1968-1970 Charger Torsion-Bar Front Suspension Adjustment

Why Mopar B-bodies use torsion bars

While GM and Ford used coil-spring or leaf-spring front suspensions on their muscle cars of the era, Chrysler chose transverse torsion bars for the B-body and E-body platforms. A torsion bar is a long steel rod that twists when load is applied — instead of compressing like a coil spring, it stores energy through rotation along its length.

The torsion bar has one end anchored to the front frame crossmember and the other end fixed to the lower control arm. As the suspension cycles, the bar twists, and the resistance to twist provides spring rate.

This design has two real advantages: it's compact (no coil tower needed, leaves more engine bay room), and the spring rate is predictable and easy to adjust by simply rotating an adjuster bolt at the rear of the bar. The disadvantage: the bar is engineered for a specific load and stiffness, and after 50+ years the metal can fatigue and lose preload, dropping the front of the car.

How to adjust ride height

The torsion bar adjuster sits at the rear of the bar (where the bar attaches to the frame crossmember toward the back of the engine compartment). It's a hex-head adjusting bolt with a locking collar.

To adjust:

1. Park on level ground.
2. Find the torsion bar adjuster bolt under the car, at the rear of each torsion bar. There's one on each side.
3. Loosen the locking collar if present (not all years have a locking mechanism — some are just the adjuster bolt).
4. Tighten the adjuster bolt (clockwise, depending on your year — verify direction in the service manual) to raise the front of the car. Loosen to lower it.
5. Adjust each side equally. A typical full turn of the adjuster bolt changes ride height by approximately 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch — small adjustments matter.
6. Re-measure ride height at the front fenders or wheel openings.
7. Lock the collar (if present) when satisfied.

Factory specifications for ride height: refer to the 1968-1970 service manual for your specific year and trim. Most B-body Chargers measure ~5 inches of ground clearance under the front frame rail; specific fender-to-ground measurements depend on tire size.

When the torsion bar needs replacement

Symptoms of fatigued torsion bars:

• Ride height drops over time despite the adjuster being at maximum extension. The bar has lost preload through metal fatigue.
• Sagging during cornering — the front of the car wallows or compresses excessively when turning.
• One side sits lower than the other — typically indicates one bar has fatigued more than the other.
• Adjuster bolt at full extension but front still sits low.

Reproduction torsion bars are widely available from Mopar parts vendors (Mancini Racing, Year One, Restoration Specialties). Original bars carry a part number on a tag — match the replacement to the same spec for stock ride height. Aftermarket performance bars with higher spring rates are also available — these stiffen the front suspension for performance driving but produce a harsher ride than stock.

Replacement procedure (high level)

Torsion bar replacement is moderately involved but doesn't require special tools beyond a torsion-bar puller. The process:

1. Support the car safely on jack stands at the frame.
2. Remove the front wheel and the lower ball joint.
3. Loosen the torsion bar adjuster completely to remove preload.
4. Remove the bar from the lower control arm (front-end fitting).
5. Use a torsion-bar puller to slide the bar out of the rear crossmember anchor. The bar is splined into both ends; the puller pulls it back through the crossmember.
6. Slide the new bar in in the reverse order. Some bars have a left/right designation — verify before installation.
7. Reattach the lower control arm, set initial preload on the adjuster, and torque to spec.
8. Re-adjust ride height with the adjuster as the new bar settles in.

Allow the new bars 100-500 miles of driving for the metal to settle before doing final ride-height adjustment. Initial measurements after installation will drift down slightly as the bar takes its working set.

Aftermarket suspension upgrades

For builders who want substantially modernized handling without keeping the torsion-bar setup:

• RMS (Reilly Motorsports) AlterKtion subframe — replaces the torsion-bar front suspension with a coil-over rack-and-pinion subframe. ~$5500-7500 kit. Substantial body modification required.
• Magnum Force tubular control arms with torsion bar adjusters — keeps the torsion-bar architecture but with modern geometry and adjustable ride height. ~$1500-2500 kit.
• Hotchkis aluminum control arms + larger torsion bars — bolt-in upgrade that retains the torsion-bar architecture. ~$2000-3500 kit.

These are real builds with real budgets. For a stock or near-stock Charger, original-spec torsion bars in good condition are the right choice and produce factory-correct handling.

Common mistakes

1. Adjusting one side only. Both sides must adjust equally; one-sided adjustment causes the car to lean and produces handling issues.
2. Over-tightening the adjuster bolt. Beyond the bar's design preload range, you can damage the bar or the adjuster mechanism.
3. Not allowing settling time. New bars will drop ~1/2" in the first 100 miles. Don't do final ride-height adjustment until the bars have settled.
4. Mixing left and right bars. Some torsion bars are spec-specific to driver-side or passenger-side; verify before installation.
5. Reusing damaged or fatigued bars. A bar that's lost preload is going to keep losing preload — replacement is the right answer for any noticeably-sagging front end.

A reminder on safety

These are research-derived procedures, not factory shop manual data for your specific Charger. Always verify against the actual factory service manual for your specific year before performing front suspension work — torsion bar replacement and ride-height adjustment are safety-relevant procedures that affect steering geometry and braking. When in doubt, have a competent shop perform the work or verify your work after.