Disconnection of Sway Bar End Links (Does this include torsion bars?)

In reviewing the corner weight course I am left wondering if vehicles with rear torsion or twist beam suspension require the torsion bar (an additional bar that is bolted on the torsion beam to increase the rate.) to be removed as well or if its ok leaving it on since it is bolted on only to the suspension and not the body.

Thank you for your time.

Hello, if it loads the suspension in any way while being scaled then it must be disconnected, if it is used as a spring to hold the car up ( acting as a spring ) then must be left connected

Regards Ross

I think you've got in mind the rear beam suspension with flexible steel plates (like a ladder bar type attachment) between the chassis and the beam, and that beam has a (usually) hollow or "U" shaped cross section, and sometimes these have welded, or bolted, stiffening or re-inforcing inserts into the beam? If your thinking is that the whole assembly acts like an ARB, you'd be correct - if we have the same designs in mind. Is there any specific vehicle you have in mind?

If they're welded in, not that much one can do about it except, maybe, checking the attachment points between the 'ladder' don't have any pre-loading. If it can be removed, it'd be worth doing that because the insert is used to increase the torsional resistance of the beam, effectively being an ARB, even if it doesn't have links, etc, as one normally thinks of with ARBs. When re-fitting it, if applicable, it'd pay to do so with the vehicle still on the 'plates, as it may introduce a pre-load if it isn't completely straight and flat.

Hi Eli,

I think for this style of suspension (if I am visualising the right thing), as Gord brought up - it depends somewhat on whether you have the ability to adjust this torsion bar once your setup is complete. The analogy would be adjusting an anti-roll bar drop link to remove any force from the anti-roll bar after the setup is complete.

Obviously, if it's welded then not a lot you can do. However, even if it's bolted, you still need a way of adjusting it. So it will really depend if you have (or are prepared to make) a mechanism for that. Just unbolting it for the setup, then reattaching it afterwards (and by doing so adding load to the torsion bar with the car at rest) doesn't achieve much unless there is a way to adjust it.