HD Torsion Bars: Independent4x.com

[RabidPony]

Think of it as putting a higher rate spring in a sports car. It takes more weight or impact to compress the spring than a standard spring, there by increasing vehicle control by reducing roll, dive, and bounce. When we crank our torsion bars, we are taking them out of their normal range and they don't react the same as at stock ride height due in part to the new higher center of gravity creating a sensation of being undersprung. The HD torsion bars counteract this by making it harder to compress, or bend in the case of torsion bars, the springs when hitting a bump or making a turn. Putting HD torsion bars and equally stiff rear springs on a non lifted, stock VX would cause a very stiff and uncomfortable ride.

I could elaborate further, but that's the gist of it.

[Buffy]

Update: I've been adjusting and tuning my new torsion bars over the past couple days and am very happy with the end result. You have to keep cranking on them to get the spring out of the front end. I am not sure I would intall them if you haven't lifter your truck. I have OME 919 springs on the back which gives me a wheel opening measurement (with 33s) of 38 1/2 inches. With the bars ajusted up front I measure an even 38". I am getting excited to see how it will perform for the next race, looks like there is goint to be a LOT of air time in this one.

[SilverBullet75]

Installed mine this morning in about 1.5 hours! Cleaning the stock parts was the biggest time taker. Easy job...
So far I love them... Only have about 1 mile of use on them though.

Buffy, I have the exact setup you have, lift-wise and height measurement-wise. I see now what you mean about needing to take out the springiness.
How did you do so? Are you talking about re-indexing?

[Marlin]

The HD torsion bars counteract this by making it harder to compress, or bend in the case of torsion bars,

FWIW, the torsion bars don't bend, they twist. The spring rate comes from the actual twisting of the steel. That is why when we reindex them, we change how much "pretwist" we put on them, which if you are still stock, when you adjust the ride height by cranking the bolts, you are actually just twisting them a bit more, and that torsion is transferred to the front suspension and tries to push the tire down, in effect lifting the front end up Hence the loss of downtravel in the front suspension. We use that potential down travel to lift the front end higher.

What I really want are new rear lower links so I can get rid of my forward rake on the rear axle

[RabidPony]

FWIW, the torsion bars don't bend, they twist. The spring rate comes from the actual twisting of the steel. That is why when we reindex them, we change how much "pretwist" we put on them, which if you are still stock, when you adjust the ride height by cranking the bolts, you are actually just twisting them a bit more, and that torsion is transferred to the front suspension and tries to push the tire down, in effect lifting the front end up Hence the loss of downtravel in the front suspension. We use that potential down travel to lift the front end higher.

What I really want are new rear lower links so I can get rid of my forward rake on the rear axle

Thanks for correcting that. Not sure what I was thinking when I typed it.

[SilverBullet75]

More updates:
I ended up lowering the front by an inch... WORLD of difference.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE RIDE OF THE HD TORSION BARS.

I went over a bunch of speed bumps today at maybe 8 mph... fump fump.
Not: BanG! Slam!

Lowering meant a little more cladding "adjustments"... but no biggie (33 in. tires)

My CV shaft angles are now horizontal, with the help of Joe Darlinton's 2 inch diff drops, and the 1 in. lowering.

It now has 38.5 rear height, and 37.5 front. (Ground to top of fender/wheel arch)

[BigSwede]

Stiffer torsion bars will help control the momentum of larger heavier tires on bumps and such.

I just received a set for my Trooper, in part to help carry the weight of the winch I'm about to install.

[SilverBullet75]

Just did my first freeway drive with the new torsion bars...

OMG... they are incredible. Every issue I had since I lifted is now fixed.
No more bump steer, very little nose-dive on braking, BETTER braking, floats over bumps instead of slamming, and it feels like a solid TRUCK now.
I've considered going back to stock height due to the previous ride-experience issues.... NOT ANY MORE!

Some may say that $500 is a lot to spend for these... I say, if you are lifted, this is THE best investment you can make for the comfort and control of your VX.

BigSwede and Buffy,
Please post your post-install experiences as well!
I'd love to hear your thoughts.

---JIM---

[Buffy]

I will report back next week on how the bars did. I have my next race this Saturday at Durhamtown Offroad park in Union Point, GA. This will be a very fast track from what I hear as part of the course is a trophy truck track with lots of jumps, steep descents, climbs, etc. Being this is just my second race I am shooting to finish before time expires and not break the truck. I now have a full roll cage installed, nothing like a little metal courage!!