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I'm looking to upgrade my rear torsion bars, my question is what length are the ones in my car? The car is a '73 Super, with the earlier style front suspension. All the the websites have the 24 11/16" ones listed for up to '72 and the 26 9/16" for the '73+ cars. I was not sure if they made this change when they changed the front suspension or not.

I was also hoping to get some advice as to wich one I should get. The car will be daily driven, but I'm also looking to be somewhat competitive autocrossing it. From what I have read I should be looking at 27-28mm, what would you guys recomend? The car also has Maxx struts up front, 7/8 sway bar up front, and 3/4 in the rear. Thanks

~Josh

Your car should have the long torsions 26 9/16 they only used the intermediate length for a year or two in 68 or 69. The torsion bar should stick out thru the spring plate retainer if it is the long style. I would recomend a 28mm bar if you plan to drive it on the street for any long period of time but for a track only car i would go 30mm. The 28mm is realy stiff at first but once you put a couple track days on it they get soft. I dont know how much more the suby motor weighs but you might be able to run a 29mm or 30mm to offset the extra weight of the motor.

Thanks for the info. The suby motor acutally only weighs about 20 lbs more than a stock type 1, so I figure about type 4 weight (maybe a little more) when wet. I was already leanning towards the 28mm, but I figured I would see what others thoughts were. Does anyone know exactly what the difference between the sway-a-way race torsions vs. the other ones (other more than twice the price)? Thanks

~Josh

rsrnate wrote:...they only used the intermediate length for a year or two in 68 or 69....

Naaah. The 24mm dia 627mm (24-11/16") bars were used through 1959, then the short ones (552mm/21-3/4") were used on swingaxles; 22mm dia through `66 and 21mm for cars with Z-bar.
676mm (26-9/16") were used in all IRS Type I & III; 22mm dia except for Squareback (23.5mm) and Thing (don't remember).

You have probly forgoten more about vw's than I will ever know. Thanks for setting it strait .

hey rsrnate what kind of setup are you runing on your car irs or swing and what is better for road-racing or auto crossing

I run irs currently but I use to race a swinaxle, the diffrence is night an day.Either one will be tons of fun but to be competitive irs is the way to go.

Marc wrote:

rsrnate wrote: 676mm (26-9/16") were used in all IRS Type I & III

Nuh-uh. My 1969 Type I is IRS, and takes the 24-11/16", i know that much for sure.

Marc wrote:

rsrnate wrote: 676mm (26-9/16") were used in all IRS Type I & III

Nuh-uh. My 1969 Type I is IRS, and takes the 24-11/16", i know that much for sure.

rsrnate wrote:Your car should have the long torsions 26 9/16, they only used the intermediate length for a year or two in 68 or 69.

Hmmm...

do a search for 924 rear torsion bars, I have listed before on here all of the sizes and interchangeability that I know of.


besides, you can get them cheap cheap cheap


Rob

The difference in the price more than likely is from the difference in quality. The sway-a-way ones that are so much more expensive probobly have better heat treating, and will hold their ride height better. Mark Donahue the road racer said in his book that when they had some springs made for the car with a different manufacturer than they had been using, the springs went soft within a few laps and the car was nearly undrivable. Turns out the new company had not heat treated them as deeply and the road racing just wore them out fast. He had used the different company to get a rate that the old one didn't have, but he paid for it with a loss at the track. My opinion: spend the money on good parts. Hope you did, keep up posted on the car. I autocross a 73 super as well. Loads of fun. Greg

Actually I am using OE Porsche 924 take offs (someone removed them from a running driving 924 when they installed 944 bars).
The outstanding prices are due to the fact that every 924 owner out there wants to move up to 944/968 bars, while no 944/968 owner wants to downgrade their suspension.
If I want to go stiffer I have several levels of choices while remaining within the Porsche OEM 924/944/968 realm of used parts.

Rob

I do believe that the same manufacturer originally produced the bars for both VW and Porsche. My ghia bars lasted 30+ years. My 924 bars were prodeced 10 years later, so I expect to see another 10+ years service life (minimum) from them.

Rob