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 Post subject: 73 torsion bars
PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:33 pm 
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2 BBL ''SuperSix''

Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:26 am
Posts: 11
Location: south shore Ma.
Car Model: 1973 dodge dart swinger
73 dodge dart swinger 225 AC hi all ty try to keep this short.. after further investigation

i have figure out that my torsion bars are marked but my R is on the driver side & my

L is on the pass side. have had car now for going on 5 yrs., do about 1000- 1500

miles a yr. my adjustments are just about max out, so i thought i might need new ones,

although they look very good i think they may have been replaced but done wrong.

So can i swap them back or do u think it maybe to late, did they lose their correct direction

torsional strength.

ok now on the leaf springs stock 5 leaf. the ones i purchased have 6.

take one out ? the first one or maybe the second one instead or leave well

enough alone. thank you again for your thoughts Paul

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 Post subject: 2 cents...
PostPosted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:41 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:27 pm
Posts: 9714
Location: Salem, OR
Car Model:
I would pull them and swap them side to side and see if the ride height improves...you might keep your eyes peeled for a set of late 318 A/C bars as a next step upgrade if it doesn't.

I have a set of 6 leafs in my duster and once loaded for the road it sits correctly and I don't get as much play in the rear either. My other duster project has a set of V-8 OEM 5 leafs in it and a set of "helper springs attached" that were originally in my '73...daily driving with this combo and a set of stock shocks the rear felt "soupy"...and not as responsive as the 6 leafs and KYB's in the hpak duster...

-D.Idiot


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:50 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2003 2:37 pm
Posts: 4194
Location: CA
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Don't bars come treated / tensioned in a certain direction? Putting them on the wrong side defeats this and may have ruined them. While getting them on the correct side is ideal I wouldn't be confident in their function any more.


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 Post subject: Tough to say...
PostPosted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:14 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:27 pm
Posts: 9714
Location: Salem, OR
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Quote:
Putting them on the wrong side defeats this and may have ruined them.
It's hard to say, and he didn't specify whether this was a "i'll get another set", or a "my budget is tight and I need to drive the car tomorrow...", so my comment was to see if the front suspension would go back to normal, if they are shot, it won't and he'll be in for new bars anyway...

I can say that it does take a lot of punishment to goof up a torsion bar, and the A-body is lighter than other platforms: I can say that the factory goofed on a 1967 Newport I had and put the T-bars on the wrong sides (it rode just like ay other C body like a boat on a lake)...I can also say that they stayed straight after multiple front end hits from a 60's era Lincoln too (pulled them after 2 weekends of demo derby action along with the power train, then junked the car...). I have also used an oxy acet setup to burn them in half at a junkyard and they don't go down easy like most other metals...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:42 pm 
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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2002 7:27 pm
Posts: 14640
Location: Park Forest, Illinoisy
Car Model: 68 Valiant
Were the letters to the front or rear?

Personally I would install the bars correctly and give them a try. It's not that big a deal to change them later.

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 Post subject: 73 torsion bars
PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:46 am 
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2 BBL ''SuperSix''

Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:26 am
Posts: 11
Location: south shore Ma.
Car Model: 1973 dodge dart swinger
again ty so very much people.. was just interested in some comments.

yes i belive i will swap them & hope for the best. the lettering is at the

rear along with the " splotches " 2L 1R indarcating they were installed

incorrectly. great site ty for all your insight... paul

leaf springs ,, i will try leaving well enough alone, cool

just a little old " mom & pop " car but very good condition, did alot of work to it at first but now just go over it trying to keep it up & safe. ty
for instance just got done replacing my 3 rubber brake lines, for something to do & found some of this other stuff, but car feels real fine,
didnt go here cause i thought i had to only because i had it up in the air
nosing around. lol u can always find something wrong.. lol ty

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 Post subject: Re: Tough to say...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:03 am 
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TBI Slant 6
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Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:44 am
Posts: 203
Location: Whitby Ontario
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Quote:
I have also used an oxy acet setup to burn them in half at a junkyard and they don't go down easy like most other metals...
Back in 1981 or so when I worked at a large Auto Recyclers (junkyard!)
They would pull the long bars, torch the end to a flat point, and use them as big pry bars! Swing them right and they'd go clean through an engine block.
Wow, how many slants we tossed in the bin then!

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78 NYB (gone now), two S series, three old Snow Cruisers and a Doo.


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 Post subject: Double check...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:31 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:27 pm
Posts: 9714
Location: Salem, OR
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Quote:
rear along with the " splotches " 2L 1R indarcating they were installed
I would double check that as I had a set of late stock bars that had the manufacturer stamp at the top of the hex as OAL, and the number below as 890R....The part that makes this odd is the stock bars should be 890R and 891L...and the next step up on stock bars are 892R and 893L...

:?:


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 Post subject: 73 torsion bars
PostPosted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:44 pm 
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2 BBL ''SuperSix''

Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:26 am
Posts: 11
Location: south shore Ma.
Car Model: 1973 dodge dart swinger
just to let u no i swapped my bars today, wasnt real easy.. came apart
np but was tough getting the hexs to line up but with some luck i did get it
great inprovement before my adjusters were just about maxed out
& just off the rubber stopper bumper now riding high off bumper stop
& plenty of adjustment to spare.. so it was worth it & now i feel
confinent in changing out my leaf springs cause i can now adjust my
ride hight np.. so ty & will keep u posted on my leafs.. paul

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