Re: {Chrysler 300} Torsion Bars

[John Grady <jkg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There were corrosion rings formed where the bar goes into the rear anchor when the design was first released in 57; by 60 they knew and put rubber boots there. Pack that hole around bar with very heavy chassis grease and add or fab a rubber flap or boot .....water in between the bar and socket is the cause abetted by salt. Like any very hard , spring tempered steel,a scratch on the surface causes a stress riser into spring; it will break there in not many cycles ,like a notch on a paperclip.  .Note how careful they were in design, smooth gradual taper to hex to spread out torsional stress, but defeated by an unexpected corrosion ring making a notch. . For non engineers it often comes as a surprise that even coil springs are getting their "spring" from twisting the wire in the coil, just like a bar. . It surprised me even as an engineer, but obvious--- if you think about it 

I was riding in a 57 Plymouth going around a rotary about 61 (a mass institution in the old days, (silver toyotas still can't navigate them);  also up on two wheels , Budweiser involved, bar broke and we hit guard rail. So yeah they break----car drops way down onto  rubber bumper. Sudden low rider. 

Hey AMC used to have "normal"  front suspension fail all the time like that, by side of road with wheel way up in fender, but at least with torsion bar wheel stayed ~straight, not tilt out ;  older small Honda did this too, 

JG

On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 12:19 PM D.C. Mason <petergriffinforpresident@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

How was it that the General Lee was able to make all those jumps and not break a torsion bar?

Seriously though, seems an odd phenomenon that they would break while sitting and not while driving.  Let’s hope none of ours ever breaks while driving… 🙀

V/r

dave

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 18, 2022, at 12:14 PM, Nick Taylor <nicksgaragesd@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:



Since I live in Southern California I don't have to deal with corrosion that much. I did have a '71 Charger from Michigan that had rusted out driver floorboard. The I had to rest my heel on the torsion bar through the carpet to drive it.

On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 9:05 AM John W Sager <cleanthegarageout2@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding the early T Bar cars had a material and/or heat treat problem. I think my '63 was a fluke. 

They seemed to break while sitting. 

It wasn't a corrosion issue, but the A Body cars often tore the rear T Bar anchor out due to corrosion. I had a '71 Dart "winter car" do that to me. Jacked it up and stuffed a short hunk of 2x4 between the lower control arm and the body so I could get to work that day. 

John

On Friday, February 18, 2022, 11:50:42 AM EST, Nick Taylor <nicksgaragesd@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Is it just certain years with weak torsion bars or is it a corrosion problem? I've had a lot of mopars over the decades and even worked in a mopar wrecking yard in the 1980s and I've never seen a broken torsion bar in a car. 

On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 8:08 AM 'Val Jeffers' via Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

My Father was a Factory Service Representative for Chrysler and he told me stories of torsion bars breaking in the showroom.

                           Val 

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 18, 2022, at 9:35 AM, 'John W Sager' via Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



My Dad's '57 Windsor did that when it was only a few years old. First one side and then the other a year or so later. The broken torsion bars were around and used as pry bars for many years. 

The funniest was a '63 Dodge 330 I had. It was a little rough around the edges, but a decent car. My oldest son was about 7 years old at the  time. I was standing in the garage and he had just walked up the driveway to check the mail. I was talking to him as he was walking back and when he got along side of the Dodge, the right torsion bar snapped and the car lurched and fell. He jumped when it happened.... Looked at me... Looked at the car... Looked back at me and said "I didn't do it!". 

John

On Friday, February 18, 2022, 08:06:00 AM EST, Ronald Klinczar <rjklinczar@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I do know that many people woke up in the morning and found their car on the floor when their torsion bar failed.

On Thu, Feb 17, 2022, 7:37 PM 'Terry Mctaggart' via Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Does anyone know why Chrysler abandoned the seemingly successful torsion bar front suspension?  Terry McTaggart

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