I don't think my torsion bars in right. I have a 74 duster with a 360. I have the t bars with the slots going vertical. Are they supposed to be horizontal or? I know there is a left and right and it doesn't matter which is front to back, I just need to know if those slots are positioned in a certain way?
t bar slot horizontal? vertical?
- Thread starter john27pa
- Start date
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No, they are hexagonally symmetric. Or at least the stock ones are -- I have heard that some aftermarket ones are "clocked".
I think the thing that matters most after the left/right thing is to make sure the LCA us completly in the far must downward position
I am getting ready to do mine and seeing it is all apart I will install the lower control arm and after I make sure it is all the way down I will install the bars then jack the control arm up to attack the rest if together.
I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that how u have read/researched it
I am getting ready to do mine and seeing it is all apart I will install the lower control arm and after I make sure it is all the way down I will install the bars then jack the control arm up to attack the rest if together.
I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that how u have read/researched it
ok- was just curious here because I thought these-the stock ones- were not exactly straight. Like they had a slight bend to them. Just thought I saw a pic of some that had that slight taper to them and you had to put the taper like it was point out to the front corners of the car. A little hard to explain. So I guess my other question is- are these straight do these T-bars have a slight -very slight- curve?
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
you need to install the lower control arms and do NOT tighten the nuts that hold the tapered pin all the way allowing the LCA tapered pin to rotate and move with the arm up and down, once you have all the suspension together, along with the engine weight in the car, and have the torsion bar height set where you want it, then you torque the LCA mounting nuts with the car level on the ground at the ride height you want it at.
here is the reason why. the LCA bushings being rubber vulcanized to the inner and outer shells can only move so far in the arm with a twisting motion when the arm moves up and down. if you put the LCA in the farthest down position and then torque its mounting nut tight, then when you set the car at ride height the LCA bushings will already be twisted tightly. all it takes after that is a few good bumps to deflect the LCA up past the bushings yield point and the bushings will get torn.
i have seen this a lot, its a rookie move. make sure the tapered pin for the LCAs are able to rotate in the K frame, with the nuts and washers holding them in. once the car is set up at normal ride height with all its weight in it. then you torque the LCA mounting nuts tight. what this does is set the LCA bushings to a neutral position where they are not twisted. this allows the bushings equal twisting flex up and down.
not sure if this makes sense,
hope this helps
matt
yes its great advice that im still working on getting in my head and actually done to the car as well lol
somebody should do a detailed write up with pics if possible for a ticky on this
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