thinnest ones. Changing torsion bars is much easier and safer than the coil springs used on GM & Ford cars.

Some people ask a lot for the thick bars, but I got a set for $10 at a local Mopar show that were the 2nd thickest "340 bars" (~0.88" D?), and the seller had many pairs. Thickest factory ones were for big-block Darts, but very rare. After-market sellers make them even >1"D, but those are probably teeth-shatteringly stiff.
Poke around and you will find much info on torsion bars and tables of info. You need A-body only, others won't fit. What you need depends on the front end weight, including AC compressor. If you lighten the engine w/ aluminum (intake, heads, water pump, radiator, Sanyo compressor), the torsion bars can be less stiff for the same handling.

Before you change torsion bars, make sure your problems aren't due to worn shocks. Give the front end the "bump test". It should stop bouncing on the first rebound. There are also spring-assisted shocks, but I have only seen for the rear type (eye hole on both ends).
Click to expand...
DUH!! You would think after all the time i spent under that car I could see that it didnt have coils DUH again.. my shocks are new or at least look new and it passes the bounce test I will be looking at the T bars. .84 - .88 seems like very little differance but I will look at what i have and look into something bigger .... Thanks for your imput it is very helpfull
 
I thought this was a test to see if we were really paying attention.....lol
"Looking to replace the front coil springs on my 65 Barracuda"
 
Add a sway bar. Makes all the difference in the world when it comes to handling.
 
Before you replace the T-bars make sure ALL the suspension bushings are new. Same with the steering linkage, meaning all 4 tie rod ends, idler arm and pittman arm. Same applies to rear spring bushings. Garden variety .870 bars, a front sway bar, quality shocks and decent tires make for a pretty reasonable street combo, or at least a good starting point for further mods.

Oh, and keep in mind that a torsion bar is a coil spring that has been "un-coiled".
 
C130 Chief said:
a torsion bar is a coil spring that has been "un-coiled".
Click to expand...

Second that. It is always enlightening to ME students in the first design course that the metal in a coil spring twists instead of bends. A coil spring is really just a coiled torsion bar. However, it fails sooner under the same torsional load because it also must carry the weight as a shear load. In Mopars, the front end weight is carried by the LCA bolt, so the torsion bar is loaded in pure twisting, meaning it can be lighter. Plus the mass of the spring assembly is at a lower installed height, which improves handling.
 
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