Torsion bar installation

[Steve Agrella]

I have a 74 Duster, when installing a stock torsion bar does it have to be clocked a certain way, what is the correct way to install it so that when you adjust the bolt up and down you get the correct amount of lift on the front end.

 

[pishta]

They are not clocked, just make sure the end with the line and part numbers is toward the rear. the numbers denote if its passenger (even number) or driver (odd) side looking from the rear (just remember "1-2" looking from the rear or "there is always 1 driver") I found it fairly easy to install if you jack the car behind the front wheel and use a pipe wrench on the outside of the front torsion bar socket and twist it down. It will line right up. Dont forget clip on rear.

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[Steve Agrella]

They are not clocked, just make sure the end with the line and part numbers is toward the rear. the numbers denote if its passenger (even number) or driver (odd) side looking from the rear (just remember "1-2" looking from the rear or "there is always 1 driver") I found it fairly easy to install if you jack the car behind the front wheel and use a pipe wrench on the outside of the front torsion bar socket and twist it down. It will line right up. Dont forget clip on rear.

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Do the torsion bars have to Be removed to see the numbers

 

[DesertRat]

Back the torsion bar adjuster bolts all the way out so the lower control arms can hang as low as possible. Work the new torsion bars in with the left one on the drivers side and the right one on the passenger side after greasing both ends with the grease of choice. The bars I used were clearly marked right and left. When you get to the LCA you may have to pull the LCA down a little more to get the bar started into the arm. Don't forget the grease boot that goes on the bar after you get it through the back bar supports. Once you have the bars seated, install the keeper clips and then you can put some pre-load on the bars with the adjusting bolts. Depending on your bar diameter will determine the amount of pre-load turns on the adjuster bolts. For my 1.03 PST bars I gave 10 full turns of pre-load after initial contact with the adjuster. It was too much and I will back it off to 8 turns before setting the car on the ground and setting the ride height. This is how I set mine up.

 

[j par]

They are not clocked, just make sure the end with the line and part numbers is toward the rear. the numbers denote if its passenger (even number) or driver (odd) side looking from the rear (just remember "1-2" looking from the rear or "there is always 1 driver") I found it fairly easy to install if you jack the car behind the front wheel and use a pipe wrench on the outside of the front torsion bar socket and twist it down. It will line right up. Dont forget clip on rear.

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Good stuff.....

 

[Steve Agrella]

Back the torsion bar adjuster bolts all the way out so the lower control arms can hang as low as possible. Work the new torsion bars in with the left one on the drivers side and the right one on the passenger side after greasing both ends with the grease of choice. The bars I used were clearly marked right and left. When you get to the LCA you may have to pull the LCA down a little more to get the bar started into the arm. Don't forget the grease boot that goes on the bar after you get it through the back bar supports. Once you have the bars seated, install the keeper clips and then you can put some pre-load on the bars with the adjusting bolts. Depending on your bar diameter will determine the amount of pre-load turns on the adjuster bolts. For my 1.03 PST bars I gave 10 full turns of pre-load after initial contact with the adjuster. It was too much and I will back it off to 8 turns before setting the car on the ground and setting the ride height. This is how I set mine up.

I don’t have new torsion bars, when my friend installed my QA1 setup he may not have installed the torsion bars in the correct position or sides of the car left and right.
I need to remove one of the bars to ensure it’s installed/oriented correctly.
I think I get how to do this now

 

[Murray]

All good advice, one more. Do not use any sharp edged tools to grab the torsion bar as doing that may create stress risers in the bar leading to failure. You can do it without the special tool, just be careful.

 

[dodgy]

Stating the obvious here, when you pull the arm down in position to insert the bar make sure the pivot blade that the adjustment bolt pushes on rotates down with the arm aswell, I've seen a few installs where that has been clocked one flat out and they wondered why there bolt was all the way in and had bugger all spring load.

 

[Steve Agrella]

Stating the obvious here, when you pull the arm down in position to insert the bar make sure the pivot blade that the adjustment bolt pushes on rotates down with the arm aswell, I've seen a few installs where that has been clocked one flat out and they wondered why there bolt was all the way in and had bugger all spring load.

The adjusting bolt was completely stripped out, with the bolt all of the way out there is still a lot of tension on the blade with the wheels off of the ground, I can’t get the the threaded block out too much tension ???

 

[pishta]

The lcas want to twist the driver bar clockwise (driver side example) under load so youll need to fully relax the preload bolt and anvil. Replace if necessary. Did you seperate the ica or unbolt the spindle from the lower control arm? Youll need to do that and allow it to swing to the floor , it wont as the rubber bushing is still supporting it. Then you can line it up. Some aftermarket bars are not clocked , ie big PST bars, same hex clocking front to back. It will be obvious what one of 6 positions the hex will fit. Imagine the car sitting as a solid front axle gasser, thats how it would look installes and it will obviously preload once you put 1700 lbs on it to nornal ride height. Turn bolt in 8-10 times once you get bar in to set static ride height and adjust from there. Top of tire to lip of wheel opening is a good indicator as well as k-mount bolt to ground on each side. Give yourself a quarter turn more preload for driver side load bias.

 

[Kent mosby]

They are not clocked, just make sure the end with the line and part numbers is toward the rear. the numbers denote if its passenger (even number) or driver (odd) side looking from the rear (just remember "1-2" looking from the rear or "there is always 1 driver") I found it fairly easy to install if you jack the car behind the front wheel and use a pipe wrench on the outside of the front torsion bar socket and twist it down. It will line right up. Dont forget clip on rear.

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I am installing mine again. It says that I should put the part with the line and part number toward the rear. The first 2 pics are of what I think is the left side. It has lines on both ends. One end has BBA the other has 332. Which end goes to the rear? In the picture with the torsion bar already installed it has 890r, so I assume right side and the number 352. Is that in the correct orientation, at the back. I have to remove it anyway as it is hitting the new headers. Thanks for any help

 

[pishta]

Your good, just make sure that ring seats. The number denotes the twist direction, not the direction of installation as it will twist the same direction if the number is front or rear.

 

[Kent mosby]

I will double check the ring

 

[dodgy]

Is it true that all Chrysler part numbers that end in an odd number are left hand side and even numbers are right side parts?