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Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor? #477818 09/23/09 08:48 PM 09/23/09 08:48 PM
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia W wh23g3g OP member
wh23g3g OP member W Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia	Can't I just run up the adjusters to where they were before I took the motor out before I reinstall the motor? I just want to have everything ready to be able to drive to get the alignment and not have to do a whole lot of adjusting except maybe to the engine. I rebuilt the front and rear suspension using all new balljoints, tie rods, pitman, idler, gear box, power steering pump, springs, shocks, shackles. Everything but the torsion bars because they looked new. Does anyone have their 73 or 74 adjusted to the right ride height? How many threads are showing? That way I can just run mine up to that point and have a good basically right ride height.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor? [Re: wh23g3g] #477819 09/23/09 09:02 PM 09/23/09 09:02 PM
Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 21,819 Kirkland, Washington Pacnorthcuda Too Many Posts
Pacnorthcuda Too Many Posts Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 21,819 Kirkland, Washington	Of course you can! You may also find you want to tweak the adjustment after the motor's in. Just be aware that you are asking your alignment shop to set ride height (non mopar-savvy shops may not know this!!!) Personally I would ensure the ride height is where I (and only I) want it long before the alignment shop. The amount of "threads" showing on other cars has nothing to do with yours.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: Pacnorthcuda] #477820 09/23/09 11:09 PM 09/23/09 11:09 PM
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado D denfireguy top fuel
denfireguy top fuel D Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado	Quote: Of course you can! You may also find you want to tweak the adjustment after the motor's in. Just be aware that you are asking your alignment shop to set ride height (non mopar-savvy shops may not know this!!!) Personally I would ensure the ride height is where I (and only I) want it long before the alignment shop. The amount of "threads" showing on other cars has nothing to do with yours. Exactly right. I wrote in another thread here a long time ago that the way to filter out alignment appliance operators from a good mechanics is to ask them what the first check on a Mopar alignment is. Any answer besides set ride height is an instant gong and move on. Alignment guys with white hair usually know the drill but may have to be reminded, especially if they have CRS like I do. And like he said, set it yourself and no worries. Craig 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: denfireguy] #477821 09/24/09 01:10 AM 09/24/09 01:10 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: set it yourself and no worries. put your weight in barbells in the drivers seat on a level surface, tires aired up, a 1/2 tank of gas: adj each side to where a reference point (LCA to subframe) is the same side to side AND the the tire/wheel looks good in the wheel well and jounce it after each time you crank it some more. It can be any height that you feel comfortable with (within reason). tell the shop that you have the height set where you want it & not to touch it. I gotta ask what is CRS. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: RapidRobert] #477822 09/24/09 03:08 AM 09/24/09 03:08 AM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts
DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada	Baseline it to where it was before, then tweak it when the motor's back in. It's not a big deal to adjust it, I adjusted mine with the motor in the car and it was no a hard nor time consuming task.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: DaytonaTurbo] #477823 09/24/09 06:37 AM 09/24/09 06:37 AM
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,124 Hunt Valley, Maryland 1fastrunner top fuel
1fastrunner top fuel Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,124 Hunt Valley, Maryland	Can't Remember S*** If I could remember, I'd tell you. Jim

