Tortion Bars

BoatMan

BoatMan

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Need some help- I want to adjust my ride height. Maybe just an inch or two lower on the front end. My 66 300 however is not on the same page. Tried to mark the torsion bars and turn but nothing. Added a 4' breaker bar and broke my socket wrench but still no movement on the bars. Car was jacked up. Plenty of PB Blaster sprayed.

Before I try again this evening I figured I would ask- Am I doing something wrong?
 
I'd soak it more, sounds like they are just seized. You said the car was jacked up but just to reiterate, make sure the tire is completely off the ground before turning the adjustment screw.
 
Your turning the adjustment bolt in the bottom of the control arm?
I'd try heating the anchor in the control arm with a torch.
 
OK, you have the car jacked up, now let me ask this, do you have jack stands under the control arms?
If you have the weight of the car on the lower arms it is the same as if the car was on the ground. Move your stands to under the frame and have ALL the weight off the lower arms.
 
With the car on stands how do you measure the height? I just adjusted/raised the front of the Monaco without jacking the car off the ground. Just measured the height at wheelwells. Drove around the block and a couple speed bumps, measured again and tweaked the adjusters a little. Next stop a wheel alignment.
 
rapidtrans said:
With the car on stands how do you measure the height? I just adjusted/raised the front of the Monaco without jacking the car off the ground. Just measured the height at wheelwells. Drove around the block and a couple speed bumps, measured again and tweaked the adjusters a little. Next stop a wheel alignment.
Click to expand...
You should have the weight off the front wheels every time, or you could strip the bolt. Lower or raise the bolt a little at a time until you get the car to the height you want, but remember, to have a little more on the drivers side, especially if you are a big person. This is something the new front end TECHNICIANS forget about.
 
When it is jacked up with wheels hanging, all the tension is not off the bar. If the increased load from car sitting at ride height makes the bolt strip you should count your lucky stars it happened then and not at 80 mph. Sorry Bill I gotta disagree with you on this one.
 
PB blaster worked great. I let em soak for a week. They turned pretty easily with just a 1/2" ratchet and some muscle. Though i did have the front end rebuilt over the winter. Maybe the shop loosened them up also.
 
70bigblockdodge said:
When it is jacked up with wheels hanging, all the tension is not off the bar. If the increased load from car sitting at ride height makes the bolt strip you should count your lucky stars it happened then and not at 80 mph. Sorry Bill I gotta disagree with you on this one.
Click to expand...
I do agree that if the bolt strips at anytime you are in deep dodo. We all have our way of doing things, that always comes out in the posts. We guys with experience know what we can do, and what we can't. I am just trying to help a newbie, and not have him end up with a 4600 pound car on his chest.
 
traintech55 said:
. I am just trying to help a newbie, and not have him end up with a 4600 pound car on his chest
Click to expand...
Point taken!
I believe we will find out he is not turning adjuster bolt. I have messed with some really rotten cars and never had trouble with both adjusters, usually at least one is soaked in oil.
 
I never raised the car when adjusting the bars, but I also had just redone the front end so that might have helped. I did have the car up when I loosened them, and when I initially set them up. Mine were dirty, but sounds just fine.

I agree with @70bigblockdodge about not turning the right part, just a guess but that was my impression.

Maybe this will help the OP.

torsion-bar-adjustment.jpg
 
LocuMob said:
I never raised the car when adjusting the bars, but I also had just redone the front end so that might have helped. I did have the car up when I loosened them, and when I initially set them up. Mine were dirty, but sounds just fine.

I agree with @70bigblockdodge about not turning the right part, just a guess but that was my impression.

Maybe this will help the OP.

View attachment 145905
Click to expand...
Thanks Scott.
 
It kind of boggles my mind that a person might not be turning the right part as far as Torsion Bars are concerned. As the most ignorant kid possible, I crawled under my Dart and immediately knew what to do by observation alone to get that nose pointing to the sky.
 
Okay here are the images as promised (and a day late).

At the end of the day is this the same as I tell my fiance about the dishes... "They need to soak"?

1005171740a.jpg


1005171739_Burst03.jpg
 
Hey fellas, put stance on the back burner during the disc swap. Had a few minutes tonight and decided to try adjusting the torsion bars again. Driver side was great. Moved to passenger.... And snap. Bolt head gone. Best way to remove what's left?

Hopefully I can snag a new set at carslile.
 
Sorry to hear that it snapped. You might now have to drill it out and use a thread extractor. More pb blaster!

Also, if I recall correctly, the FSM calls for adjusting with the car on the ground. Measure the ride height at two given points, adjust, bounce the car up and down to settle the suspension, measure, repeat as necessary.
 
If it is more than just adjusting the ride hight, like lowering the car about 2 Inches, I would also loosen the pivot shaft nuts in the front of the crossmember to allow the pivot shaft to rotate in its seat. Otherwise the rubber bushing gets twistet too much over time and will worn out very soon (if not allready dead by 50 years in Operation). The Upper bushings should also become er-seated, but this will happen during the alignment.
Just the way I would do it.
 
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