I saw these 1" torsion bars on ebay for fairly cheap. Is that too much bar for a /6 convertible? Edit= I need to figure out how to post those long URL's.

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/6 '67 Barracuda convertible, electronic ignition, 4-OD, street cam, SBP KH discs, 3.55 SG 7.25" 1" t-bars. Bilstein.
340 '67 fastback, Doug Nash 5-speed.
1988 Toyota pickup work truck

Should be fine, although the body will flex more with stiffer bars. Subframe connectors would be advised. Also, you will need better shocks. The Edelbrock IAS are very good and will work with those.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Thanks, Lou, last summer I put in subframe connectors and a roll bar, so it's pretty tight. I have the KYB's on there, and they might be overpowered by the bigger bar; didn't consider the shock issue. I might just go see my junkyard source instead. On a tight budget, like most of us.

Slantfin,

I went through this drill a year or so ago during my rag-top’s rebuild. Here is the Discussion I had at the time regarding size of torsion bars, and input from Josh, and others.

Fast-forward to present:
To fully correct my caster problem I have up graded to tubular UCA’s. Also installed six leafed springs with no anti sway bar out back, and a front ADCO anti sway bar. The car handles nicely, rides softer than a modern car perhaps because of the low priced Munroe Gas Shocks on all four corners. One little detail I will address this spring is replacing the original stile conical shaped strut-rod bushing for the later stile disk bushings.

As for used bars, when I went looking for them in Maine, the pickings was, well, there were none in pairs to be found locally. After thinking about installing forty year old beat to crap pricey suspension components imported from some unknown sunny location, purchasing new bars became an easy decision to make.

I think you would be happy with one inch bars, check with Firm Feel, they have a nice selection.


Helpful hints from SSDan on embedded URLs.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

OK lemme try it. 1" bars @ ebay How do these bars look? Chineesy? Just looked again and they say "forged in the USA". Might get them just because of that. Do bars wear out over time, and are new ones worth getting?

My real motivation for doing this now is that I'm doing a disk brake conversion, and I'll have the front end disassembled anyway. I don't necessarily want to spend a lot of money, or I'd get new shocks, too. The KYB's are pretty new. I read the linked discussion, and the shocks seem to be a concern with the bigger T-bar.

The thing with suspension parts, such as springs, their metal fatigues over time as it cycles to failure. Sagging rear springs are not uncommon in MOPARs, same is true for any coil sprung car. What is different about torsion bar suspensions is they can be adjusted back to factory ride height simply by cranking on a 3/4th inch wrench, so over time as a bar cycles to failure it weakens. That degradation from factory fresh is masked by those adjustment bolts. It is quite possible that over time one side will degrade faster than the other causing an imbalance of springiness side to side which will translate to crappy handling.

When getting a set of bars from a bone yard, one has no grantee that they are a matched set from one vehicle, or how many miles have been adsorbed by them over the last quarter century or more.

As for shocks, if the ones you presently have are not worn out, but are of average serviceable condition, I would just reuse them. One can easily tell when a shock has reached its design life, and they are much easer to replace than stuffing in a set of torsion bars.

As I mentioned earlier, the shocks presently installed on my car are an el’cheepo original equipment replacement type, by house of Monroe, and work satisfactorily where I don’t road race or drag race my car. No bounce, no wallowing, or harsh riding, just a nice controlled ride.

Now, that Chrysler power steering is another story...

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

"If it ain't broke don't fix it," fits my budget at the moment. As Wjajr points out, I can always change the shocks later if necessary. I just ordered the ebay 1" bars, even though by procrastinating, the price went up $20. Oh well, they were made in the US, allegedly, so I can feel good about that.

I'm running FF 1" bars on he front of my '76 Dart hardtop, with KYB shocks. The ride is perhaps a mite rough, but I don't know how much things would change going to the Edelbrock IAS shocks? I guess I'll find out years from now when these KYBs wear out.

I absolutely love how the car handles. 1" bars, 1 1/8" Addco sway bar, MOOG bushings, 11/16" tie rods, and out back 6 leaf ESPO springs with poly bushings.

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I have big front bars. Frame connectors do compliment them nicely. I think you will like them.

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madam im adam

The seller is "Just Suspension." If they are the well known outfit of the same name, they have a good reputation for producing quality parts and that price is good too.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Mine are JS bars too. Mine are 1.04 or .08 or something. They make their own I think. Theyre on sale for like 159 or something. Too bad I already have some...

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madam im adam

They were $179.95 until shortly before I decided to order some, then the price went up to $199.95.

The same ad for the 1-inch bars is up again from Just Suspensions, $199 with Free Shipping. I think I'll pick up a set for my '64 valiant.

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SOLD! Went to New Zealand. '64 Valiant Signet 200, 2-dr hardtop. 225/4-speed/Pistol Grip, Offy 2-1bbl, Clifford headers.

Minimum government means maximum LIBERTY!