torsion bar splines are different on each side

[tiwebber]

I have my torsion bars out (23mm stock) of my car and was testing how easy they would go back into the torsion bar tube receptacle. The right side was snug but fit in pretty easily. It also came out pretty easily. The left side is tough. It fits in a couple of mm but to get it any further in I have to hammer it.

Out of curiosity I tried putting the right side torsion bar in the left side. It went in just fine. I then tried the left side bar in the right side. It was tough there too.

So, given that the right side t-bar fits nicely into both the left and right side and the left side t-bar is tough to fit in either side of the torsion bar tube receptacle I am inclined to think my left t-bar is
somewhat different in shape to the right.

I checked the splines on the left t-bar and they all look good and I have cleaned and greased and re-tried fitting many times. I am inclined to think that the left t-bar is slightly bigger than the right?
Has anyone else noticed this? I am also wondering if there is something I can do about it. I have though of trying to toss it into the freezer to get it to shrink a bit before re-fitting or maybe filing the splines down ever so slightly? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Zeke]

If you freeze it, won't you have a heck of a time removing it the next time? Or, think of the next owner, if that is ever to be. As cheap as a 23mm bar is why not get another? BTW, did you notice the R and L stamps on the bars? Sounds like you did. You have one of each, correct? I have seen 23's practically free on the parts BBS.

[tiwebber]

THanks Milt. I do have a stamped right and a left. Removing the left was not so hard that I would be afraid to freeze it to get it back in but while indexing, it think it will be frustrating to freeze for each adjustment. I am going to buy another 23mm left regardless of what solution I try in the interim.

What do you think about a bit of careful filing of the splines?