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Torsion Bar Popping Out?


87pathmaker
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It sounds more like what happened to 87pathfinder - the socket/anchor/bracket doohickey where the T-bar is inserted stripped rather than the bar itself.

 

As to why this occaisionally happens, I don't know. But I am willing to speculate! Keep in mind that without parts to see, that's all I can do - speculate.

 

Since it seems to happen so rarely, I suspect it is a special cause - like the bar not being fully seated in the socket. With only partial engagement, there is only partial strength.

 

87pathfinder: Does that seem possible? Maybe the splines on the bar were only inserted halfway into the socket?

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Great Information! Thanks!

 

I absorb pretty quickly :)

 

I would assume that a progressive torsion bar would be the same tensile strength material, just tapered. I know that's how progressive springs work, I've used them on my track cars in the past, and coils are thicker at the bottom than at the top.

 

Yes, that is correct. I (and Mr. Sir Isaac Newton) guarantee it is not due to the spring rate of the torsion bar suddenly changing

There may be a very slight "difference" in feel due to pivots moving in a less worn area - the extra friction will reduce ease of movement.

 

One exception: If your shock absorbers have position sensitive damping, you will experience different damping characteristics at the different ride height - which WILL affect ride quality. Not aware of too many that do this, but it is physically possible to design a shock do so.

 

The only things that will change the spring rate are to:

1) change the length of torsion bar (longer = softer, shorter = stiffer)

2) change the diameter of torsion bar (smaller = softer, fatter = stiffer)

3) change the material or temper of torsion bar

And while you're interested in learning, I'll also point out that a coil spring is, in effect, a torsion bar - just one that has been twisted around into a helix. But the same laws of physics apply - the larger in diameter OR shorter in length the "wire" is, the higher the spring rate. So if you have a given coil spring and cut off 2 coils, you will make the spring stiffer. Kinda handy!

 

After you've absorbed that, I'll be glad explain how progressive rate springs work!

I love edumacating those that are more interested in physics and facts than fads and opinions!

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The other day I poped up on a sidewalk like I always do ( I am a Fireman so I am alway on Sidewalks for parking) Next thing I hear a pop .. the right front is droped by a few inch's .. My lovely shop says the torsion bar went . He cant find the part for a 1990 but I could, go figure.

I know nothing when it comes to non-leaf spring suspension .. LOL

 

 

This is exactly what happened to me.... Either the bar completely unseated itself or the anchor is stripped out... I'm not sure what they mean by the torsion bar "went." I don't think we have enough in our pathys to rotate a torsion bar to the point where it breaks :)

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It sounds more like what happened to 87pathfinder - the socket/anchor/bracket doohickey where the T-bar is inserted stripped rather than the bar itself.

 

As to why this occaisionally happens, I don't know. But I am willing to speculate! Keep in mind that without parts to see, that's all I can do - speculate.

 

Since it seems to happen so rarely, I suspect it is a special cause - like the bar not being fully seated in the socket. With only partial engagement, there is only partial strength.

 

87pathfinder: Does that seem possible? Maybe the splines on the bar were only inserted halfway into the socket?

 

You know how earlier in this thread I mentioned that the bar popped out after hitting a log while overcoming it? I think that may be the culpret (albeit 2 years ago!?) At that point the bar had completely extracted itself from the front socket, so I checked the torsion bar, everything looked fine.. reinserted it and went. Maybe that's where the problem was. The bar could potentially be bent as previoulsy said... my eyeball level says no, but being that the torsion bar is rather long, even a marginal bend in the bar could affect how far it is inserted into the socket, and being that the end of the torsion bar's threads are slightly tapered, that could have caused it to strip out if not fully seated.

 

I dunno.. it's an easy enough fix, but I may have found a free Waggy D44 :)

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I'd just check the fore and aft torsion bar anchor points, if you jack it up, you'll be able to tell what you're looking it... very simple setup. I don't know for sure, but I'd say that if the bar is still set in the anchors, you're looking at the same scenario as I am. IF it's just dislodged (which I doubt is even feasable under normal suspension compression), you should be able to reset it in the anchor that it's out of after checking to make sure that everything is still in good working order (no stripped threads).

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  • 3 months later...

DiD it pop in and out again?

 

Guess what! this exact thing happened to me yesterday. I was wheelin down this creek and my front driver-side tire fell in this hole and the same time i heard a loud crack/pop and while I drove out of the creek and my tire rubbed like crazy my pathy was leaning to the left about to squish my front left tire. I had to reidex my torsion twice on the trail. I have calmini's suspension lift with HD torsion bars.

 

I had the same problem with the reverse torsion and what I had to do to get it so there was not pressure was jack up the truck and then jack up the lower A arm until there is no more reverse pressure; take the anchor arm off and drop the tire back on.

 

Along with that I bent a tie rod and my alignment is a joke. if you need any more adivice let me know. Im dealing with this today so ya.

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