How does this torsion bar look to you?

[jazzbass]

This is one of my front torsion bars - stock 18.8mm. The paint in the rear or the bar has rubbed off about 3in from the splines all the way around and there is surface rust with a little pitting. There is also a flat spot worn where is was resting on the tube (red arrow). This bar is the worst, the other has the flat spot , but more paint (less rust).

What do you guys think? Wire brush, paint, and stick it back in? Has the magic smoke been released from the t-bar forcing me to buy a new set? TIA.

BTW - its incredibly hard to resist the urge to upgrade these. Advice from the local track junkies is to run stock for a year or so until I know more of what I want for the occasional DE I plan on doing. Advice from my wife has been to find a good lawyer if I spend another $1000 on my car (in for about $2000 in that past 3 weeks).

[ischmitz]

Shot front bushings in the A-arms make the torsion bars rub against the tube of the A-arm.

I would certainly think of replacing the bushings for the A-arms first and then contemplate an upgrade to something like 21mm fronts and 26mm rears.

If you want to stay stock there are probably tons of stock torsion bars sitting in garages all over the country. You should be able to get a cherry set for next to nothing.

Ingo

[masraum]

Yep, I bet you could get stock replacements from someone here on this board for the cost of shipping.

[aigel]

At least sand the surface to a very smoth finish, get rid of the 'nick', to make sure that there are not stress risers and paint it before you put it back.

I would replace it with a mild upgrade (street). 20 or 21.

George

[jazzbass]

Yeah, the bushings are shot, which is actually the reason why I pulled the t-bars in the first place. Here are my bushings:



I'm replacing the ball joints, tie rods and bushings. Was hoping to get another year out of the t-bars/shocks, but I'm not so sure now.

[Randy Webb]

Just do it once & do it now.

[Schrup]

Originally posted by jazzbass
Advice from my wife has been to find a good lawyer if I spend another $1000 on my car (in for about $2000 in that past 3 weeks).

I would heed the advise of your wife & find a different address to have your new parts shipped.

[Pat S]

Might be an illusion but it looks bent too.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Personally, I would not reuse those torsion bars.

I would either install a perfect set of used ones or a pair of Sander Engineering tubular ones in the size of choice and use the opportunity to upgrade the rears, as well.

[Jim Richards]

Chris, Steve Weiner is a great source for the Sander t-bars, too. That's what's in the 73E (21mm). Oh yeah, Marc can help you out with the marriage thing.

[89911]

I've got a few sets of stock ones off a late model (18.8) if your interested.

[JP911]

Speaking from recent personal experience: upgrade now while you're in there. It's nice to not have to have the car aligned and corner balanced twice.

[Mike Kast]

Are you taking out the rear torsion's too? I don't think you can upgrade the front torsion's without upgrading the rears. What type of A-arm bushings are you getting? Sway bar bushings? You have to strip and repaint the sway bar while you've got them out Are you lowering while your at it? Bump steer kit? Alignment and corner balance? You better sell your wife. You need more money.
This could take a while...

[Mike Kast]

Oh yea... back to your question. I'm a bit of a gambling man so take it with a grain of salt. I think if you sand and paint those torsion bars you would be fine. It is very rare for them to break and I bet the majority of the torsion bars in the 911's running around have never seen daylight and are in the same condition as yours or worse and will never break.
That is certainly not based on any scientific data and you can get someone else's used ones for 25 or 50 bucks.
I have a question though. It would be unwise to reorient the bars wouldn't it? Like switch them around so that the are twisting opposite from the way they have been twisted for the last 10 or 20 years?
If this is true or even makes any sense. Put them back the way they came out and don't mix up the right and left.

[jazzbass]

Originally posted by Mike Kast
Are you taking out the rear torsion's too? I don't think you can upgrade the front torsion's without upgrading the rears. What type of A-arm bushings are you getting? Sway bar bushings? You have to strip and repaint the sway bar while you've got them out Are you lowering while your at it? Bump steer kit? Alignment and corner balance? You better sell your wife. You need more money.
This could take a while...

Yes. These. New OEM rubber. Of course - all suspension parts will be detailed as per Pelican BBS bylaws. Yes, to Euro spec. Yes. Yes and not yet.

[marcesq]

Chris:

The bars are stamped with a "R" and a "L" for obvious reasons.

I run 21/28 and would do 22/29 in a heatbeat. Your car is heavier than mine so 22/29 would be IMHO ideal.

I wouldn't upgrade the front without doing the rear as well. Front's are easy to do if you want to wait to do both later.

Don't worry about that DE stuff about not upgrading "until you learn the car" torsion bar upgrade in this range will only help the learning experience.

[dickster]

chris,

yeah, i guessed they were fronts - what others said - i would bin them.

i went with 22/31's in my 86 and i'm very happy with them.

[Chuck Moreland]

Toss 'em. If you want to stay stock, take-offs in good shape are cheap and plentiful.

Or upgrade if you like.

[Mike Kast]

where are they stamped left and right?

[Pat S]

On the flat part of the very end (one end only)