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I worked at Chrysler Central Engineering from 1959 to 1961 when the
"Torsion-Aire" suspension was just two years on the market. The stated
reasons for going to a torsion bar spring were two-fold as I recall:
1. Packaging - lower front profile for the 1957 cars. It was
easier to package a long bar parallel to the frame than try to tuck a coil
spring between the upper and lower control arms.
2. Adjustable suspension height to avoid matching front coil springs at the
plant.
Along with the torsion bar spring a new suspension geometry was introduced
to improve handling and control front end "dive" when braking. This had
nothing to do with the choice of spring configuration but it may have been
easier to design in the desired geometry without a coil spring to restrict
packaging.
As I recall the torsion bar spring rate was higher than the coil
spring. This stiffer ride improved handling. To compensate for
the stiffer ride a new 14" tire was introduced. This provided the "Aire"
component of the "Torsion-Aire" ride. (more than likely invented in
the marketing department). The new suspension was a good one and probably
the most advanced of its time. It represented probably the best
ride/handling compromise of its time but this was due mostly to the geometry
and tire selection and probably had little to do with the spring
configuration.
I'm not sure but as I recall the suspension design looked a lot like the
Citrone at the time. As for the torsion bars influence on ride and
handling it really didn't. The conventional wisdom at Chrysler was:
whether you take a piece of spring steel and stretch it into a rod or coil it
into a spring it is still a spring and like all springs must obey
Hookes law.
This is my 2 cents worth on the Torsion-Air ride of the 50's at
Chrysler. My memory of events nearly 50 years ago is not perfect but this
is my recollection.
When I worked in Chassis research a rear torsion bar car was prototyped (a
1959 Plylmouth) and development work continued for 2 to three years but it never
made it to production. The comments were: "the leaf spring, with its multi
functions, is just darn hard to replace.
Rolland
Westra
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