Torsion bar replacement and adjustment

[CudaCraig]

Hi, I have a have a '73 'Cuda that ended up having to replace essentially all the steering and suspension components (tie rods, ball joints, bushings, wheel bearings, steering box, torsion bars (0.96"), strut rods, etc...).    So when I got everthing back together and the car back on the ground I am concerned that I didn't do the right side correct.  In order to get the front sag equal on each side, around 26.5" to the top center of the fender well, I've had to crank the adjustment bolt nearly all the way in on that right side.  I initially installed the torsion bar in with the torsion bar adjustment arm basically resting on the shim that the adjustment bolt goes in to.  It seemed way way too tight and I was concerned that the car would ride super high.   I couldnt even cycle the LCA up and down to make sure I had the strut rod installed correctly without a bind on it.  So I took it back apart and rotated the adjustment arm peice 1/6, or to the next possible alignment.  This allowed me to get everything installed fairly easy and I was able to check the strut rod movement, but I'm not sure that it's right.   

So, I guess my question is... is it acceptable for the right side torsion bar adjustment bolt to be pretty much all the way in while the left side is screwed roughly 1/3 the way in?   

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[anlauto]

The adjusters should appear basically equal. You do have the left bar on the left side and the right bar on the right side, right ? They are different.

[Chryco Psycho]

also you want the lower control arm at full drop with the adjust bolt backed right off when you slide the bar into place
 Even # bars are right side , odd are left side [drivers]

[CudaCraig]

The adjusters should appear basically equal. You do have the left bar on the left side and the right bar on the right side, right ? They are different.

I do.  I have the torsion bars with the L on them on the driver's side and the ones with the R on the passanger side.  Hopefully that's right

[CudaCraig]

also you want the lower control arm at full drop with the adjust bolt backed right off when you slide the bar into place
 Even # bars are right side , odd are left side [drivers]

I had the LCA at full drop with the bump stops out - butts up against the K-member or frame so it can't drop any further.  I also had the adjustment bolts and the adjustment shims (what the adjustment bolts screw into) out of the LCA during assembly.  I could get it together without the shim in but then I couldn't get the shim in.  The first time I put it together the the adjustment arm was so tight on the shim that I basically had to loosen the LCA and move it 1" towards the rear of the vehicle to get it in.  Then use the LCA bushing bolt to suck it into place.  Make it very very difficult with the strut rod.  It was so tight I could only move it 1-2" with my jack before it would lift the car off the jack stands.  Seemed waaayyyy too tight at the time.  Thought it was going to make my car look like it had a front lift kit.

[CudaCraig]

also you want the lower control arm at full drop with the adjust bolt backed right off when you slide the bar into place
 Even # bars are right side , odd are left side [drivers]

Looks like 784R on the passanger side and 785L on the driver side

[Chryco Psycho]

OK so something is weird !!
 So with the bolt backed off but in place & the LCA dropped the T bar should just line up with both hex sockets .
Normally the adjuster bolt head should be about flush with the bottom of the LCA .

[CudaCraig]

OK so something is weird !!
 So with the bolt backed off but in place & the LCA dropped the T bar should just line up with both hex sockets .
Normally the adjuster bolt head should be about flush with the bottom of the LCA .

So with the bolt out and the LCA dropped it should line up the hex sockets... What position should the adjustment arm be?  If I recall correctly, with the LCAs at full drop during the install my left adjustment arm was straight horizontal which allowed we to cycle the LCA to ensure there was no bind on the strut rod. The right one was angled upwards at maybe a 30* angle or so.  Or ~30* down when I had to force it.

The more I talk about it the more it sounds like maybe one of the previous owners swapped the LCA on the right side and it has a 30* offset.  Are they made that way?  Is that possible? I'm reaching...

[Chryco Psycho]

the adjuster arm should be down on the threaded block for the bolt not straight down

[CudaCraig]

the adjuster arm should be down on the threaded block for the bolt not straight down

It was pointed straight out from the car on the left, no issues with ride height/adjustment on that side.  The right arm was down on the threaded block the first time.  Sounds like it need to undo the right and rotate the arm back down on the block.  Thanks!   

[Chryco Psycho]

sounds right . Rest it with the lower control arm dropped down & the adjuster arm dowm on the block with the bolt backed all the way out & everything should line up .
 I cannot see how the arm could be swapped side to side

[CudaCraig]

sounds right . Rest it with the lower control arm dropped down & the adjuster arm dowm on the block with the bolt backed all the way out & everything should line up .
 I cannot see how the arm could be swapped side to side

I guess I'm not too sure about what you mean about swapping the adjustment arm side to side...


Progress update... So I took apart the right side again and redid everything so that upon installation the torsion bar adjustment arm was resting on the threaded block with the bolt backed all the way out. I just got the car back on the ground and now the nose is way up in the air. I have backed the adjustment bolt all the way out and the car will now not sit lower than 28.5" at the center of the fender. The UCA is actually resting on the bump stop it is so high. So, one way I cannot get more than ~26" of ride height on the right side and with the adjustment arm rotated to the next hexagonal slot, 60 degrees, and the torsion bar re-inserted I cannot get less than 28.5" of ride height and the UCA sits on the bump stop. The left side seems perfect with plenty of adjustability between 25-29".  What is wong with my car??  26" seems a little too low but is more acceptable than 28.5". Was shooting for about 27".

Please help!!

[Chryco Psycho]

Wow weird , I wonder if the T bar is twisted

[ChallengerHK]

If he took the bar back out, and set it on a flat surface so that a flat on one end was resting squarely on the ground, should a point of the other end be pointing straight down?

[brads70]

If he took the bar back out, and set it on a flat surface so that a flat on one end was resting squarely on the ground, should a point of the other end be pointing straight down?

My first thought is the bar is not clocked correctly?  Never heard of a .960" bar screwed up though?  Who made the bar? Maybe compare the clocking/hex to the one that is good?