Larger Torsion Bars and Ride Height

[EngineerDoug]

Folks,

I have a '68 Coronet that will be home to a stroker 440 someday. I am working on the front suspension and considering larger torsion bars. I would like to use something 1.00" or larger, but am concerned about ride height. I want to stay very close to stock ride height. I was about to order a pair of the PST bars but found out they are clocked so that at max adjust they ride about 0.5" below stock.

Can anybody recommend another vendor, or comment on their experience? I know the PST bar quality is good, but I really don't want a lowered stance. I'd rather have the adjustment range and be able to choose the height myself.

Thanks.

 

[JimKueneman]

You can give FirmFeel a call. They have always been very helpful answering questions. They will make custom ones as well.

 

[lewtot184]

i would think a 1" or larger bar would be very stiff and better suited for some kind of road course type driving. if this is a street car i would use the .96" with a large sway bar. i'm using a set of .92" bars with a 1 1/8" sway bar and it goes around corners well, without riding like a log wagon.

 

[66Satellite47]

Be careful about going big on the T bars & the sway bar. I had an odd experience with my '66 Satellite. The guy I bought it from was building a "street" car. I started converting to more of a drag car. Took the sway bar off & ride quality improved SUBSTANTIALLY. Makes no sense to me since a sway bar shouldn't affect spring rate, but sure did with my car. Again be careful about going big on T bars unless your'e
planning on road racing.

 

[Rick62]

Here's something to think about. Shipping costs on heavy torsion bars can get expensive. You may be able to get the same diameter bar from your local dealer. I was able to buy the torsion bars for my car at a lower cost from the dealer than price plus freight cost from an online source. This was a few years back. Now that so many retailers are offering "free shipping" it may no longer be the case. But, the cost of shipping those heavy items may still be buried somewhere in the price. And sometimes you can negotiate price with the dealer parts guy.

 

[66Satellite47]

Should have mentioned, you can pretty get much any ride height with any of the stock style T bars. Check around with different vendors. You probably can't go wrong with Mopar. Again don't "over stiffen" your bar selection.

 

[Rick62]

Should have mentioned, you can pretty get much any ride height with any of the stock style T bars. Check around with different vendors. You probably can't go wrong with Mopar. Again don't "over stiffen" your bar selection.

Correct! The ride height is determined by the adjustment bolts, not the bar diameter.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Correct! The ride height is determined by the adjustment bolts, not the bar diameter.

Very true......on a torsion bar suspension, the bar diameter has nothing to do with ride height. Leaf springs....now that's a different matter.

 

[JimKueneman]

Very true......on a torsion bar suspension, the bar diameter has nothing to do with ride height. Leaf springs....now that's a different matter.

Apparently PST clocks the ends of their bars different that stock per the initial post. That does change the range of adjustment.

 

[EngineerDoug]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the inputs. The bars that came with the car are 0.92" - maybe I will stay with these. I did make a mistake, however, because I did not note the direction of installation on the bars when I pulled them. They are marked left & right, but I don't know the fore and aft orientation. Does this matter? I believe these are original 48 year old bars, and have heard that old bars like this should be re-installed in their original positions. Fact or fiction?

Thanks!

 

[Jackpot50]

Have a set of firm feel 1" bars in my 62 polara 500 with a 440 and rides great.
But when you put low profile tires on them it's a different ride.

 

[747mopar]

I'll have to measure mine again but am sure they're just barely under 1", nice ride quality and good cornering with a 400BB.

 

[miller]

They are marked left & right, but I don't know the fore and aft orientation. Does this matter?

Yes, put the R/L markings toward the rear. (Think that's right.) If nothing else...it's in the service manual. Right and left, as sitting in the driver's seat...just in case...

Did the car originally have a BB? Like my 64, 383 car, I used the original bars, dropping a 440 into it. Not that heavier than the 383. Bars were in good shape.
Ride height adjustment...only takes a slight turn of the bolt difference, to work with the added weight.

 

[EngineerDoug]

Thanks!

 

[PST]

Hi Doug,

The torsion bars that we offer have a 20 degree clocking built into then. In prior runs we offered a zero clocked bar which allowed for a lowered pro-touring stance. But we had more customers that wanted to achieve stock ride height. So that is when we decide to redesign the bars and add the additional clocking. Since the new design went in to affect 2-3 years ago. I have talked with numerous customers that have been able to achieve stock height with our bars. I even put a set in a RR that I did with no issue. If you have any question about the bars please let me know. They are forged here in the USA as well. Sorry for the delay in response as I was out at SEMA and then on vacation this past week. I just got back in the office today.

Thanks
James

 

[dfrazz]

I have PST bars on my Charger and am able to run stock height with the top of fender opening just below the top of the tire. Also, bigger bars improve the stability of the front end so don't be afraid to go big!

 

[idrivemopar]

I am running 1.06 on my 73 and no issue with getting stock ride height, but I will mention that my adjusters are not very far in as well.

 

[67300VERT]

I have 1.16" torsion bars from Just Suspension and a 1 1/8 inch front sway bar from Firm Feel. I also have FF rear sway bar 7/8" diameter. All this and more as upgrades for my 67 Chrysler 300 'vert. I can Honestly say, the upgraded suspension pieces do NOT degrade the ride at all!! I was concerned about that at first but it's just not a problem

 

[66Satellite47]

I have 1.16" torsion bars from Just Suspension and a 1 1/8 inch front sway bar from Firm Feel. I also have FF rear sway bar 7/8" diameter. All this and more as upgrades for my 67 Chrysler 300 'vert. I can Honestly say, the upgraded suspension pieces do NOT degrade the ride at all!! I was concerned about that at first but it's just not a problem

I had the opposite experience. My Satellite was built as a street car. .920 torsion bars (440, aluminum head & manifold), KYB gas shocks, .937 stock sway bar w/poly bushings. Could feel every crack in the pavement. Been converting it to drag car, took the sway bar off, amazing improvement in ride quality. I can't explain it at all, makes no sense, but that's what happened.

 

[Darthomas]

My '66 383 tbars with factory sway bar did not do the job for me.
About 1983 I found a junked 1970 440 RT.
Happy ever since.
Numbers to the back, always, so you see the part number.