Don't be afraid of BIG torsion bars!

[Kern Dog]

We have been lied to.
We have been told for years that big torsion bars will make your car ride like a unloaded dump truck, rattling the fillings from your teeth. The Mopar Performance chassis book listed the 1.0 bars for 62-72 B bodies as being for serious autocross & competition. I took the advice in 2001 and have had them in my 70 Charger until last week.
Recap:
70 Charger R/T clone. 440/493 with aluminum heads, radiator, intake, TTI headers and the battery in the trunk. The front end might carry as much weight as it did with the original all iron 318. 1.0 MP torsion bars, 1.25 solid anti sway bar, Offset UCA bushings, Firm Feel stage 3 with FR arms. 8.75 rear, MP XHD springs, 7/8" ADDCO axle hung rear anti sway bar KYB shocks front and rear.

The car rode okay but was a bit harsh on bumpy roads. It had an oversteer tendency that got worse with increased speed. I tried running the car without the rear bar. It didn't oversteer any more but the body roll increased to the point that it annoyed me. The traditional "fix" for this has been well documented: To reduce UNDERsteer, the rear spring rate needs to be increased or the front decreased. To reduce OVERsteer, the front spring rate needs to be increased or the rear decreased. Now to achieve an increase, it can be done with either a spring change or a stiffer anti-sway bar. I already have about as big of a sway bar that can fit through the K member, so I was left with the option of bigger torsion bars.
For years I have read that the big bars will make the car feel too harsh. The factory was notoriously soft with their rates though. The stock bars in my Charger were .88 so the change to 1.0 seemed big. I installed the KYBs at the same time so it seemed like a big improvement. In the years since, there has been a change in the tide. There are more web forums now than in 2001, many with subforums catering to improved handling. I have never been a drag race type guy. I love to turn corners!
In the effort to get a neutral handling car that doesn't try to hang the tail end out, I first went with a smaller rear sway bar. I saw one in an 83 Imperial that looked like it would fit. The frame rails were the same distance apart. After installation, the car felt a bit better but still not right. I ordered a set or 1.15 Torsion bars from Bergman Auto Craft in NY along with a set of Bilstein shocks from Firm Feel.
Over the last 2 years I have wanted to change to the Bilsteins. I've read bad reviews about KYB shocks but didn't know firsthand what a difference the Bilsteins would make. The KYBs were touted as being too stiff. Seems like that is a good thing until I read more. Apparantly, they are a digressive design that is initially stiff but get softer through the range of travel. This means that as you get more aggressive in the turns, (JUST when they need to get working) they go soft. The Bilsteins are the opposite. They soak up the small bumps allowing suspension movement, but get firmer as the suspension travels more. THIS makes so much more sense, right?
The car feels absolutely awesome to me now. The ride is no firmer than our 2015 Challenger R/T. No brake dive. Fast response. NO oversteer at all. I crank it into a turn and the car just sticks to the road. NO harsh feel, just a firm ride without beating me up. The bars are on sale for $275 and they have 3 sizes to choose from.
Years ago, I owned a 76 Camaro that handled great. My goal when I bought the Charger was to make it handle as well (Or better) than the Camaro but be a LOT faster.
Last month I drove the 2015 Challenger on the track at Willow Springs in SoCal. These new cars do so many things well, it motivated me to make additional improvements to the old car. Many think that you can't compete with new technology but if money is spent in the right places, you can get great results. XV motorsports had some great ideas but they failed just as the economy crapped out. Now that the Mopar "Pro Touring/Road Course" market is picking up steam, they have reopened under new ownership.
I've seen reviews from happy customers regarding the redesigned K member/coil over/rack & pinion kits on the market now. I prefer to maximize the factory setup because it is robust and reasonably priced. I have no interest in spending $5000 for a setup that looks pretty but lacks OEM 100k durability. In fairness, the RMS, HemiDenny, Magnum Force and QA1 kits may be fine for the amount of driving I do with the car so it really comes down to sticking with what still works great.
Years back I bought a 67 Dart that was an abandoned big block swap project. The prior owner installed 1.03 T bars in it. I slipped in a 360/904. It rides so much better than other a body cars I've owned with the stock .85 bars.
One thing that may be of importance: The stiffer the torsion bars, the greater need for additional chassis stiffness to take advantage of it. My Charger has a fully welded K member, welded in frame connectors, torque boxes and has never been in a wreck. I am no engineer, but it just seems that if the car is flexible, the stiffer rate of the bigger bars would possibly be lost in flex elsewhere whether it is in the floorpan, the fender aprons, the front frame rails or the lower radiator yoke.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Nice upgrade! 

