Rear Spring Plate Adjustment

[David Head]

I understand that the inner end of the torsin bar has 40 splines which equals 9 degrees and the outer end has 44 splines which equals 8 degrees 10 minutes. (60 minutes equals 1 degreee)

Therefore, if you move the inner end one spline and the outer end one spline in the oppisite direction, you have made a 50 minute change or almost 1 degree.

My question!!!! Is it customary to adjust the inner and outer end of the torsion bar the same amount??? (ie. inner ONE spline and outer ONE spline in the opposite direction) (inner TWO splines and outer TWO splines)and so forth.

Or can you turn inner ONE turn and outer TWO turns?????

[CoryN]

Great - I pulled both of mine all the way out. Now how am I going to get it lined up properly to put back together

[David Head]

If you didn't mark them before you took them out, It's going to be trial and error. But it can be done. You can do it.

I haven't taken mine out yet. I need to track down a electrical problem first. If I can get that fixed and I still have time before the Classic, I will attempt to adjust the torsion bars.

[CoryN]

Well I guess I didn't think it was too difficult, both of them had about 1/4 inch of tension in them, i.e. as I pulled the springplates off, they sprung about 1/4 inch past the stop. I figured I would just get that same amount past the stop and spring it and give it a good wack back into position.

[MURZ]

I used an angle finder and set both sides to the same exact angle. This is the right way to do it. You will have to tweek inner and outer splines to get both to the same angle.


But to get that angle use this reasoning:
To determine amount of drop or raise think of your swingplates like hands of a clock. Measure the distance from the middle of the torsion to the axle centerline.....radius. Circumference= 2 pie(3.14) R

Once you find the circumference divide by 360. Your answer equals the amount of movement up or down each degree will move the arm.

Follow me?

Lets use this example to illustrate further:

Say the distance on the swingplate or radius is 15 inches(just for example)
2 x "pie" x R
2 x 3.14 x 15=94.2 inches for your circumference

now take 94.2 inches and divide by 360(degrees)
94.2/360=.262inches
or .262 inches per degree of movement

Armed with info you now can make educated guesses of how far up or down you will be from stock...assuming stock is around 20-22 degrees???

OR...you could just eyeball it and do it 5 times

[David O']

Or you can measure the same point on the spring plates to the same place on the shock mounts of the frame...and when they are the same measurement, the height is the same on both sides.
That way, if the car isn't real level, you can not worry about it!

[David Head]

OK! So if I move the inner end one spline and the outer end one spline in the opposite direction, that equals 50 minutes or .83 degree. If I move them two splines each way that is 1 degree 20 minutes ( or just over 1 1/2 degrees)

That's easy enough. BUT!!!!

What if you move the inner 1 spline and the outer 2 or 3 splines???

[MURZ]

OK! So if I move the inner end one spline and the outer end one spline in the opposite direction, that equals 50 minutes or .83 degree. If I move them two splines each way that is 1 degree 20 minutes ( or just over 1 1/2 degrees)

That's easy enough. BUT!!!!

What if you move the inner 1 spline and the outer 2 or 3 splines???

Doesn't matter as long as that angle on the 3.99 harbor freight angle finder says both sides are the same. Torsion bar position is irrelative...just the final swingplate angle.. For your maroon buggy shoot for 20 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees.....with the tunnel level.

[David Head]

Thanks for all the help guys. That's why the site is so cool.

[David Head]

OK, I adjusted the rear torsion this weekend. It was not that bad
I just needed to raise the rearend just a little. So for me that was turning the inner splines 5 clicks and the outer splines 5 clicks in the oppiste direction. This equated to a little over an inch in height.
Like the book says---It will take all day the first time, But after doing it a couple of times, You can do it in a couple of hours. It was not really that hard.

Thanks for all the help.