In the first year of the "Torsion Aire Ride," 1956, there were many broken
torsion bars, usually during the winter months. . This problem was caused by
the interaction of the hexagonal end of the bar at its rear anchorage within
the hex socket, when the two parts were brought together within the small
tolerance of the fit. The problem was solved with the addition of a rubber
boot type device, fitted onto the anchorage end of the bar prior to final
assembly, it was packed with a grease-like substance that was just enough to
maintain the necessary clearance. In those that broke, it became apparant
that corrosion began within that unprotected socket - often over time, and
in a climate where salt contributed to the corrosion. The fix worked and the
problem was solved....Bob HarrisSent: Friday, February 08, 2002 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: IML: breaking torsion bars
> Well, I sure stand corrected. I had never heard of a torsion bar
> breaking. I guess it makes sense though. Any spring can break so why
> not? I am kind of curious about the circumstances under which the folks
> out there have seen them break. One posting references cars sitting
> still for a long time. Does anybody else have a story to illustrate why
> the ones that broke did so? I've personally never played with anything
> older than a 64 so if its just the 50-somethings that break maybe that's
> why I'm ignorant on this one.
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