strut or torsion bar broken? which one?

[onlycafe]

i backed up my '79 sc targa , until i heard a bad noise. got out and saw the drivers side fender resting on the tire, gouged up slightly on the outer edge, fender lip turned partly inside out. can anybody please tell me how to determine what has broken? thanks in advance for any replies.

[the]

unless something very, very strange has happened to your strut, which would be readily visible by inspection, it is a broken torsion bar.

The torsion bar is the spring which holds your car up.

Get it up on jackstands, and see if your torsion bar end adjuster is loose. If you can wriggle it around and it has a lot of play, your bar is busted. To confirm, take out the adjusting screw and pull out the end cap and torsion bar.

[aigel]

Torsion bar. It may not be the bar that gave up rather than the respective parts that hold on to it. Time to jack it up and inspect. It's definitely not the strut, unless the wheel hub fell off.

G

[scottbooth]

Hi onlycafe,

I agree with all of the above suggestions, but I'm surprised that your fender got screwed up. Are you running wider wheels/tires? (Not to say that's a bad idea...)

I did a track day last summer with my 78 SC when it had a broken right front torsion bar. (It may have broken on the track). The car didn't seem to be handling well, but I am new to track driving, so I just assumed it had to do with my own sucking. The tire was definitely not rubbing on the fender, though, otherwise I would have stopped.

I just figured I was having a bad day, and only suspected the bar when someone in the paddock asked why my car was sitting so funny. But I still finished out the day, figuring I had paid for the time, so why not. On the way home I noticed the car pulling hard to the right, and then I got the bar fixed for the next event.

I suppose this says a lot about my lack of ability as a driver, but I think it's kind of a funny story. And interesting that your situation seems much more noticeable.

In any case, unless the mounts have ripped out due to rust, it is a very straightforward replacement. And not that unusual a failure for cars this old.

I was lucky because my local shop had a leftover t-bar from another 78 that someone had upgraded recently. Lucky because I am currently updating my entire suspension, and going to bigger bars, but as of last summer I just needed the car fixed so I could make my planned DE schedule. I was able to get the used, but non-broken, bar installed for $50 to get me through.

I would be glad to pay that forward if you are running stock bars. If you want to risk another bar from a 78, I have two sitting in a box in the garage that I don't need, you can have them for shipping cost. Or just one. They look fine, just old. I can send pics if you want. PM me if you are interested.

FWIW...

Scott