[FWDLK] Torqued off

I had a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere when I was in high school. I sold it when I went to college in 1961. At the time, it had about 50,000 miles. Within six months later, both torsion bars broke (not at the same time) and the buyer was not too happy.

My understanding is that Chrysler Corp added a seal to the later torsion bar design, but I don't know why that would have any connection to the breakage. It would seem to me that they just fatigued. As you say, probably poor metallurgy in the early designs.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eastern Sierra Adjustment Svc <esierraadj@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Torqued off
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Going back to my question about whether T/bars were designed to be lubricated...

if the ends' of the bars were properly inserted into their ft/rr receptacles, I can't see how
mere corrosion at those bar-insertions could cause a bar to break.

Making them a BITCH to remove: sure, but causing their failure (because they're still
able to rotate freely)..I dunno.

I'm trying to contact a guy, back east, now (long-retired) who IIRC, had had a T/bar
fail on his newly purchased 57 Plymouth.

I had 'heard' that the bars broke because of bad metalurgy, and that they either broke quickly
or that they out-lasted the car's lifetime.

Neil Vedder