Torsion bar size ride question

[71340RT]

My 71 Challenger RT has a factory torsion bar size of 0.90 and my 70 340 Cuda has torsion bar size 0.92 which is for the 440 or 426 engine Cuda's. My question is about the ride of the 2 cars. My Challenger rides very smooth and handles very good. On the other hand my Cuda rides nothing like the Challenger it is very stiff but seems to handle well. Both cars have the same amount of leafs in the rear springs which are new from Espo. They both have gas shocks and are 340 engine cars. The only real difference is the torsion bar size and I can't believe the ride would be this different between the 2 e-body models. If anyone has any ideas what makes the 2 ride so different let me know.
Jeff

[the_engineers]

Sway bars on both?  I wouldn't think the T-bars would be that different.

[71340RT]

Sway bars on both?  I wouldn't think the T-bars would be that different.

Yes both cars have factory front and rear sway bars.

[autoxcuda]

Do they have the same exact brand and model of shocks? What are they for each car?

What is the actual milage of each car? And have they been both restored (to what degree)?

[Aussie Challenger]

  .020" shouldn't make that much difference but the larger bar for the BB may have been set up with a different spring rate because of the extra weight. Is the Cuda bar height different from the Challenger? 
  I also assume that you have checked the bushes, BJ, tie rods, pitman & idler arms.   

[ShelbyDogg]

Jeff,
In my mind the Challengers always rode better than the Cuda/Barracuda. My opinion, the Challenger was for men and the Cuda was for women.

This fact was proven to me when I told my wife that I was building the Cuda to sell to fund my Pace car project. She said, "why would you sell the Cuda? I've always liked Cudas. If you kept it, maybe I would drive it to car shows".  I have to keep it now! To me it was just a "Cuda", with plain inside panels, which they dressed up by sticking a "cuda" emblem on.

I drove Brian's Cuda and noticed the same thing. Maybe it is all in your mind too?

[71340RT]

I have owned my Challenger for 22 years and it rode good before I put the new leaf springs on. They don't have the same brand gas shocks and both cars have been restored with everything replaced in the front ends and both steering boxes have been rebuilt. I did put new foam in the front bucket seats on the Cuda and the seats are pretty stiff to sit on. I thought the would get softer after a couple years but they have not. The only other thing that could make the bumps rougher is the fact that the wheel base is shorter on the Cuda. I have 15 inch rallye wheels on the Cuda and factory 14 inch on the Challenger and both cars are running bfgoodrich radial ta tires.

[72bluNblu]

The shocks being different is a big deal, that could easily be most of the difference by itself. Depending on options, the Challenger is also likely heavier than the Cuda, which would make the ride on the Challenger a little more plush. .02 on the torsion bars shouldn't make a big difference, but if they're made by different manufacturers the spring rate could actually be quite different.

[Chryco Psycho]

the 14 " tires will have more sidewall & some more give than the 15"