65 Coronet torsion bar replacement

[fwi]

Looks like my torsion bars need to be replaced......Since it was sitting a little too low (only about 3 inches from the ground to bottom of oil pan, I gave the bolts 4 full turns on each side last week, drove it around the block, car sat up a little higher, but now it is back down to where it was before. My question is: can the bars just be replaced without removing steering components i.e.:A frames? (I know about matching serial #'s left with odd, right even, but that is all.)

 

[moparsteve636]

Yes you can replace them without removing any thing else! Raise the front of the car off of the ground, Crank the adjuster bolts out, pull the clips at the rear of the bar! Beings you're not reusing the bars you can use a good pair of vice grips clamp them on and strike with a hammer driving them back out of the lower con. arms. Just slide the new ones in to the lca adjuster! be sure to grease the ends, don't forget the boots! Screw in the adjuster bolts until the head of the bolt is flush with the bottom of the c a That'll give you a starting point on the ride height! Measure and adjust until you get it at your desired height! You might consider having the front end aligned afterwards! BTW you might want to put 6 cyl. bars in if you race it once in awhile! Better weight transfer! If you have some horsepower under the hood! It won't effect the ride for the street either!

 

[monaco66coupe]

It is possible your bushings are shot. look at those before you replace the bars.

 

[fwi]

Thank you.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

Also check the old adjuster bolts. I had one strip when I let it down off of the jack a little to fast. They are available from PST.

 

[fwi]

BTW you might want to put 6 cyl. bars in if you race it once in awhile! Better weight transfer! If you have some horsepower under the hood! It won't effect the ride for the street either!

I didn't know the 6 cyl bars where different.... Would those be the A body bars? I am just about to place an order with Summit so I'll wait for clarification. Thanks.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

/6 bars are the smallest diameter which equates to the lowest spring rate.

I would purchase based on your desired ride quality. If you just want to replace what you have, measure the bars and order the same size. If you want a little more sway control, up the size. If you are switching from a small block to a big block you should (IMO) to the correct larger diameter to compnsate for the weight.

I have the 1.06 bars but have other suspension mods to make my car handle better than my abilities.

From Firm Feels Site for a 62-71 B body.
820 DIA. Drag Racing App. (WR 72)
TBB11.....$355

.880 DIA. Stock App. (WR 101)
TBB12.....$330

.940 DIA. Stock HP/Police App.
(WR 142)
TBB13.....$330

1.00 DIA. HD/Street App. (WR 175)
TBB14.....$335

1.06 DIA. HD/Race App. (WR 225)
TBB15.....$355

1.12 DIA. Race App. (WR 270)
TBB16.....$360

1.18 DIA. Race App. (WR 338)
TBB17.....$375

 

[fwi]

Measured the diameter with an old micrometer, looks like I have either .940 or 1.00. The motor is a 1971 340 block bored and stroked to 416, so if I wanted to jack up the front end as high as possible should I go with the 1.18 diameter?

 

[monaco66coupe]

No, My 67' GTX is .92. a Roadrunner is .88 with a 383. a 340 is lighter than a poly 318. Those poly head bars are like a big block, as that was a heavy engine. Don't assume those bars are bad. a bad bushing will break and/or wear out a bar,but a bar has a long life if the front end was taken care of. A hemi type bar would make that car ride like a truck with a 340 in it, not to mention a 1.0+ if your racing, then the smaller bar will allow the front end to rise quickly upon acceleration.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

For non race and just street and a .940 is as big as I would go. Dan Wiseman races a 69 road runner with a big block in auto rise and said the 1.18 bar was to much spring rate for his car.

The height is adjusted with the... Adjuster bolts.

 

[monaco66coupe]

x2

 

[fwi]

Went to the track Sunday, car launches extremely well and is good until about the 330 foot line then starts to wiggle, shake and float a bit past 65/70 mph. So I cranked the bars back down to where they were originally and instead of replacing them I will put new shocks and bushings on the front, as they all look pretty old and worn out.