Attain "rake" with torsion bars?
- Thread starter koosh
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rumblefish360
Well-Known Member
Yes, HOWEVER! What your doing is losing the front end bringing it closer to the ground which creates a clearance problem and if your running headers, it just gets tube smashing rotten. Your shocks get compressed a bit more for less travel and bottoming out the suspension travel becomes easier.
Jack the car up and support the front end on both sides with jack stand. Crawl under and find the adjusting but hidden between, in the middle of the lower control arm and counterclockwise rotate the bolt 1 full turn on each side.
Lower the car and bounce the front end several times to re set the height. Step and and look. Do it again for what you want.
Jack the car up and support the front end on both sides with jack stand. Crawl under and find the adjusting but hidden between, in the middle of the lower control arm and counterclockwise rotate the bolt 1 full turn on each side.
Lower the car and bounce the front end several times to re set the height. Step and and look. Do it again for what you want.
koosh
Well-Known Member
No headers yet! (Cant figure out which are easiest to install without mashing them!)
Thanks for the instructions!
HT413
Semi Pro Bowler
Yeah man, you can hang it pretty low with the torsion bar adjusters and still have some clearance. Just don’t go nuts or you’ll lose a crown next pothole you hit.
rumblefish360
Well-Known Member
Your welcome.
Headers? TTI are about the best fitting and ground clearing you’ll find.
If you have a small block, Hooker Super Competitions are very good and a little cheaper last I looked. 1-3/4 tube size. Excellent fit on my B & E body cars.
Headers? TTI are about the best fitting and ground clearing you’ll find.
If you have a small block, Hooker Super Competitions are very good and a little cheaper last I looked. 1-3/4 tube size. Excellent fit on my B & E body cars.
koosh
Well-Known Member
Yes, have heard that about TTI, just didnt want to mortgage the house for them.....for a 383
Thanks again
koosh
Well-Known Member
69L48Z27
Well-Known Member
You can probably go more than one turn at a time. Just count them and keep the same side to side. When your happy with the height measure your wheel well lip to the ground and even them up. If you can get on the ground you can back the T-bar bolts out without getting the car in the air.
YY1
Well-Known Member
Actually, you don't even need to jack it up.
Loosen a couple turns, then jounce (push down real hard on the bumper and let it spring back up).
Do that a couple of times per side, and see how you like it.
Make sure to do it evenly. Find a measuring point for reference. I use the center of the wheel opening.
I've never had any issues with alignment, either...but it's possible.
Torsion bars are wonderful!
Loosen a couple turns, then jounce (push down real hard on the bumper and let it spring back up).
Do that a couple of times per side, and see how you like it.
Make sure to do it evenly. Find a measuring point for reference. I use the center of the wheel opening.
I've never had any issues with alignment, either...but it's possible.
Torsion bars are wonderful!
R/T Boy 67
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You should have your alignment checked after you set the ride height.
rumblefish360
Well-Known Member
FWIW, I suggested to do what I said because the adjustment height bolt can be a bear or impossible to turn while the weight is on the adjusting parts.
Good luck, hope it turns out well for you.
Good luck, hope it turns out well for you.
oldbee
Well-Known Member
IF you go a bunch, you may change frtend alignment.
dsd1967
Well-Known Member
All the points have been covered in the previous posts. What you are in essence doing is taking tension off the torsion bar which allows it to lower. That means the torsion bar has to wind up further to get back to the same amount of tension when going over bumps. The short of it is that your car will bottom out a lot easier. If you go with larger diameter torsion bars, you may be able to offset some of that willingness to bottom out...but your car will ride a little rougher.
Any time I did this, I bounced and then drove it around a little before coming back to take my measurement. Make sure you are on a flat surface so that your back wheels aren't biasing the weight to one side or another. The nice thing is that it's as easy to undo as it is to do it. Once you are happy with it...don't wait too long for an alignment.
Any time I did this, I bounced and then drove it around a little before coming back to take my measurement. Make sure you are on a flat surface so that your back wheels aren't biasing the weight to one side or another. The nice thing is that it's as easy to undo as it is to do it. Once you are happy with it...don't wait too long for an alignment.
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Didn't read every single word but did anyone mention to make sure your tire pressures are the same left to right? Don't really need to be the same front to rear but left to right needs to be the same on both front and rear or at least pretty close. Just did a 69 road runner yesterday but have done many over the years. Jacking the wheels totally off the ground isn't really needed but jacking most of the weight up off the suspension does help make the job easier. Also, lube up the adjusters the best you can and if you have compressed air, blow off any crud that you can. Also, if your car does bottom out too easily afterwards, you can put on a pair of heavy duty shocks to help control it better but going with heavy duty torsion bars is also a good thing.
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forget the t-bars...go for air shocks 
You can slam it old-school style! Just watch how much you squish your lower control arm bumpers. If you get too much pressure on them when the suspension is at rest they won't last long and will crack and go away. That gets you the lovely tooth-rattling going over bumps and potholes that HT413 mentioned...(I've also found traction suffers on stock chassis when the front is down low, if that's any consideration for you)
miller
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Errr...don't lower the front, jack up the rear!
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