Lifting the front ride height

[ArnieJr]

Greetings everyone.
Looking back at my car after I parked it (a rather common occurrence), I noticed just how low the front end it. I'm not scraping speedbumps with it, but I wouldn't mind it sitting a bit higher, especially with 15 inch 235/70s in the near future. The previous owner told me he had planned to turn it into a low-rider and I think he may have gotten halfway there. I heard of a simple fix, but cannot seem to find anything on-line. Seems that Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo are only aware of the new 300s.

 

[commando1]

Google, How to adjust Mopar torsion bar suspension. Lots of info.

 

[bronze turbine]

You will hear this a million times but be sure to heed it: DON'T CRANK ON THE TORSION BARS WHILE THE WEIGHT IS ON THEM! They can break and kill you.
But yeah, adjusting front ride height is pretty simple. My best advice would be to adjust it to factory spec, for best driving comfort and tire life.

 

[Big_John]

DON'T CRANK ON THE TORSION BARS WHILE THE WEIGHT IS ON THEM! They can break and kill you.

I've never heard that.

You do take the weight off the car so it's easier to crank the adjustment, but nothing is going to break if you don't.

 

[WOT440]

Greetings everyone.
Looking back at my car after I parked it (a rather common occurrence), I noticed just how low the front end it. I'm not scraping speedbumps with it, but I wouldn't mind it sitting a bit higher, especially with 15 inch 235/70s in the near future. The previous owner told me he had planned to turn it into a low-rider and I think he may have gotten halfway there. I heard of a simple fix, but cannot seem to find anything on-line. Seems that Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo are only aware of the new 300s.

Torsion bar adjusters located bottom of the lower control arm. Typically one or two full turns to get a reaction. I removed mine and cleaned and applied some anti seize. Take the weight off the suspension as stated above.

 

[jake]

Thought that was the "pimperial" at first.

 

[1970FuryConv]

You will hear this a million times but be sure to heed it: DON'T CRANK ON THE TORSION BARS WHILE THE WEIGHT IS ON THEM! They can break and kill you.
But yeah, adjusting front ride height is pretty simple. My best advice would be to adjust it to factory spec, for best driving comfort and tire life.

My factory shop manual gives specs for the ride height that can only be met when the car is on the ground. I have always made final adjustments with the car on the ground. If torsion bars can only be adjusted with the car in the air, I should be dead.

DON'T CRANK ON THE TORSION BARS WHILE THE WEIGHT IS ON THEM!

Did you get this idea from a factory shop manual? If not, where does this statement come from? Thanks

 

[Camshaft]

I also have never heard that those torsion bars can break while "adjusting them". I take the vast majority of the weight off of them but only because they are easier to adjust with tires just touching the ground, then drop the car back down to check and adjust the ride height. C Shaft

 

[bronze turbine]

Hmmm, I could have sworn I got that advice FROM THIS FORUM! I can remember someone saying don't crank on them when the car is sitting on the ground because they could break and the car would fall on you. Can anyone else remember hearing that warning? If not maybe I just dreamed it. It's happened before....

 

[HWYCRZR]

Things you find on the internet are not always true, trust but verify.

That being said some of the adjustment tips depend on the condition of your adjustment bolts. If the threads are clean and not corroded and the bolts free, you are not going to hurt them adjusting with weight. You should jounce the car a couple of times before re-measuring. If you have crappy threads or a lot of corrosion, it is probably a good idea to release the weight. If they are that bad, I would run them all the way out, with no weight and clean and lube the threads.

 

[57fury440]

I have always adjusted them with the car on the ground. I never heard of any problems doing that. They are bars that twist. Why would twisting them to adjust them cause them to break?

 

[Toolmanmike]

I have always adjusted them with the car on the ground. I never heard of any problems doing that. They are bars that twist. Why would twisting them to adjust them cause them to break?

