Those are called "speed bumps" in the US, Philippe, and they are very common
over here also, usually in parking lots and parks, where the speed isn't
supposed to go about 10 MPH or so.
I doubt it would add much additional stress to your torsion bars to take
them up a little more - as the weight of the car is not changed, thus the
total torsion on the bar is only slightly increased by asking it to hold the
car a little higher. On the Packard, which uses torsion bars also, it is
common to adjust the height of the car every time the load in the car is
changed, and it can also be changed with an adjustment to the front end, and
I've not heard of a bar breaking yet.
Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: Philippe COURANT <accf_clb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Fwdlk <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Chrysler 300 Yahoo List Server
<Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 10:25 AM
Subject: IML: about torsion bars
> Hi,
> I wonder what could happen if the torsion bars are tightened more
> than factory setting, i.e to compensate too low front height
> (smaller tires than original). Possibility of breakage ? Lack of
> driveability (and comfort..) ?
> I ask this question because my car has radial WWW tires (225-75 x
> 14) and they have 2" less height than original bias 9.50 x 14.
> So the car is 1" lower than original and i sufferd from some
> problems when i run on "slowdown buildings" (don't know the exact
> word and don't know if you have these things in USA: it's a
> cemented round obstacle through the road, 4 to 6 inch height, so
> you have to slow down the car to 10 to 20 mph if you want to
> cross it without a big jump !). These obstacle are common in
> every small towns in France, because drivers cross these towns at
> too high speed.
> Problem for my Imperial is that it has a longer wheelbase than
> european cars ! When the front wheels go down this damned *^"!°
> (not all, because majority are enough long) the rear wheels
> haven't began to climb the beginning so the middle of the car
> (exhausts..) scrapes the cement. I don't have the problem with
> the '58 Bui*k, it is higher than the Imperial.
> I know also that all the fellows who have Corv*"te, Trans'*m,
> Cama"%o etc have still more problems than me: they must cross
> the obstacle crosswise ! And even the modern cars which have
> spoilers...
>
> --
> Philippe COURANT (Pau, France)
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