Torsion bars in wrong place

[Paul G]

Got the front end apart for LCA bushing change. Backed the torsion bars out, cleaned the grease off the ends, lo and behold the one with the "L" on it is in the passenger side and the one with the "R" on it is in the drivers side. 

I have found so many items on this car that were done wrong it is unbelievable. The bars are .92" bars. Not stock bars for a 72 small block. So I will assume they were replaced 13 years ago when the car was restored. That is only 10K miles of being in the wrong location.

Is it safe to put them in the correct locations now?   

[ws23rt]

What an interesting question. Since they have been in the wrong place and seem to work fine tells that it may be no big deal.

They are spring steel material and are no different than coil springs other than the coil.

I am interested to hear if in the manufacturing process their is a favored direction for the bar to twist?  If the bar were twisted in one direction as it was made (right or left) there may be a grain pattern in the bar that works better in one direction vs the other. ( I'm thinking of a wringing out a wet towel)

[Nacho-RT74]

I think is a good question to Dick ( FF )

[myk]

I read somewhere, I believe the Hotchkis website, that torsion bars are NOT interchangeable once installed and should be replaced in the spot they were removed from.  I don't know if your current bars affect the car seeing how they've been installed incorrectly all of this time, so I would just use this opportunity to buy newer, bigger t-bars (like the Hotchkis ones) and set your car up right after all of these years...

[Dino]

I wouldn't reuse them.  Pitch them and get a new set, bolted in the correct location this time.

[68 RT]

As long as they were put in new in that position you can put them back. Which if they have been that way for 14 years they should be fine. Only factory bars are marked L and R aftermarket are not marked. But once loaded must always go back the same way front to back and left to right.

[2Luke2]

As long as they were put in new in that position you can put them back. Which if they have been that way for 14 years they should be fine. Only factory bars are marked L and R aftermarket are not marked. But once loaded must always go back the same way front to back and left to right.

I'll have to check when I get home, but I believe our new Hotchkis ones are marked L and R.

To the OP, I personally would not switch them to their proper location. The reason being is a quick search yielded this thread:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=53909.0

Look at post #13.

EDIT: I just found this as well that says they were preset from the factory.
http://www.moparstyle.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-20525.html

[Paul G]

Talked to firm feel today. He said just put them back in the original locations, albeit wrong, but they will be fine like that now.

[Charger_Fan]

As long as they were put in new in that position you can put them back. Which if they have been that way for 14 years they should be fine. Only factory bars are marked L and R aftermarket are not marked. But once loaded must always go back the same way front to back and left to right.

I agree. If they have been twisting one way for 14 years, making them twist the other direction will probably break them.

[fy469rtse]

Yep put them back how you found them , are they aftermarket or factory ? Guy installing the probably was standing front of the car looking at them and going this ones left, that's my left,
I agree with other posts , there've been twisting one way all this time, put them back this way , not a great big deal if you break one, I did many years ago, hell of a bang suspension was down on the bump stop , limped it home for repairs the next day

[myk]

WOW, how'd that happen?

[fy469rtse]

Myk , driving the hell out it, driving  when you could drive it like that

[myk]

Myk , driving the hell out it, driving  when you could drive it like that

You're a braver man than I.  On that note, I wonder if I'll ever muster the courage to put my new, fancy suspension to work...

[fy469rtse]

New world , got to be more carefully, I like how or the state of mind I get in when I'm behind the wheel , if it was me
McQueen would have been parked through the front of someone's house and it would have been a very short chase,

[Paul G]

, are they aftermarket or factory ?

They have to be aftermarket bars, or they may have installed a used set of factory bars when they overhauled the car in 01, dont know. Mic'ed them at .92, they are big block bars in a small block body.

[Nacho-RT74]

as far I remember, originals are not L and R marked... just odd and even numbers

[Cooter]

New world , got to be more carefully, I like how or the state of mind I get in when I'm behind the wheel , if it was me
McQueen would have been parked through the front of someone's house and it would have been a very short chase,

I believe driving like that is called NASCAR.

[charge69]

I believe Natcho is right about the markings from the factory.  Mine are marked "

                                             left side (drivers side) 781

                                           right side (passenger)  780

Both on the build sheet and the end of the torsion bars!

Carl

[Nacho-RT74]

yeap, odd is driver side... all odds numbers on parts catalogs are related with driver side when there is a side diff

[68 RT]

The orignal bars out of my 68 R/T are marked L and R and also have an number on each.