Are torsion bars handed?

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

Seems left and right are same length, diameter and spline patterns but different part numbers.

Are they made in a way to provide spring in a certain direction?

What would happen if you mix them up as it seems most people just buy and sell them without regard to side.

[Leslie green 97]

They are handed although otherwise identical , if they have been twisted one was all their life and then get twisted the other they may in theory be a bit more prone so failure .I'm sure however there are loads of cars with them fitted the opposite way doing just fine.

There are notches in the end ,mine had punch marks ,one side had 3 the other 2 but I was told these were not factory marks .

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

I should state, i have read several old threads on this but nobody came up with a definitive answer.

Lots of googling seems to come back to the bars are the same when made but marked for future swapping as they become pre stressed over time.

 

Edit, Didn't see Leslie reply as I was typing but seems to say the same.

Edited May 23 by Richie-Van-GTi

[jord294 89]

Torsion bars are handed because of the direction they have been twisted. 

 

I always mark up on removal. Especially 306 and 309. As 205 bars seem to be marked on d/e stud end with either 3 or 2 divets. 

 

2 divets is nearside, and 3 divets offside

[chris 417 mi 33 2 Cars]

21 minutes ago, jord294 said:

Torsion bars are handed because of the direction they have been twisted. 

 

I always mark up on removal. Especially 306 and 309. As 205 bars seem to be marked on d/e stud end with either 3 or 2 divets. 

 

2 divets is nearside, and 3 divets offside

This is handy to know as I bought a beam 3 years ago in bits and am literally reassembling it in the next 1-2 weeks with no idea which way the bars were set. Hope the divers are still visible on mine 

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

4 hours ago, jord294 said:

Torsion bars are handed because of the direction they have been twisted. 

 

I always mark up on removal. Especially 306 and 309. As 205 bars seem to be marked on d/e stud end with either 3 or 2 divets. 

 

2 divets is nearside, and 3 divets offside

But is this twisted through use as nobody seems to be able to confirm if they are pre twisted as new?

[jord294 89]

Twisted from new. 

[SRDT 169]

7 hours ago, Richie-Van-GTi said:

Lots of googling seems to come back to the bars are the same when made but marked for future swapping as they become pre stressed over time.

If it was so Peugeot would likely supply unmarked bars with only one part number and advise you to use paint or whatever method to differentiate them yourself.

[petert 577]

18 hours ago, jord294 said:

2 divets is nearside, and 3 divets offside

The same for LHD cars?

[jord294 89]

51 minutes ago, petert said:

The same for LHD cars?

I imagine so

[petert 577]

3 minutes ago, jord294 said:

I imagine so

But wouldn't it then be 2 for offside and 3 for nearside?

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

I always remember it as the bar with 2 notches goes towards the rear of the car. I'd imagine it would be the same for LHD cars, even though NS and OS swap around.

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

I e got some new 22mm bars on order from a berlingo to go into a 309 beam. Might try and make a test jig at work and see if they have different spring rates when twisting in different directions on the same bar. In theory if they are pre twisted there should be a difference?

[petert 577]

If there is any difference, it means the bar has exceeded the elastic limit of the material.

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

3 hours ago, petert said:

If there is any difference, it means the bar has exceeded the elastic limit of the material.

I would have thought if the metal is behaving differently in one direction then it should be measurable. If its not then surely it cant be handed?

Anti roll bars are basically torsion bars and they work equally both ways.

 

[PhilNW 43]

Pug1off supply them handed as explained below

 

https://www.peugeot-tuning-parts.co.uk/peugeot-205-en24t-torsion-bars