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Old 23-05-19, 03:13 PM
PEU186F PEU186F is offline
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Anne

I have to say that that strikes me as really strange, car moves easily on all four corners, so nothing seized, but slacking off the LH torsion bar adjustment doesn't cause that side of the car to drop at the rear ? ? ?

Mind you (I hope you don't mind me saying), you are starting from the wrong point in that there wasn't apparently any problem with the LH torsion bar until you tried to counter what is actually a problem on the other side of the car. It is an interesting conundrum but it might well be solved by (or while) addressing the original problem. What you should be aiming for is to achieve a level ride both side to side and front to rear. Dropping one side at one end to match the other side is only a bodge. My 410 had sagged at the back (both sides) and the handling was transformed when this was corrected and it rode level all round.

If you already have the car on a lift may I suggest that you also raise the chassis to take all the weight off both the rear wheels. Also remove the rebound straps so that the axle drops just as far as it will go. From memory undoing just one side of the strap is actually sufficient. At that point there should, from memory, still be some tension in both torsion bars WHEN THE ADJUSTERS ARE ALL THE WAY OUT. I recall being quite easily able to take the remaining tension off the adjuster by applying a Stilson wrench to the front end of the bar, when everything was finally set up as it should be. If the pressure is excessive you will need to seek the cause. If the adjusters aren't bearing against their stops under light pressure as I've described with the axle dropped it is time to retension the torsion bar(s) by moving the adjuster arm(s) on their splines. You will need two people to do this. Soak everything around the front torsion bar mounting(s) in penetrating oil for a few days, get out your best (Whitworth, I think) spanners and set to. This is where you need a friend armed with a large Stilson wrench to pretension the torsion bar so that you're not having to fight it. From memory the mounting comes off from the front of the chassis cross bar leaving just enough space to withdraw the adjuster arm from its splines on the torsion bar. The adjuster arm is cast so take care but mine came off quite readily, with just a few taps with a copper hammer. It is all really well built out of quality material, which always helps, but perhaps I was lucky. Take a rest then ask the friend to pretension the torsion bar again and hold it. Move the adjuster arm one spline, replace it, and reassemble the front mounting. Your friend will need a fairly strong right arm, but nothing excessive. Repeat on the other side and replace the rebound straps.

Lower the back of the car back onto its wheels and screw the adjusters just far enough in to achieve a level ride. Don't overdo this as, if you do, the rebound straps will be in action all the time which results in a very odd ride.

By the way on my car I was the chap with the Stilson while a professional (who was a one man band) provided the intellectual input and did all the hard work. It was all a few years ago.

Good luck

Roger
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