another torsion bar question

[kmhemi]

My 78 SC had been lowered by the previous owner. I have been fighting with the rear torsion bars trying to get it back in spec. I am now at 24 inches in the rear on both sides. How can I get it up another inch? I have read a ton of post on this but I would like to know for sure what to do. From what I have read to gain an inch I think I need to move the inner spline one tooth clockwise and the outer spline two teeth counter clockwise. Is this even close to what I need?
I do have adjustable spring plates but that will only get me about half an inch up or down if I am thinking right. I would just leave it at 24 inches but I am in WV and our roads are terrible so I really need that 25.
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[911st]

Check this out: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_torsion_bars/911_torsion_bars.htm

[burgermeister]

You need to somehow gain about 3 to 3.5 degrees of free spring plate angle.

Jack up the car, disconnect the spring plate from the banana arm (use a jack underneath!) and without removing the spring plate measure the angle it wants to be at with one of those digital angle finders. Now, play around with re-indexing the torsion bar until you get 3 to 3.5 (I'd do 3.5) more degrees for your spring plate angle. Then, bolt it all back together and go for a drive. It will settle some. Should end up about 1" higher.

[kmhemi]

I adjusted the spring plates up as high as I could and the car sits higher than I needed. I will take it for a drive and see if it settles close to the height I am looking for ......Thanks to those that replied.

[glennspiegler]

Don't forget your corner balancing and alignment in that order. This part is the real time user.

[911st]

Did you go the link I gave above.

I think there is another link to a spring angle calculator for setting the rear arm.

There are 40 inner and 44 outer teeth on the torsion bar and the rear arm is about 18".

If the arm could rotate around the rear torsion bar it would move in a 113" circle. ((18x2)x3.14)= 113". With every inner tooth shift it will move 2.83". 113/40=2.83" and with every tooth movement on the outter will move 2.53" 113/44=2.53".

Thus, the arm goes up about about 2.83" with every tooth on the inside and down about 2.53" with every outer tooth.

This gives us about .3" adjustment w each inner/outer click. Want to lower it 1" go down three clicks on the inner and up 3 clicks on the outer for .9" movement.

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This is my thought but I like to get the height right myself first. I leave my sway bars disconnected and center jack the car from the front and rear to get it close to balanced. Some use a tripod method and jack it from the side points and make sure the distance of the front and rear are matched.

My thinking is that changes camber in the front and rear effect height. So I do my alignment before the Corner Ballance and request weight equal to mine in the drivers seat.

I save my CB for last. I reinforce I want the sways unhooked and weight equal to mine in the drivers seat. Adjustable sway bar links are the best, or I state I want them to work the CB so they can reattach the sways w/o adding any pre- load into the suspension.

Hope this helps.