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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. *************************************************************
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