Torsion Bar

[driversdomainuk 8]

Hi

 

Any views about which is the best torsion bar size (mm) for hill climbing..?

 

Looking to change them shortly - the car is road legal.

 

Can you go up to 24mm..?

 

Thanks,

Edited May 24, 2006 by driversdomainuk

[SimonJ 2]

I have 23mm bars (24mm ARB) and that's plenty stiff enough, maybe even too stiff in the wet. My fronts are 225lb so you could argue that I should up those to, say, 275lb to balance things, but I can't see the advantage of 24mm, unless they happen to be really cheap. Or maybe if your ARB is standard?

[driversdomainuk 8]

I have 23mm bars (24mm ARB) and that's plenty stiff enough, maybe even too stiff in the wet. My fronts are 225lb so you could argue that I should up those to, say, 275lb to balance things, but I can't see the advantage of 24mm, unless they happen to be really cheap. Or maybe if your ARB is standard?

 

 

Hi Mate,

 

The ARB is standard. However, like most of the things on the car it will be changed soon!

[Wurzel 16]

If you're doing it in stages, I'd be inclined to change the arb first. For starters it's easiest and makes the most noticeable difference.

It depends on how thick you want to go Torsion Bar wise eventually though as too thick an ARB on standard (19-20mm) torsion bars can affect the straight line ride stability.

 

I've got 23 TB's and 25 arb which, on standard goodyear tyres, seem to handle pretty well on a very wet twisty hill climb on public North Yorkshire roads Like everything though, there will be a comprimise.

[driversdomainuk 8]

If you're doing it in stages, I'd be inclined to change the arb first. For starters it's easiest and makes the most noticeable difference.

It depends on how thick you want to go Torsion Bar wise eventually though as too thick an ARB on standard (19-20mm) torsion bars can affect the straight line ride stability.

 

I've got 23 TB's and 25 arb which, on standard goodyear tyres, seem to handle pretty well on a very wet twisty hill climb on public North Yorkshire roads Like everything though, there will be a comprimise.

 

 

Hi - I thought the torsion bars will be easier to replace as they are located outside the tube, whilst the arb sits inside.

 

??

[Grim.Badger 15]

Hi - I thought the torsion bars will be easier to replace as they are located outside the tube, whilst the arb sits inside.

 

??

 

The torsion bars are harder to remove because they are on the outside, and hence rust solid into place. The ARB on the other hand is inside the beam and protected from the environment so as long as you can get the lever arms off the ARB should slide out fairly easily.

[driversdomainuk 8]

The torsion bars are harder to remove because they are on the outside, and hence rust solid into place. The ARB on the other hand is inside the beam and protected from the environment so as long as you can get the lever arms off the ARB should slide out fairly easily.

 

 

Could someone explain why a set of torsion bars cost £350+

 

Probably being totally ignorant , but £350 for a couple of metal rods appear to be taking the piss a bit?

[tom_m 0]

Could someone explain why a set of torsion bars cost £350+

 

Probably being totally ignorant , but £350 for a couple of metal rods appear to be taking the piss a bit?

 

they aren't just a couple of metal rods thats why! the material they are made out of is specialised for the use, and its properties make it quite hard to machine the splines etc on them. the materials and tooling all add up, they don't make too much profit on em iirc

[driversdomainuk 8]

they aren't just a couple of metal rods thats why! the material they are made out of is specialised for the use, and its properties make it quite hard to machine the splines etc on them. the materials and tooling all add up, they don't make too much profit on em iirc

 

 

Ok fair play. I might spend my £350 on a set of yoko full slicks as opposed to torsion bars - think those will help my times more!

 

Currently run Yoko AVS Sport

[veloce200 3]

Ok fair play. I might spend my £350 on a set of yoko full slicks as opposed to torsion bars - think those will help my times more!

 

Currently run Yoko AVS Sport

 

 

go for a set of the Gaz rear dampers with the selatex bumpstop - all the rear rate you need and in a progressive fashion. they are in the group buy - much cheaper than TB's

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

My brother has a set of 23mm torsion bars for sale and he is not too far from you in Stoke on Trent.

 

Visit www.yorkesport.co.uk for contact details and give him a bell.

[Rippthrough 98]

they aren't just a couple of metal rods thats why! the material they are made out of is specialised for the use, and its properties make it quite hard to machine the splines etc on them. the materials and tooling all add up, they don't make too much profit on em iirc

 

 

I've been thinking about alternatives to the bars, and was thinking, if you put a couple of stops on the beam tube, you could slide a normal type spring over it, and have outside end connected to the trailing arm, hey presto, cheap torsion bars...

 

Wonder how much that'd cost in materials to machine up some stops. The springs would have to be a really high rate, but plenty of places will custom spec springs cheaply.

 

Anyone that does a lot of work on beams know if there's room for the spring to fit (between the beam and the chassis)?

Edited May 26, 2006 by Rippthrough

[Wurzel 16]

I can't see how it would work at all to be honest. I can't even think where you'd put the stops!

[Rippthrough 98]

I can't see how it would work at all to be honest. I can't even think where you'd put the stops!

 

 

On the beam, similar to the way the ones for the torsion bar ends are mounted.

[Wurzel 16]

So the theory is to weld a stop on the trailing arm and on the cross tube and fit a spring between them? Have I got that right?

 

If I have, there's no room There has been a few cases of mounting a spring close to the where the bump stop flat is on the trailing arm which is then fitted vertically up into a fabricated turret. The shock also mounts here. Probably the best way of converting a beam.

 

Other than that, torsion bars it is. The cost is in the tooling to cut the splines (similar to gear cutters), then getting the correct spring grade steel, having it heat treated and shot peened. Peugeot don't make these any more. A few places tried to copy them but had problems with splines being not finished correctly etc. AB Motorsport are the main retailers now for the new bars being produced.

 

I've no idea what mark up the retailer puts over the supplier though.

[Guest smokinslim]

Could you butcher an old nova for some stops. Can't remember the exact size the springs were on the one i used to have but i don't think they were massive....