Torsion bars

[chargerrtmikey]

what is the best way to tell if your torsion bars need to be replaced? Thanks

[1974dodgecharger]

I think the bars are ment for a lifetime?  If here is major nicks in he bars though and holes etc...then yeah need to be replaced, but them jsut being there and not being beated up I dont think need replaced. The shocks do that job as a replaceable.....

you can always upgrade and say you need them....

[b5blue]

How far you have to turn in the adjusters for ride height is a good gauge.

[hemihead]

When they break .

[5hunert]

Has anyone ever heard of a torsion bar breaking?      Given the gazillions of miles logged on Mopar torsion bar suspension, I've never heard of a failure.

[Mike DC]

It happened to me one time back in the day.  I parked the car outside of school one morning, and came out that afternoon to find the RF wheel resting down on the bumpstop.  The original T-bars were about 20-some years old then.

Little nicks & scratches in the bars can gradually grow from the flexing.  It's like cracks in a windshield growing from body flex.


The problem is not very common though.  I remember being unable to find any local repair shops who had ever changed a Mopar torsion bar before. 

[billschroeder5842]

No, your T bars will be good for a LOOOOOOONG time. They FEEL goofy if you lower them too much and take the tension off them.

Many people mess with the ride height and lower them to the point where they have no more tension.

[hemihead]

I broke a Right side T - Bar on a 68 Satellite once . Scares the crap out of you . Good thing I was only doing 30 at the time .

[HPP]

Obviously when they break they are shot. If they aren't broken, and inspection for any nicks or gouges can reveal potential breakage points or if your ride height seems to slowly drop over time and you have to crank them up occasionally, then they may be shot.

[Mike DC]

   
It bears noting that the original T-bars were all pretty soft by modern standards.  Even the RT/Hemi bars were only a little bit stiffer than the 318/383 ones.  The car's handling is helped by stiffening them up at least a notch or so.

Factory sizes:

0.88" - standard B-body rate
0.90" - standard rate on Chargers 318-383
0.92" - R/T 440s and Hemis

Some of the aftermarket sellers have stiffer ones.  0.96" doesn't ride much rougher than stock on bumps.  1.00+ bars are very stiff.

 

[Ghoste]

Breakage is rare but it does happen since as mentioned they were meant for a long time.  Of course the engineers never expected us to be driving these things much beyond ten years let alone 40 plus.  They are springs so over time they do lose some of that but it takes a long long time for it to reach that point of needing replacement.

[1974dodgecharger]

have the hothckis bars and yeah they are stiff....feels kinda rough, but seems to smooth out the more I drive the car around its probably been only 500 miles now since install.

   
It bears noting that the original T-bars were all pretty soft by modern standards.  Even the RT/Hemi bars were only a little bit stiffer than the 318/383 ones.  The car's handling is helped by stiffening them up at least a notch or so.

Factory sizes:

0.88" - standard B-body rate
0.90" - standard rate on Chargers 318-383
0.92" - R/T 440s and Hemis

Some of the aftermarket sellers have stiffer ones.  0.96" doesn't ride much rougher than stock on bumps.  1.00+ bars are very stiff.

 

[5hunert]

Just a little upgrade goes a long way.  I replaced the 0.90s in my 340 Cuda with 0.92's - big improvement!

   
It bears noting that the original T-bars were all pretty soft by modern standards.  Even the RT/Hemi bars were only a little bit stiffer than the 318/383 ones.  The car's handling is helped by stiffening them up at least a notch or so.

Factory sizes:

0.88" - standard B-body rate
0.90" - standard rate on Chargers 318-383
0.92" - R/T 440s and Hemis

Some of the aftermarket sellers have stiffer ones.  0.96" doesn't ride much rougher than stock on bumps.  1.00+ bars are very stiff.

 

[chargerrtmikey]

Thanks for the helpful tips, I have a 69 R/T that I am doing a complete restoration too  and don't wanna miss anything while the car is apart the bars seem good to me.