Of speed bumps & such

[dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

 To increase the tension on
> hard
> working, stressed elements of the suspension that are 45 years old
> seems
> like an unnecessary risk to me.
> 

Hugh and Philippe

Tightening the bolt does not really increase the tension on the torsion bars 
because the car's weight remains the same (as noted by another fellow).  
Breaking the possibly susty bolts is another matter though.  The only time when 
the torsion bar stress will increase momentarily is when you bottom the 
suspension, which will hopefully happen rarely.

However, having said that, raising the front without raising the rear will 
affect the pitch angle at which the car sits on the road (not sure if I am 
using the right term, but I hope you understand what I am saying).  This could 
affect cross wind behavior and stability and increase drag at high speed.

That's why I suggested stronger shocks.  As somebody else suggested, stronger 
shocks will not affect the ride height, which is good (sometimes gas shocks do 
though, just a bit).  They "stiffer" shocks however will absorb more energy  
when you encounter a "slow down building" without slowing down, and prevent the 
suspension from bottoming.  You could try larger tires as Hugh is suggesting 
(which will also help with speedo readings and lower rpm at cruising speeds) 
but it may be more expensive than a pair of gas shocks.
D^2