hi guys.
i went out to a show today in centurion, echo offroad i think the place was called. anyway as i want to replace all shocks in the near future i got a few quotes.
what i want to know is why do you need to replace the torsion bars,how can a torsion bar wear ? isnt it a long bar/rod of steel?
ironman reps were the ones who insisted that its must be part of the kit. and there price was R8000 but i didnt ask if that was fitted.
ome said R8000 but without the torsion bars.
can someone explain how a torsion bar can replace the use of a coil spring up front, i get under the car but cant figure out how a torsion bar can help the front shock. i know it must seem a dumb question but as i`m not face to face, i am so less embarrassed to ask it ?
as always, thanks.
Site Admin
I'm no expert but in my view you don't need aftermarket torsion bars unless you have a heavy bumper and winch up front. If you find that your torsion bars have sagged a little they can be re-indexed.
The torsion bar does the same job as a spring with the twisting (torsional) forces doing the same job.
Wikepedia desribes torsion bars quite nicely (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsion_bar_suspension)
The torsion bar does the same job as a spring with the twisting (torsional) forces doing the same job.
Wikepedia desribes torsion bars quite nicely (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsion_bar_suspension)
Simon Bloomer
Affiliate Member
Hi Steve
To ask a question can never be dumb, NOT to ask and not knowing is stupid
You are close with the torsion bar being a solid bar of steel but not just any steel, it is a spring steel bar that is mounted in the rear to the vehicle with an adjustable bracket and the front mounts to the lower suspension arm. If your wheel moves up it has a twisting force on this torsion bar which would absorb and then release the energy like a spring. This is nothing new and has been used on the iconic VW beetle. You get different spring rates in the torsion bars so if you are fitting heavy bumpers and winches you can compensate for the weight by going for a stiffer bar.
As with springs these bars can also lose their elasticity but unlike springs you have the option to adjust them higher to compensate for that and extend the life of the torsion bar.
When doing a suspension upgrade it is wise to go for a suspension system in other words the whole package. Folks often mix and match their suspensions with front coils of one and rear springs of another manufacturer with shocks of a completely different manufacturer thrown in to the match. From experience I have learned that this is not the ideal way of doing things and even though you may be putting excellent components together you might not get the desired results as the shocks and springs are not designed to work together. For instance OME has a higher rate of travel in the beginning and reduces as it gets lower, this is called a progressive spring as it gets progressively harder as it travels. This is to give a softer ride when traveling empty but to give more capacity as the vehicle is loaded, the shocks are designed with this in mind and can handle the more frequent movement when running empty as well as the stiffer response when loaded. They are also designed with the total travel in mind of the particular spring. When mixing and matching you lose this design element and if it works together it is more luck than wisdom.
Having said this I would take a decent after market shock any day rather than a stock standard factory fitted unit.
Henk
To ask a question can never be dumb, NOT to ask and not knowing is stupid
You are close with the torsion bar being a solid bar of steel but not just any steel, it is a spring steel bar that is mounted in the rear to the vehicle with an adjustable bracket and the front mounts to the lower suspension arm. If your wheel moves up it has a twisting force on this torsion bar which would absorb and then release the energy like a spring. This is nothing new and has been used on the iconic VW beetle. You get different spring rates in the torsion bars so if you are fitting heavy bumpers and winches you can compensate for the weight by going for a stiffer bar.
As with springs these bars can also lose their elasticity but unlike springs you have the option to adjust them higher to compensate for that and extend the life of the torsion bar.
When doing a suspension upgrade it is wise to go for a suspension system in other words the whole package. Folks often mix and match their suspensions with front coils of one and rear springs of another manufacturer with shocks of a completely different manufacturer thrown in to the match. From experience I have learned that this is not the ideal way of doing things and even though you may be putting excellent components together you might not get the desired results as the shocks and springs are not designed to work together. For instance OME has a higher rate of travel in the beginning and reduces as it gets lower, this is called a progressive spring as it gets progressively harder as it travels. This is to give a softer ride when traveling empty but to give more capacity as the vehicle is loaded, the shocks are designed with this in mind and can handle the more frequent movement when running empty as well as the stiffer response when loaded. They are also designed with the total travel in mind of the particular spring. When mixing and matching you lose this design element and if it works together it is more luck than wisdom.
Having said this I would take a decent after market shock any day rather than a stock standard factory fitted unit.
Henk
Henk Bannink
Some people are wise, some people are otherwise
Some people are wise, some people are otherwise