Don't forget, a coil spring is just a torsion bar wound up!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Watson" <wwatson@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Torsion bars vs coil springs
> When it comes to handling, its torsion bars, hands down. With the coil
> spring being tall and upright, there is a certain amount of sideways
> movement with a coil spring equipped car, expecially with coils on all 4
> corners! GM products of the 1960's and 1970's were notorious for their
> rear end "wiggle" when going across railway tracks, speed bumps and the
> like.
>
> General Motors used torsion bars on early Toronado and Eldorado models, as
> well as some Chevrolet and GMC truck models.
>
> Packard used a 4-wheel torsion bar set-up on their 1955 and 1956 models,
> with one bar on each side connecting the front and rear wheel. The second
> set of bars were attached to the rear and provided a built-in
load-leveling
> device. These Packards were noted for their handling and smooth ride,
even
> across railway tracks with the doors not quite closed.
>
> As for large manufacturers, would you call Volkswagen a large
manufacturer?
> The VW beetle from its inception until the introduction of the Super
Beetle
> used transverse torsion bars, front and rear.
>
> The Nuffield Group in Great Britain used a tosion bar system virtually
> identical to the Chrysler system starting with their postwar models -
Morris
> Minor, Morris Oxford, Morris Six (later Isis), Wolseley 4/50, Wolseley
6/80,
> Riley 1.5 and Riley 2.5. All but the Morris Minor (and its offspring -
> Riley 1.5, Wolseley 1500 and Austin/Morris Marina/Ital) changed over to
> coils during the 1950's. Every commentary I have read on these cars
> expresses the opinion that the torsion bar models have much better
handling
> than their coil sprung successors.
>
> Other British cars with torsion bars were the Jowett Javelin, Rover P-5,
> MG-C, Bristol (on the rear) and Jaguar (Marks V to IX, XK-series, E-Type).
> I read somewhere that the French-built Chrysler Horizon used torsion bars.
> The Simca 1204 had fwd and torsion bars on all 4 wheels.
>
> The death of the torsion bar, for Chrysler, came with the adoption of
front
> wheel drive and the MacPherson strut. The strut combines the shock
absorber
> and coil into one unit. It is compact, easy to remove/install, and can
> give a soft coil-spring ride without all the shimmy-shakey-wiggles.
>
> As for after-market suspensions, since virtually all but Chrysler (in
North
> America) offered coils, there is no sense in offering anything else. To
> convert to torsion bars from coils would involve a massive re-engineering
> feat. Take a close look at how the torsion bars are mounted in any
Chrysler
> car. Besides, with Chrysler's torsion bar suspension, if you want a
firmer
> ride, just go to a larger diameter bar. Maybe add a sway bar. You would
> have a factory-built set up that would match, if not surpass, any
> after-market supplier.
>
> Bill
> Vancouver, BC
>
>
>
>
> > I'm just wondering which is better. I don't know of any
> > large mfgr autos with torsion bars (4x4's excepted).
> > Even the aftermarket suspension people who claim to use
> > only the best use coil springs. What's the real scoop
> > on this?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > bill
> > '56 DeSoto 4 door Firedome
> > Atlanta, GA
> >
>
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