please help 3 days from body shop ,this car is driving me nuts

[73chargers4404]

ok,heres the problem im replacing the torsion bars on my 73 charger and one side whent in real nice and quick the other side not so good the socket in the lower control arm will not line up correctly to the back socket  theres 2 spots u can move the socket on the lower control arm where the torrsion bar will go in both the front and the back socket but the problem is one the arm that hooks to the socket on the lower control is eighter way to high where u cant adjust ride highth or to low where u cant get the block that the bolt threads through the hole in the lower part of the control arm ,i noticed that the driver side torrsion bar was bent so i replace it from another car that had a streight one .please help i dont know whats wrong    allso the passenger side adjust ment arm comes rite to the top of the hole where the block is but the other side will not go in at this postion ,is there any other way of adjusting what angle the torsion bar goes in other then moving the socket around at the lower control arm

[gers1968rt]

I've never had a problem with this, however, check that the bar is a right hand bar. There should be a R on one end of the bar. Do you still have the shocks attached? This might limit the travel so you can't get the block in.

[73chargers4404]

i have the torrsion bars in the correct sides ,the driver side should have a L stamped in the end coorect ,and i dont have shocks on it yet but i have everything else atttched the sway bar everthing but the torrsion bars and everything is torqued as well all the nuts and bolts ,should i try unhooking maybe the sway bar and if that dont work then take the spindle loose from the  lower control arm? i didnt sleep at all last night worry about the frame being bent or any crazy stuff that could of happen to it ,i had a frame shop put gauges on it before i fixed anythning on it

[gers1968rt]

Yes, you can try taking the sway bar link off the passenger side and that should do the trick. If that doesn't do it then dropping the spindle will definately work. good luck

[73chargers4404]

i got it in but it sitll different from passenger to driver side ,the on the addjustment bock is real tight iagainst the contol arm socket arm and the lower control arm on the passenger side ihas to be pushed up with the bolt about 1/2" before it comes in cottact with the arm socket,i had to loosen the top  two bolts on the upper contol arm and move all of it down to get it to work and it was still  tight .sorry if im unclear its hard to explain what im talking about.im thinking once i take  it to allighnment shop and have them do the allignment and the adjust the ride hieght it should be ok.whats u guys opnions

[gers1968rt]

I don't know if it will make a difference, but I believe that the L and part no. should be at the torsion bar crossmember end.

[maxwellwedge]

i got it in but it sitll different from passenger to driver side ,the on the addjustment bock is real tight iagainst the contol arm socket arm and the lower control arm on the passenger side ihas to be pushed up with the bolt about 1/2" before it comes in cottact with the arm socket,i had to loosen the top  two bolts on the upper contol arm and move all of it down to get it to work and it was still  tight .sorry if im unclear its hard to explain what im talking about.im thinking once i take  it to allighnment shop and have them do the allignment and the adjust the ride hieght it should be ok.whats u guys opnions

By loosening the upper control arm (uca) cam bolts you just bought yourself  a good alignment - which you should do anyway. Did you remove the rebound bumpers on the car to allow the uca room to drop all the way down? Whenever I have a torsion bar that is fighting me I loosen the nut on the front of the lower control arm. This allows the socket to swivel around a little more to get the bar in. This nut needs to be properly torqued after you are done with the bar - ride height etc. It must be torqued with the weight of the car on it...wheels fully on the ground. Hope this helps.

[73chargers4404]

thanks for the help guy ,its been a strange weekend i thought i was in good shape last week getting it in the shop thinking to my self all i had left was that one torrsion bar ,wrong, that thing has fought me all weekend ,first this torrsion bar thing then one of rims i  bought tires for was rubbing the calliper so i had to deal with that just removed the caliper,then i had to clean under the car but now i know where half my tools have gone ,its amazing how mutch crap is in,under and on top of a car when u dont move  it in two years.and thanks to all the board for not moving this page until i got some answers i was in distress this is a very good web site