Torsion Bar Opinions? - 70 Road Runner

[PurpleBeeper]

1970 Plymouth Road Runner - This car was a street racer, but I'm slowly converting it over to a long distance cruiser. The car has a stock front suspension & super stock leaf springs with 2" lowering blocks (to make car level) in the back. I'm still running the original torsion bars. They seem OK, but they're really old now and I'm thinking about replacing them.

My #1 goal would be a smooth ride and #2 would be good handling. I will likely install a larger front sway bar at some point in the future & "maybe" a rear sway bar..."maybe". Anyway, I think my torsion bars are .90" diameter (? not sure, the larger factory ones since it's a Road Runner). I see stock replacements from Classic Industries, some 1.05" with "20-degree clocking" (what's that?) and Hotchkis 1.10" bars.

What torsion bars should I be looking at? (or should I keep my 50 yr old original ones)

 

[Runcharger]

Torsion bars near an inch and a thicker front sway bar. You'll get 100 different opinions though. The roads are much better now than 50 years ago and IMO thicker torsion bars ride just fine these days.

 

[Kern Dog]

There are some people that will repeat what they have heard and read while having no direct experience with this topic. (And many others)
Here Is what I know:
Torsion bar stiffness and a soft or harsh ride absolutely vary depending on what shocks you are using.
I have the stock .88 torsion bars and bullshit KYB shocks in one car and 1.15 bars and Bilstein shocks in the other...

The red car has the bigger bars and shorter sidewalls but rides better due to the better shocks.

 

[Don Frelier]

I just put the PST 1.05 bars on my charger. I would recommend them I like the Ride.

 

[hunt2elk]

I run PST's 1.03" bars in all 3 of my cars and am very happy with them.

 

[Hilljack68]

I run PST's 1.03" bars in all 3 of my cars and am very happy with them.

Likewise... PST 1.03" on the Coronet. These mated with Bilsteins make for a nice ride that isn't afraid of the curves either.

 

[AR67GTX]

Same here - PST 1.03” bars ride very well, not harsh at all to me.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I run PST's 1.03" bars in all 3 of my cars and am very happy with them.

Cool. So, what is this stuff I'm reading "clocked 20 degrees for lowered or stock ride height" all about? Do you know?

 

[hunt2elk]

Cool. So, what is this stuff I'm reading "clocked 20 degrees for lowered or stock ride height" all about? Do you know?

I am no expert on the subject, but think you would want the stock clocking. I do know that years ago when PST made their first run of 1.03 bars, they were clocked 20* off. Created a lot of issues for guys wanting a stock ride height. PST then redid the bars so the later versions were correct.

 

[WileERobby]

Cool. So, what is this stuff I'm reading "clocked 20 degrees for lowered or stock ride height" all about? Do you know?

Clocking refers to indexing the end of the torsion bar where it goes into the hexagonal anchor in the LCA.

 

[AR67GTX]

Clocking is the difference between orientation of the hex’s on both ends. The initial run of PST bars did not have clocking - both end hex’s were positioned the same. It created problems achieving adequate ride height. Later bars have OEM Mopar clocking. Or so I’ve been told.

There’s really not much choice in installing the bars by trying to vary the clocking on the car. The flats are 60 degrees apart. If you could rotate the lower a-arm up high enough (60 degrees from full droop) to go into the next position, you could not even get the car off the ground enough to put in the jounce bumpers.

 

[lewtot184]

I've found on my 65 coronet that a big sway bar meant more than anything on handling. I would give wheels and tires next best choice.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Clocking is the difference between orientation of the hex’s on both ends. The initial run of PST bars did not have clocking - both end hex’s were positioned the same. It created problems achieving adequate ride height. Later bars have OEM Mopar clocking. Or so I’ve been told.

There’s really not much choice in installing the bars by trying to vary the clocking on the car. The flats are 60 degrees apart. If you could rotate the lower a-arm up high enough (60 degrees from full droop) to go into the next position, you could not even get the car off the ground enough to put in the jounce bumpers.

Well put. I get the idea of clocking, but the idea of “can get lowered or stock ride height” from the same bar made me wonder if they were reversible or something & clocked??? I got a pair, so we’ll find out. I have got a set of b-body 6 cylinder bars too, so I will try to compare the “clocking”

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I've found on my 65 coronet that a big sway bar meant more than anything on handling. I would give wheels and tires next best choice.

Thanks. I’m starting to look at larger front sway bars. And suggestions? I’ve got the original sway bar & it seems ok, but I’m open to reasonably priced upgrades that make the car safer

 

[Crewchief]

Thanks. I’m starting to look at larger front sway bars. And suggestions? I’ve got the original sway bar & it seems ok, but I’m open to reasonably priced upgrades that make the car safer

Hotchkis would be your best option. Use their rear leaf springs and get rid of lowering blocks as lowering is built in to the springs, combined those with their front torsion bars and your set.