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: RapidRobert] #477824 09/24/09 10:01 AM 09/24/09 10:01 AM
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado D denfireguy top fuel
denfireguy top fuel D Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado	Quote: Quote: set it yourself and no worries. I gotta ask what is CRS. Can't Remember S*** 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: denfireguy] #477825 09/24/09 06:44 PM 09/24/09 06:44 PM
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia W wh23g3g OP member
wh23g3g OP member W Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia	I was wondering if the adjustment screws are always suppose to be so difficult to turn. I had all the control arms cleaned and then bead blasted. I remember it was really hard to loosen them too when even the motor was out. I sprayed all kinds of lubricant to help, but it still requires a lot of turning with a breaker bar to adjust them since someone took my 1/2" ratchet. I was just wondering is it suppose to be that tight to turn them up? I don't know if I have a baseline anymore because I was looking at them and everything was blasted clean so there's no wear marks. I'm going to using 14x6 with 225/70/14s all the way around. I have stock HD springs and shocks in the rear, no air shocks. And I'm going for a factory ride height.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: wh23g3g] #477826 09/24/09 09:10 PM 09/24/09 09:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: I was wondering if the adjustment screws are always suppose to be so difficult to turn. generally not, the threads might be dirty or coated or burred. If you have spares (bolts/blocks) you might use them. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: wh23g3g] #477827 09/26/09 11:42 AM 09/26/09 11:42 AM
Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 21,819 Kirkland, Washington Pacnorthcuda Too Many Posts
Pacnorthcuda Too Many Posts Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 21,819 Kirkland, Washington	Quote: I was wondering if the adjustment screws are always suppose to be so difficult to turn. I had all the control arms cleaned and then bead blasted. I remember it was really hard to loosen them too when even the motor was out. I sprayed all kinds of lubricant to help, but it still requires a lot of turning with a breaker bar to adjust them since someone took my 1/2" ratchet. I was just wondering is it suppose to be that tight to turn them up? I don't know if I have a baseline anymore because I was looking at them and everything was blasted clean so there's no wear marks. I'm going to using 14x6 with 225/70/14s all the way around. I have stock HD springs and shocks in the rear, no air shocks. And I'm going for a factory ride height. unload the suspension (at least a little) with a jack and you will find the T-Bar bolts to be MUCH easier to adjust!

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: Pacnorthcuda] #477828 09/26/09 04:24 PM 09/26/09 04:24 PM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts
DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada	Quote: unload the suspension (at least a little) with a jack and you will find the T-Bar bolts to be MUCH easier to adjust! However I still did mine with a pipe on the end of a 1/2" ratchet.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: DaytonaTurbo] #477829 09/26/09 09:44 PM 09/26/09 09:44 PM
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado D denfireguy top fuel
denfireguy top fuel D Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado	Penetrating oil and frame on jack stands and it will eventually get easier to turn. I backed mine almost all the way out and coated it with 3 in 1 oil. Ran it back in to approximately where it was, lowered the car and the 1/2 in ratchet was all that was needed. Craig 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: denfireguy] #477830 09/29/09 01:27 PM 09/29/09 01:27 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 353 Chesterfield, MIch C Cuda67 super street
Cuda67 super street C Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 353 Chesterfield, MIch	DO NOT adjust the bars with the car weight on them. I worked for 30+ years at Chrysler Engineering as a mechanic. The bolts as they wear can shoot out of the blocks with car weight on them as you turn the bolt. I know of two cases, one resulted in a broken shoulder and the other was a broken arm and this was only at Engineering. Chrysler cars in the beginning had the anchor's under the driver seat. One bolt (while driving) came out, went thru the floor pan and into the drivers leg. That is why they were moved to the control arms. I can't stress enough how dangerouse it is with the car weight on them. Jouncing won't work to check heights. The car has to be rolled back and forth after adjusting to get the proper measurement.

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: Cuda67] #477831 10/01/09 12:09 AM 10/01/09 12:09 AM
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia W wh23g3g OP member
wh23g3g OP member W Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 153 Georgia	I can't remember about how far the screws were in when I got the car but the suspension was trashed at that time too. I was just wondering how far in is normal on a 73 Charger w/ big block and 14x6 wheels. I just need to get a baseline so I can run them in. Because like you were saying about it being dangerous that's what I was thinking. Plus it seems like it would be way harder to adjust them with all the weight on the suspension too. I looked at the adjusters on my 65 Valiant and the head of the adjuster bolt was flush with the outside bottom edge of the control arm. But that's a whole different car. So I just wanted to get an idea of a 73 Charger. That should at least get me to the shop where I can everything adjusted while they're doing alignment. Is just running the bolt halfway up ok?

Re: Can I adjust my torsion bars before I install motor [Re: wh23g3g] #477832 10/01/09 10:18 AM 10/01/09 10:18 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	I would highly suggest that you set the height where it looks good for your wheel/tire combo before you get there. Yes different vehicles do end up with the depth of the bolt in the LCA much different from others & thats no problem. Everytime I've let them set it to their specs (if they have them) it's been too low in the front then I cant change it afterwards because that changes the caster/camber. Not sure how much but I want it dead on. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

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