Re: [FWDLK] Torqued off
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Re: [FWDLK] Torqued off




torsion bars have always been an interesting topic among non-mopar people-  i always hear- "oh, those things just snap all the time"..... the idea of a length of rod twisting is no different than the torsional flex of the coil of a spring or the eliptical flex of a leaf spring...  metal fatigues, it fails....
 
out of [all torsion-bar bearing mopars] a little over 100 cars, i havent had one break, however i did buy one 58 plym with an already-snapped bar... so they seem pretty reliable----  more reliable than the tri-5 chevys that grenaded the shocks through the trunks on a regular basis, or 57-9 fords whose rear s-shaped shackles snap and send the tail of the spring through the trunk.
 
as for prepping them for aesthetics-  the heat of powder coating will not affect the temper- infact the exhaust running along them can probably raise temperature of the bars at slow speeds in excess of the ovens used during applied coatings...
i most commonly clean them to existing finish [i tend to work with rust-free and low mileage vehicles, sometimes blessed with real greasy chassis that preserved the original finish- such that a good cleaning and matte clearcoat gives that fresh-from-factory appearance.. other times if there is some surface rust- they get a cleaning, sand off rust with a mild 320-400 grit paper and hit them with a shot of chassis black,  on survivor cars i find they are usually natural-finish, though sometimes they have been party to mostly painted along with the assembed chassis-  just make it look nice
 
comment on stress risers---- i thought i screwed up big time in 2001, a little over 60,000 miles ago on my 59 fury.... while cutting out the y-pipe of the orig driveline- i found myself thinking, how come 1/2 way through the thin 1-7/8 pipe, wont it finish..??? then i noticed i was a good 16th into my pass side torsion bar........... just looked over my shoulder- outside in the snow is the fury sitting just fine with an intact bar.... i've changed ride height at least 4 times depending on the current theme of the car... the last 4-5 yrs its been as low as allowablt without slamming the chassis where the snubbers used to be with every little pebble in the road.... luck?  probably..... every time the car goes out i put the suspension to its limitations of articulation, and it just keeps coming back for more....  i have a feeling the bars that break had a production flaw that just needed enought stress to allow failure-   at 50+ yrs old now- if they didnt break yet- i'd say youre safe.  the trick may be constant use- spring steel has memory but dormancy may also raise the risk factor- as other "springs" do sag without use or with overloading.


-----Original Message-----
From: Bjwt 56 <Bjwt56@xxxxxxx>
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, Jan 8, 2011 12:25 pm
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Torqued off

Hello All:
 
    Let me share an experience that may be relevant to the torsion bar question.  When restoring my 56 Fury, I took the rear springs off and saw that one of the bottom springs was cracked.  I took both sets of springs to a spring shop and had two new bottom springs made.  I did this so they would match and be of the same strength.
 
    I then took all but the bottom or main springs to be blasted and powder coated.  I was not sure what the heat of powder coating would do the springs, so did not take any chances and painted the bottom springs.  Today over a decade later all is well and I cannot tell the difference between the powder coated and painted springs. 
 
    Therefore, my thought is to paint the torsion bars as nicely as you can.  No one will be able to tell the difference and you can rest easy that you probably will not have to touch them again.
 
    John Teske
 
 
In a message dated 1/8/2011 9:47:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, whuff@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
I agree with all except the sandblasting.  Sandblasting does leave a rough surface, actually too rough for immediate painting, which I suspect could lead to stress risers.  I would prefer media blasting, maybe walnut shells.  Smoothing would be on the menu too. 

Bill Huff

At 1/8/201101:41 AM, Richard Barber wrote:
Lou:
 
I don’t have much experience with torsion bars other than that a 2-year old bar broke on my ’61 Valiant­my first new car.  As a corrosion engineer, I noted that the coating had been nicked and the salt of Omaha streets had worked on the exposed steel and allowed a crack to start.  Nice thing about torsion bars is that the ends just slid out and enabled the Valiant putt on down to the Chrysler dealer for a warranty replacement.
 
If I were to restore a torsion bar, I’d have it sandblasted, polish out any nicks or cracks, have it Magnafluxed for cracks, spray it with zinc-rich primer and follow with a coating of POR-15 or something similar. The zinc in the primer will give you some protection against future nicking of the coating.   You could also have the sandblasted and inspected bar lightly galvanized and then powdercoat it.  That would provide excellent corrosion protection which you may or may not need­depending on your planned use of the car.
 
The opinions of others more experienced is welcome.
 
Rich Barber
 
Date:    Fri, 7 Jan 2011 20:28:39 -0500
From:    Lou Vecchioni <email4lou@xxxxxxxxxxx >
Subject: Torsion bar re-coating/paint dip, or powder coat??

I've been perusing the fwlk and imperial web board, googling, etc, and I can't find anything that helps me decide whether or not the original style thick paint is better than powder coating (or even if powder coating can withstand the twisting stress).

I have my torsion bars off and will be wiping them down and inspecting for chips and rust this weekend.  Next week or so I will be sending off various front suspension pieces to be media blasted and powder coated....but I'm unsure what to do with the torsion bars.   Can they be blasted and treated the same way?

Thanks,
Lou

 

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