Torsion bars

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Joel Chapman

Joel Chapman

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Mountain Home, ID/ Hughson, CA
Looking to replace my torsion bars on my 71 dart with a 360. What brand do you guys have good experiences with? Was looking into the PST bars…any one have the some good bad or ugly comments about them?
 
Our 1.03" have a 20 degree clocking so they will install like factory and will be able to attain factory ride height or a lowered stance with no ill affects. These bars are firm but not harsh by any means. They will provide you with a modern ride and feel. Also as a member of the forum you are eligible for the members discount. We also have torsion bar adjusters, boots, clips and pivot shaft if needed.

Thanks
James From
PST
 
Joel Chapman said:
Looking to replace my torsion bars on my 71 dart with a 360. What brand do you guys have good experiences with? Was looking into the PST bars…any one have the some good bad or ugly comments about them?
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1973 Swinger, 318 a/c car. I did the PST 1.03” bars couple years back and highly recommend them. I still have comfortable ride but partnered with all the other updgrades/improvements, it handles in no way like it was ever intended to now. I daily it when weather allows and have done several lengthy trips with it and it’s great. I chose to loosen the adjusters for lowered ride height while still maintaining spring rate. Hope this helps.

Also, the customer service I had from PST was great. They offer us a discount here at FABO, ship quickly, and help with technical stuff when we run into issues and questions.
 
I installed pst 1.03” when I put the 440 in my cuda. Handles better than it ever did… was a small block car with factory bars
 
PST said:
Our 1.03" have a 20 degree clocking so they will install like factory and will be able to attain factory ride height or a lowered stance with no ill affects. These bars are firm but not harsh by any means. They will provide you with a modern ride and feel. Also as a member of the forum you are eligible for the members discount. We also have torsion bar adjusters, boots, clips and pivot shaft if needed.

Thanks
James From
PST
Click to expand...
How do I get the discount to apply?
 
What shocks are you guys running with these bars? I have RCD Bilsteins with mine, and now that I installed sway bar, it's noticeably stiffer.
 
72Duster440 said:
What shocks are you guys running with these bars? I have RCD Bilsteins with mine, and now that I installed sway bar, it's noticeably stiffer.
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I have the RCD’s as well. Yes, with the 1.03’s and the Helwig sways, it has a firm ride. I love it.
 
72Duster440 said:
What shocks are you guys running with these bars? I have RCD Bilsteins with mine, and now that I installed sway bar, it's noticeably stiffer.
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So just adding a sway bar shouldn't really make the suspension stiffer all the time. It should primarily effect roll stiffness while cornering, and should basically have no effect at all if both the wheels are moving up and down at the same time. So, if adding the sway bar has made the car stiffer all the time you might want to check and make sure you're not getting some kind of binding with the motion of the sway bar.

I have larger 1.12" torsion bars on my Duster and have used the RCD Bilsteins and currently run Hotchkis Fox shocks in it (non adjustable version). The RCD's worked well, the Fox's do a bit better handling the 1.12's. That said, I think the smaller bars work great with the RCD's. I also ran RCD's on my Challenger with 1.12" bars, with the E-bodies the bars are longer so the wheel rate is lower (270 vs 300 lb/in). The RCD's were great on that car. The ride is more similar to a modern performance based car than the floaty, undersprung nonsense that was normal for these cars from the factory.
 
go 1" minimum.. good shocks too like a Bilstein. PST is a good choice. you can also call pete over at Bergman autocraft. think he recommends a little larger bar but either will work well. he is also a site sponsor.
 
72bluNblu said:
So just adding a sway bar shouldn't really make the suspension stiffer all the time. It should primarily effect roll stiffness while cornering, and should basically have no effect at all if both the wheels are moving up and down at the same time. So, if adding the sway bar has made the car stiffer all the time you might want to check and make sure you're not getting some kind of binding with the motion of the sway bar.

I have larger 1.12" torsion bars on my Duster and have used the RCD Bilsteins and currently run Hotchkis Fox shocks in it (non adjustable version). The RCD's worked well, the Fox's do a bit better handling the 1.12's. That said, I think the smaller bars work great with the RCD's. I also ran RCD's on my Challenger with 1.12" bars, with the E-bodies the bars are longer so the wheel rate is lower (270 vs 300 lb/in). The RCD's were great on that car. The ride is more similar to a modern performance based car than the floaty, undersprung nonsense that was normal for these cars from the factory.
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I wouldn't say it's stiffer all the time, but our roads are so horrible here that it's like driving through a mogul course. I was thinking that since the wheels were all trying to move independantly of each other, it was causing more of the pot hole shock to be transmitted through the chassis. The dirt roads we have in the area are actually a good bit smoother to drive on than the paved ones. Both wheels very rarely move up and down together with all the potholes. Lol
 
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PST said:
Our 1.03" have a 20 degree clocking so they will install like factory and will be able to attain factory ride height or a lowered stance with no ill affects. These bars are firm but not harsh by any means. They will provide you with a modern ride and feel. Also as a member of the forum you are eligible for the members discount. We also have torsion bar adjusters, boots, clips and pivot shaft if needed.

Thanks
James From
PST
Click to expand...
So what do the 103 bars cost for an A body
 
Just the bars are $259 but with the FABO discount they are $233.10. But we do have adjusters, boots and clips as well.

Thanks
James From
PST
 
PST said:
Our 1.03" have a 20 degree clocking so they will install like factory and will be able to attain factory ride height or a lowered stance with no ill affects. These bars are firm but not harsh by any means. They will provide you with a modern ride and feel. Also as a member of the forum you are eligible for the members discount. We also have torsion bar adjusters, boots, clips and pivot shaft if needed.

Thanks
James From
PST
Click to expand...
I have these, along with other PST goodies. Very happy with the 1.03 bars!
 
PST 1.03 is my suggestion. I have them and love the way the car rides and sits.

20220627_002446.jpg
 
Joel Chapman said:
Looking to replace my torsion bars on my 71 dart with a 360. What brand do you guys have good experiences with? Was looking into the PST bars…any one have the some good bad or ugly comments about them?
Click to expand...
Look into PAC.
Years ago a friend got a Tornado 455. They cut the frame just rearward of the torsion bar cross member. Once they got it stuffed under a Corvair, the crossmember stuck out past the bumper. I steered them to Valiant or Demon torsion bars. He found a manufacturer that recommended road race bars. The hex ends were smaller than the Toronado, so they shimmed them. I have no idea who that manufacturer was. That was over 45 years ago. That Corvair went like stink in a hurricane though.
 
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