Torsion bar problems - HELP!!!

[professor-patrick]

I just bought a 69 charger that has been sitting for at least 15 years. When I pulled it up on the trailer and brought it home, I noticed that the front passenger side kept getting lower and lower.  When I jacked it up, I found that the passenger side torsion bar is all the way up off the bolt - allowing the car to almost scrape the ground.  The adjusting bolt is completely free with the "arm" on the torsion bar about 2 inches above the bolt.  What happened and how do I fix it?

[Plumcrazy]

Look where the rear of the torsion bar goes into the frame.  They tend to rust out there which takes the load off the bar and causes the front end to sag.

There are weld in repair kits available.

[professor-patrick]

It's not rusted out - solid as can be.  I can actually reach up and grab hold of the arm where the adusting bolt rests and move it by hand.  That arm is all the way up to the frame rail.  Do those torsion bars have to be torqued when they are installed?

[Plumcrazy]

It's not rusted out - solid as can be.   I can actually reach up and grab hold of the arm where the adjusting bolt rests and move it by hand.   That arm is all the way up to the frame rail.   Do those torsion bars have to be torqued when they are installed?

It may not be real obvious that the frame is rusted out.   Especially if there is grease or undercoating back there.  Sometimes the hex part of the frame breaks loose allowing the bar to turn which causes one side of the car to drop.   That would explain why the car kept getting lower as it was bouncing around on the trailer.   Try jacking the car up and clamping the largest vice grip pliers you can find on the bar and try twisting it while watching where the bar goes into the frame

Turning the bolt in should raise that side of the car. See what happens.
Can you post any pictures?

[professor-patrick]

OK, I can't see where the frame is rusted anywhere around where the torsion bar enters the frame.  I used a pipe wrench to turn the bar, but it doesn't move hardly at all, just about an 1/8 of a turn.  I can't use the bolt to adjust it because the bar is totally up off the bolt - all the way to the frame - the bolt is completely loose - just jiggles around in the arm.  Can you tell me how these torsion arms are installed - is it from the front or back - I may try removing it to see what's up.  Thanks.

[Plumcrazy]

You shouldn't be able to turn the bar at all.  Is it rotating in the frame?

The bar is removed toward the rear.  There are clips at the rear that keep it from moving rearward.

[professor-patrick]

When I turn the bar, it turns the arm at the front end - just like if I was adjusting the bolt.  If you can imagine the adjustment bolt being about 6 inches long and screwed all the way in, that's what I'm dealing with - except that when you turn the bolt back out, the arm doesn't come back down - there is no pressure on the adjustment bolt.  I'm stumped!

[beenaround]

patrick i,m with plum.it sounds like the frame let go.the torsion bar should not move at all if you try to twist it.the fact that you see the arm moving is proof positive that the frame is bad.have someone twist the bar and watch at the back of the frame where the bar goes in.i,m sure you,ll see that chunk of steel moving.

[professor-patrick]

Ok, I'll check that out.  Thanks guys.

[MTPOCKET]

Why don't you jack up the good side of your car and compare the different between you passenger side and driver side? To help you determine what is causing you passenger side to drop.