I'd agree that you should check the ends behind the retaining clip to see if you have two lefts or two rights. Despite what Iv'e seen posted in some of the other topics here, you cannot put a torsion bar in a partial turn off or backwards. It only matters for left and right.
Also, YES, torsion bars do wear out. They are simply a big spring made of metal that is straight instead of coiled. Metal fatigues with use and odds are not many of us can account for how our cars have been used for 30+ years. It is well worth the effort, and expense now, to upgrade to new bars, and I'd recoemmed a step up in rate as well. .96 for small blocks with 1.0 for big blocks. This will put your muscle back into a respectable wheel rate that is not too harsh but makes them feel much more like a super car than just something with a big engine. Heck, most modern Hondas have better spring rates than muscle cars did in the day, and certainly better than after 30 years of use.