Hello All,

After replacing the strut rod bushings (For the third time) I'm having an issue with uneven tension on the torsion bars.

The passenger side torsion adjuster bolt has 7-10 more complete turns (360 degrees)than the drivers side adjusting bolt.

In other words the torsion bar on the passenger side has way more tension on the adjuster than the driver side adjuster

I can get the right and left side even with each other, the only issue is above.

Which I believe is not correct


Thanks for the help in advance

Are you using the old stile bushing that looks like this or the two piece hockey puck stile which may only fit 1966 - 74?

At any rate, the nut that secures the end of strut rod at radiator suport is to be torqued to 40 lb-ft.; this what my 1967 FSM calls for using the non puck stile bushing, and I suspect the same is true for the pucks. (I now have the pucks installed on my 67, and found them able to better control position of lower control arm {caster setting}; these were standard on B Body and other cars, and now are sold for A Body's as an upgrade or HD part)

It is not unreasonable to find that both lower control arms can be different distances (fractions of an inch) from where the front bushing and nut secure the assembly to front of car. So once torqued there is going to be un equal amount of thread showing. The force applied, that is to say the drawing of rod forward, is the critical setting; 40 lb.ft.

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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

Assuming the torsion bars are original to the car, they're half a century old, and the driver's and passenger's side bars don't have the same amount of stress on them.

Assuming the torsion bars are not original to the car, who knows what got put in, where they came from, and how many miles they had on them before they were put in your car.

Disregarding the torsion bars altogether, your car is half a century old. Stuff fatigues. Stuff wears out. Stuff bends. Stuff gets hit and not quite put back all the way it was.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I'm using the Moog hockey puck style bushings.

The last ones where energy suspension bushings. They didn't last very long

The ones before that where the OEM style rubber one piece bushings referenced in the comments above.

Have you checked the lower A arm bushings? I bet they are shot and that is what is killing your strut rod bushings.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

The lower control arm bushings where replaced four years ago (Less than 1000 miles)when I installed the energy suspension bushings.

My question is about uneven torsion bar tension. not strut rod bushings

Thanks

I would not worry about it if you can get the correct ride height and the vehicle does not feel "uneven" in spring rate... when cornering.

A torsion bar swap is not that hard... if you have the correct tools so keep your eye out of a replacement set of T bars... hopefully a set with a higher spring rate.
DD

Has your adjuster been off since you replaced the control arm bushings? Is the adjuster simply clocked wrong?

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

DD: True if both bars are of same nominal dimension such as six cyl or V8 bar as some folks like to call them, handling dynamics won't be too far out of balance side to side.

However when I got my Dart in '08 turning right was a sloppy flopping keel over sensation, where a left turn was much more controlled. I pondered this for a few months as the bugs were worked out of the car after sitting for years, then one day for some unknown impulse, I had to mic the diameters of both bars. Left side was a 6 cyl bar and right a thicker V8 bar so car's suspension would travel more when smaller bar was loaded than the other stiffer side.

Or, one of your bars is a correct size or spring rate, but miss-matched from someone replacing only one side for whatever reason. In other words say one of the bars came from a low mileage car, and the other bar is a high mileage part. The high mileage part will be more fatigued, or now has less spring rating than its mate. Springs lose their stiffness, or ability to rebound with same force when first manufactured over time and cycles to failure (flexing enough times until it fails).

Measure your bars at their mid point, compare diameters just to be nerdly, and plan on replacing those used up half century old bars with something a little stiffer than what factory installed.

I installed 0.940" bars from Firm Feel (one of many bar supliers), also a anti sway bar, new rear springs, all new bushings, and now the car handles like a modern car.

Also while you have all that apart a little rebuild of LCA might help stiffen things up, view here, one place to get stiffening plates here.

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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

I spent about a half hour trying to "time" different positions of the torsion bar in the LCA. It made no difference.

The torsion bars are probably worn out and will need to be replaced as well as all of the ball joints. There are a lot of them (ball joints) compared with a modern car)

Two uppers, and two lower ball joints just like both my 2007 Chrysler 300C AWD & Mrs. wjajr's 2007 Nitro.

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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

I agree with Dan and DD, these cars are really old, it may well be that one bar took way more stress over the years, and thus it might be perfectly "normal" for one adjuster needing to be cranked further than the other to get it level.

If you have it level and it is handling well, aligned well, I'd say you've got a good situation.

Brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I remember the chrysler LX cars having 2 lower ball joints per side in the front and 1 upper ball joint.

Some modern cars have 4 or 5 ball joints per corner. Only mcpherson strut cars generally have only 1 ball joint.