1960 Torsion Bar Suspension Sway Fix

[AZKen]

Hey Greg. Consider this. It seem like the torsion bars have the same length and mounting features from series 1000-3000!!!! Maybe if you find a higher series set of torsion bars, which are designed for higher loads, it will stiffen the sway. The torsion bars are color coded with colored bands near the rear end of bars, as you know. One band for the right side and two bands for left. Yours should be colored red. 1500 is green, 2500 is yellow, 3000 orange. Think about it and see what you think. If you can find a 1500 set cheap and try them, you can gauge how much it helps and know it does help and move up or be satisfied. I don't know how they change torque rate, but could be by rod diameter. That may mean you have to change the receiving end brackets but the book says they are the same length so that's good. However, if the did it with temper, and they are exactly the same size and configuration, that would be almost too good to be true. If it works, you will have discovered a cool way to help the cornering. (no sway bar needed). I do admit that a sway bar may fix sway without too much loss in straight line ride quality whereas the stiffer torsion bars may provide a stiff ride and the same sway. (don't want that combo). A proper width sway bar is easy to install.

[1960HDGMC]

Hey AZKen, That's the plan. I have a feeler out in the Market Place on here. I looked and found they share the same color band and part number for 1960 Chevy. So a donor pair with green bands should fit from either make. 1960-62 GMC and 1960 -62 Chevrolet. I am sure all the torsion bars weaken over 50 years,but the one size up should suffice. If I notice it needs more, The look out would be for the next size up. I really think the 3/4 ton (1500)bars will be just about right. I hope I can find a pair to try and see. Thanks for the help, Greg Mead

[AZKen]

Good deal. Sorry, didn't know you already decided on that. I actually talked myself into a sway bar. I will stick with this theory below. Who knows? Just guessing.

Originally Posted by AZKen

I do admit that a sway bar may fix sway without too much loss in straight line ride quality whereas the stiffer torsion bars may provide a stiff ride and the same sway. (don't want that combo). A proper width sway bar is easy to install.

[1960HDGMC]

I would love to ad a sway bar. But I have yet to see one that is available for these torsion bar trucks. That guy said the Mustang II sway bar worked pretty good, but I want to know how they got it onto the truck. It almost looks like they just welded some plate stock to the bottom of the lower A-Arms, drilled some holes and added the sway bar. Pretty simple. In fact, too simple to not be a common fix for these trucks. There must be some con to this simple fix, or it would be more widespread. I hope I am wrong. I would much prefer this fix over the 3/4 ton T-Bar swap. I love my ride, I just need the swaying tampered down a bit in the curves. Thanks again for all the help and ideas, Greg Mead

[BarryGMC]

The thing you are not considering is your tires. I know half of the problem is the tires under rolling and deflecting. The stock bias 4 ply 15 and 6 ply 16 inch bias tires had a much stiffer sidewall. The p rated 15 inch radials are very thin in the side wall. Those cokker wide whites are not good for anything but cruising. I throw those away on full size gm cars all the time. Cooper or BFG tires are way better. I NEVER RUN P RATED tires on a truck. Lt 225 75 15 tires from anybody will feel better than a p tire. Put a 60 series 25 inch tire and your truck will feel like a slot car.

[AZKen]

What about the one on the 75 donor in the link? Looks like it attaches to the lower control arm nicely. The attachment on the frame is just sliding the bushings and brackets along the rod until it lands on frame or cross member of your truck and drill two holes to mount. Any angle that the bracket mounts to, at that point, is OK. I don't see a con, I see that's how they did it on the coil type. It will look similar to that on your torsion bar lower arm. I don't know why the guy removed the sway bar from the 75. I think I see where he cut the bracket on his shinny black picture?... and there is a bracket already there on the lower arm on the 60? The 60 and 75 front frame dimension is basically the same. 28.24 and 28.01. That's good.

Another remedy...........bag it.

[1960HDGMC]

Hey AZKen, I saw what looked like a Mustang II type ad-on sway bar in the picture of the original front end. That is the one I think they welded to the A-Arms to mount. Are you suggesting that the much larger, (and in my way of thinking, much more helpful), 1975 donor truck sway bar might be readily convinced to play ball with my T-Bar truck? Thanks for the help, Greg Mead

[1960HDGMC]

Hey Barry, I have thought that the swap to radials might be adding to the sway. But I think this thing would still be swaying almost as bad with the old bias type tires. I bet it would help some, but I think the radials would work fine with the truck, if it had a sway bar. I am just fixing to start a thread about tires to try and gleam more insight into there effect on performance vis-à-vis these torsion bar equipped trucks. Thanks for the help, Greg Mead

[AZKen]

Originally Posted by 1960HDGMC

Hey AZKen, I saw what looked like a Mustang II type ad-on sway bar in the picture of the original front end. That is the one I think they welded to the A-Arms to mount. Are you suggesting that the much larger, (and in my way of thinking, much more helpful), 1975 donor truck sway bar might be readily convinced to play ball with my T-Bar truck? Thanks for the help, Greg Mead

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Also want to say I think the entire sway bar is bolted. I said he cut it off but it unbolts. What could be easier?

[tdeming]

Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone have a good source for rebuilding the front end ball joints and tie rod ends?