Not the bars but the adjusters.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I always take some load off the front end when adjusting the bars. What can happen is not the bar breaking, but the adjuster bolt strips out. While I was having an alignment done on my wagon, the tech tried to tighten the adjuster, a loud bang and bolt shot to the floor with a tech jumping from car and cursing.

 

[BAD69FURY]

Greetings everyone.
Looking back at my car after I parked it (a rather common occurrence), I noticed just how low the front end it. I'm not scraping speedbumps with it, but I wouldn't mind it sitting a bit higher, especially with 15 inch 235/70s in the near future. The previous owner told me he had planned to turn it into a low-rider and I think he may have gotten halfway there. I heard of a simple fix, but cannot seem to find anything on-line. Seems that Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo are only aware of the new 300s.

View attachment 582005

Reference your factory service manuel, in general mopars with torsion bar suspension adjust like this. (see video)

 

[Boydsdodge]

Reference your factory service manuel, in general mopars with torsion bar suspension adjust like this. (see video)

I roll the car one full tire revolution and jounce the body, rolling the wheel will let the tires relax.

 

[WOT440]

I always take some load off the front end when adjusting the bars. What can happen is not the bar breaking, but the adjuster bolt strips out. While I was having an alignment done on my wagon, the tech tried to tighten the adjuster, a loud bang and bolt shot to the floor with a tech jumping from car and cursing.

View attachment 582264

I've seen this happen. One more reason to clean the threads, and use some anti seize on the adjusters.

 

[Sixpactogo]

I've never heard that.

You do take the weight off the car so it's easier to crank the adjustment, but nothing is going to break if you don't.

It probably was not a problem when these cars were new and in their prime. Now that they are senior citizens, it is a good idea to take the weight off when turning those adjuster bolts. When they get rusty even though they are grade 8 bolts, I've seen some that got the threads sheared off. A friend of mine showed me one of his that got stripped because he was using his impact wrench on it while making adjustments on his lift. Just because it is not mentioned in the FSM doesn't mean it is not relative.

 

[Sixpactogo]

Greetings everyone.
Looking back at my car after I parked it (a rather common occurrence), I noticed just how low the front end it. I'm not scraping speedbumps with it, but I wouldn't mind it sitting a bit higher, especially with 15 inch 235/70s in the near future. The previous owner told me he had planned to turn it into a low-rider and I think he may have gotten halfway there. I heard of a simple fix, but cannot seem to find anything on-line. Seems that Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo are only aware of the new 300s.

View attachment 582005

I wouldn't hesitate to take the weight off and turn those adjusters up 3 or 4 turns. When you get it more to your liking, maybe have the alignment checked. From your info, the PO probably backed them off some to begin with.

 

[cbarge]

With 23570R15's the ride height should be at 27 inches give or take 1/4 inch.
I measure from the ground up the center of hubcap to fender wheel lip.
I turn the adjuster nut with the car on the ground ( or drive on lift) jounce a few tines and recheck the alignment.
From the side view the top of the tire should just have little or no gap at lip.
Hope this helps as I run the same size tire.

 

[Big_John]

It probably was not a problem when these cars were new and in their prime. Now that they are senior citizens, it is a good idea to take the weight off when turning those adjuster bolts. When they get rusty even though they are grade 8 bolts, I've seen some that got the threads sheared off. A friend of mine showed me one of his that got stripped because he was using his impact wrench on it while making adjustments on his lift. Just because it is not mentioned in the FSM doesn't mean it is not relative.

The bolt can strip or possibly snap, I will give you that... I'd say only if it was in bad shape to begin with.

If it snapped, it would snap between the adjuster "swivel" and the end of the bolt. I think that even stripping it out wouldn't be good, but I don't know as everything would come crashing down.

That all said, the warning of the torsion bar "breaking" isn't going to happen... And I've never seen a front end guy (do they have them anymore? LOL) take the load off.

I always jack the car because it's just easier to spin the bolt, so it's a moot point for me. The only issue with that is the suspension needs to properly settle to get a good height measurement.