It's all about the right combo of parts with these big torsion bars. The advancements in shocks in the last few years has complimented these bigger torsion bars that were once deemed "for racing only". Now with modern shocks like Bilstein, Fox, and QA1 these bigger bars can be run on the street and still have a comfortable ride.

When I shopped for suspension parts a few years back I was told the same thing about not going too big on the bars and almost settled with the .96". Went with 1.03" instead and the car drove great! Now I have gone with 1.10" and the ride is still nice and smooth.

 

[HPP]

Shocks, like camshafts, have had a lot of advancements the last decade or two for a pretty basic component. Shocks will create the whole useable range and overall behavior of the suspension system, much like a cam dictates rpm and power production within the engine systems.

Congrats on finding a new level of comfort and performance.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Stock .990 bars, 245/60/15 tires and respectable shocks in mine with stock sway bar up front and factory rt rear springs on my car handled corners remarkably well. I could "keep up" with the import guys and out run the other muscle cars. Could i run wide open in the corners? No, but i could walk her through turns pretty damn impressively without  walki g the rear around. This was all without frame connectors. Wish i would have gone the touring route with the frames tied but now im looking for straight line. I am still impressed with my cornering abilities on a 205/75/15 tire after my other frame modifications on a stock suspension.

[bill440rt]

I noticed a BIG difference as well this year, ditched the original 383 bars/KYB setup for Hotchkis torsion bars and their newly tuned Fox shocks. The car actually rides MUCH better with the bigger bars.
Another key is that you don't have to crank the bars so much to set ride height.
The shocks are valved much better than the KYB's. In the end there is less body roll and a much nicer ride. 

[c00nhunterjoe]

Dont forget or be misinformed. The "adjuster" bolts are strictly for ride height. They do not affect the ride. The spring rate is built into the bar itself. When choosing a bar, dont always go by the diameter. Pick up the phone and ask what the wheel rate is for the bar if it is not listed. Make your choice on the rate vs what your plans are with the car

[Calif240]

+1... I have the really thick Hotchkis torsion bars... love them. Could tell a difference and it is not too hard for me at all.
Terry

[BergmanAutoCraft]

The OP is correct. We sell many sets of large size t bars along with my Borgeson steering box kits. Many don't believe me, but when you pair up the proper t bar and shock, the ride is quite good and controlled. We also manufacture a true delrin lower control arm and parts for the double adjustable spc upper arms which allow tons of caster and easy adjustment. The future is here and excellent handling and feel can be achieved with durable conventional style parts.

[ws23rt]

The torsion bars are just springs. (They twist the same way coil springs do). A heavy/larger dia. torsion bar will carry a greater weight (in general) than a smaller dia. bar. That is it will move less with a given weight.
Spring steel varies and a large dia. bar may have a different "spring rate" than another of the same dia. made with a different pedigree.

Shocks (dampeners) are to control the bounce. I see shocks as the greatest asset to the feel of how the car feels.

Let's say one has small (soft) springs.  A good shock can control the spring movement better than a poor shock. A shock that works with this (soft) spring may not control movement as well with a heaver spring.

On the other hand a stiff spring can overcome the efforts of a poor shock to control movement.