Jim Sleeper then set the toe,...
Jim Sleeper then set the toe, caster, and camber.
Torsion Tension and Ride Height
Us Mopar guys and gals have always held our torsion bar suspensions near and dear to our hearts. Why? Well, for one, we have the option of raising or lowering our ride height to suit our needs or desires with the turn of a 3/4-inch wrench. The same holds true for transverse torsion bar suspensions systems. That built-in adjustability comes at a price, though, as the raising and lowering of the front end affects suspension pre-load. The torsion bar is simply an oddly-shaped coil spring with a given "spring rate". Lowering the suspension takes pre-load away, causing the suspension to react at a slower rate of speed, while the opposite holds true when the torsion bars are cranked up and the front end is raised. We opted for a lower ride height in order to punch a smaller hole through the air with our vending-machine-like aerodynamics. It's a compromise, but one we were willing to make in the pursuit of top-end stability.
Our good friend Casey Steinman...
Our good friend Casey Steinman continued to march--despite an attempt tobreak his hand with a sledgehammer by yours truly. Casey is seen herescrewing in a new upper ball joint.
Reassembly is pretty straight...
Reassembly is pretty straight forward, and not nearly as messy now thatour parts are refurbished.
With the front end back together,...
With the front end back together, we made our way to the rear of the carto bring it up to speed--so to speak.
Since an altitude adjustment...
Since an altitude adjustment was in order to lower the Diplomat's centerof gravity, we employed a set of universal lowering blocks from ourlocal parts emporium. The 2-inch blocks moved the rear axle closer tothe body, requiring shorter sway bar links.
As a consequence of lowering,...
As a consequence of lowering, the shock mounts needed modifying to lowerthe bottom mounting point in order to increase the shock absorber'stravel. Had we not, we would have been compressing the shock and,thereby, shortening its travel and effectiveness. Also, the factorybottom shock mount employed a bolt-through stud system, necessitatingone that would accept an eyelet. Rod ends with grade-8 bolts were chosento mount the shocks.
A shorter sway link was located...
A shorter sway link was located to address the 2-inch relocation of theaxle. The 2-inch lowering blocks were of the universal variety, meaningthey were no good for any specific application in stock form. Somemassaging was required.
(above & right) These before...
(above & right) These before and after shots show the 4x4-like stance of the Diplomatbefore we lowered its center of gravity and the end result.