Torsion Bar Install
It's totally normal to have to disconnect everything and allow the LCA to swing all the way down to install the torsion bar. In fact, that is the procedure outlined in the factory manual.
It is of course possible something is out of alignment if you did some welding on the LCA pivot tube in the K frame, but so far I don't see a reason to suspect that's an issue.
Why did you pull the torsion bar? It's not uncommon for the torsion bar adjuster settings to be different from one side to the other. That difference should be slight, but honestly its probably more unusual for the torsion bar adjuster settings to be identical than it is for them to be a little different. You're talking about a 46 year old uni-body after all. And you probably don't have all the loads in the car perfectly balanced either. Also, if your torsion bars weren't new, it's totally possible they haven't aged identically. A little more sag on one side than other can create the difference in ride height or the need for a different adjustment side to side to get the car level.
As for the shopping car feeling, that's most likely because the alignment was done using factory specifications. If you have radial tires and factory alignment specs, well, the car will feel like that because the alignment is wrong. You need more positive caster for radial tires. The alignment needs to be done anyway if you've changed the ride height, as that will also change the alignment. You should base your new alignment on the SKOSH chart.
It's totally normal to have to disconnect everything and allow the LCA to swing all the way down to install the torsion bar. In fact, that is the procedure outlined in the factory manual.
It is of course possible something is out of alignment if you did some welding on the LCA pivot tube in the K frame, but so far I don't see a reason to suspect that's an issue.
Why did you pull the torsion bar? It's not uncommon for the torsion bar adjuster settings to be different from one side to the other. That difference should be slight, but honestly its probably more unusual for the torsion bar adjuster settings to be identical than it is for them to be a little different. You're talking about a 46 year old uni-body after all. And you probably don't have all the loads in the car perfectly balanced either. Also, if your torsion bars weren't new, it's totally possible they haven't aged identically. A little more sag on one side than other can create the difference in ride height or the need for a different adjustment side to side to get the car level.
As for the shopping car feeling, that's most likely because the alignment was done using factory specifications. If you have radial tires and factory alignment specs, well, the car will feel like that because the alignment is wrong. You need more positive caster for radial tires. The alignment needs to be done anyway if you've changed the ride height, as that will also change the alignment. You should base your new alignment on the SKOSH chart.