Torsion Bar Colour And Bands

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Hi,

 

Just had my torsion bars powder coated almost completeing all the parts needed to rebuild the rear suspension, They're a darkish red which I think is about right, however I know that there were bands of yellow paint on them to signify which side they went on, it was completely eroded off on mine but does anyone know the correct marking for them and which side the particular markings are associated with?

cheers in advance

[Anthony 1,002]

One yellow bar = drivers side TB

Two yellow bars = passenger side TB

[davey sprocket 14]

So how do you tell which one's which when the markings have gone?

[Anthony 1,002]

So how do you tell which one's which when the markings have gone?

If there's absolutely no trace of the markings, then the answer is with difficulty.

 

You can usually get a reasonable (but non-conclusive) idea looking at the larger splined end, as typically the drivers side will be the rustier of the two, and the passenger side will normally have considerably less corrosion/grime on the first inch of so of the torsion bar where it's hidden from the elements inside the hole in the trailing arm.

 

However, I'm don't think that I've ever seen a pair of bars where there is absolutely no markings left whatsoever - normally they're under the grime/corrosion somewhere and will be revealed with a good going over with a wire brush/wheel.

 

If worse comes to it, I'm not personally particularly convinced that it makes a huge amount of odds if you get them around the "wrong" way, with the passenger arm having a drivers torsion bar and vice-versa. Certainly I've seen beams that have been built like this and they've not seemingly been different in any way to one built correctly.

[davey sprocket 14]

Thanks Anthony.

[dch1950 37 1 Cars]

Hi all,

I raised this question myself when I was refurbishing a beam to fit to my 1.6. I noticed that in the end of the bar which takes the double threaded "wotsit" there was a set of small nicks across the face of the thread hole itself. There were 2 on one bar and 3 on the other. Only having one set (and nothing to compare it with) I wasn't able to verify this as a valid ID marking for which side was which. I did take my old beam apart this summer and had a look at the bar ends (the paint rings being intact) and also the bars were in still in the arms. I found the same sets of nicks in the ends of the bars.

these were as follows:

 

I also made the point that when the bars are manufactured they don't have any paint markings on them so there has to be a way to identify which one is which. A set of marking/nicks is a convenient way of doing this. This method also reflected in the marking on the ARB end plates (to tell which side is which) and is the same 2 or 3 nicks cut in to the end of the inner section face. Having confirmed this for myself I now feel that it is a reasonable propostion that this is factory convention for identifying which bar is which. Where a bar has had 3 barrels of the proverbial knocked out of it to get it out of the arm(s) then sometimes such markings, which are quite fine in detail, may be lost to sight.

This pre-supposes that the bars are handed of course. But that's another thread I think.

regards

Dave

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Thanks Dave, that is an awesome reply and peice of info. Going to check mine later. Finally, is there any rule to the positioning of the bands? Ie how close to which ends?

[dch1950 37 1 Cars]

Thanks Dave, that is an awesome reply and peice of info. Going to check mine later. Finally, is there any rule to the positioning of the bands? Ie how close to which ends?

It may well be pooh-poohed by the main beam refurbishers I suppose., as 2 incidences of these markings on bars doesn't make for a rule. I , however, can see that something this simple and verifiable with the bar in place (you only have to take the end cap off to have a look) could be a probable solution to identifying a LH/RH bar.

On the matter of the ID paint rings - I don't know really. I think it just depends if you want them to be easily visible.

I would be interested to know how yours check out though.

regards

Dave

[rallysteve 22]

The bars I have out of my beam at the minute agree with the above

 

2 Stipes = 2 lines on smaller splined end

 

1 Stripe = 3 lines on the smaller splined end

 

Steve

[jord294 89]

i'm afraid not all bars are easy to identify

 

this is why, when i strip and rebuild a beam, i stamp either 1 or 2 into the end of the torsion bars

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

i'm afraid not all bars are easy to identify

 

this is why, when i strip and rebuild a beam, i stamp either 1 or 2 into the end of the torsion bars

 

Don't suppose anyone has a picture of the markings to hand? I'd just like to get them looking something like!

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

The good news is that this holds true for mine! In fact every end is marked bar one as follows:

 

End of bar into passenger side trailing arm - 2 notches, other end of bar no notches.

End of bar into drivers side trailing arm - 3 notches, other end 1 notch.

 

a nice neat solution to marking, not really sure why they bother with paint as the notches seem to have outlasted the paint on mine by a mile. Still for completeness sake i'm going to mark them up in paint as well. I'll hopefully update my project thread later or tomorrow as I now have all my lovely bits back either powder coated or plated.

Edited December 16, 2010 by mhyphenl

[davey sprocket 14]

Nice one DCH1950!