Two suspension questions, 73 Roadrunner

[idrivemopar]

1. When installing new torsion bars, should the adjusters be fully down (adjusting bolt extended out) or or fully up (adjusting bolt all the way in)????? Nothing referenced in the service manual about this.

2. Should ball joint castle nuts have a washer go on before the castle nut? Couldnt remember if mine did or did not, however, with the new ball joints, i cannot get the castle nut down far enough to allow the cotter pins to go in.


Please let me know if you have an answer to either question.

 

[moparmarks]

Hey Paul.
When installing the bars, adjuster bolts out. LCA pin nut loose. LCA hanging all the way down. Then slide the bar in. Thighten pin nut then adjuster.
Washer not needed on ball joint nut but came with from factory. Are you using an impact gun?.

 

[idrivemopar]

No, not using impact gun on the ball joint castle nuts, they are supposed to be 100 and 85 foot pounds, but i think the problem is the washer is almost 1/8 inch thick and may even be 5/32, which seems wrong to me. I will give it a go with narrower washer. Sounds like i did the torsion bars correct then, there is no weight on the car at the moment, and it sitting up really high, and i will adjust once the transmission and engine are back in the car, but with the adjuster bolts sticking out a few inches from the LCA is what made me wonder and most likely because my old ones were worn out, so i had to really crank in the adjuster bolts to get some height.

 

[moparmarks]

Are you using stock or aftermarket bars?

 

[idrivemopar]

Using Firm Feel 1.06's.

 

[moparmarks]

Usually with factory bars the head of the adjuster bolt will be up into the arm. With large aftermarket bars it will be hanging down abit. This with motor in and adjusted to ride height.
On the ball joint washer, the factory one is thick. You really need to seat the joint into the spindle. You might be turning the joint shaft. I use an impack myself.

 

[idrivemopar]

So, it sounds like the torsion bars are in correctly, as the adjusters were all the way out, and the piviot arm that sits above the adjuster bolts was slightly below the top side of the lower control arm. Could i actually rotate that up a bit, then install the torsion bars so the adjusting bolts dont hang down so low? Maybe one knotch in the hex?


The shaft is not turning, so, is there a way to make sure the shaft has been seated properly?