Toronado.org

I wanted to get some opinions on bead blasting my torsion bars. All those I have are in decent shape but toward the rear of them the paint is missing and minor surface rust is evident. I don't think sand blasting is wise but how about glass beads and a repaint?

Carmen

I'm not sure about the specific question... I know it says if you even scratch them you are supposed to replace them.

If nothing else, you could use paint stripper on them. And to remove the rust, some naval jelly.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with an answer though.

I wonder what the Mopar guys do?

Think how many of those that have been restored.

Good thinkin' Chaz! Silly me!

Well I looked at some of the cached forum boards and all I see is a whole lot of talk and no answers--plus they MAKE repos--lucky for them! I know a Mopar guy and I'll check with him tomorrow.

I can't imaging that bead blasting would be an issue but I just want to be sure. CB

Hey CB, Were the odd balls of the resto world…no doubt about it.

We could have made it easy on ourselves…you know…Chevelles, Camaros , GTOs, Mustangs, Cudas and the like…but noooo..

Really I cannot see how bead blasting can be an issue.

Realistically is light sandblasting that different then what the torsion bars are exposed or were exposed when driven as regular cars back in their glory days?

I had a 74 Challenger way back in high school. It was only 5-6 years old at that time. I remember the day I came out of school and the torsion bar had broken in half while the car was sitting…very weird.

Loved that car…but what a P O S…oh well that’s how I learned to work on cars…cause that one needed work daily, if not hourly!

I checked into it and it looks like you can shot peen the bars. This implies that any process that leaves a smooth finish will work. Walnut shells would be a better alternative if it removes the rust, only try glass if you need to.

That said, as chazzer said they are exposed to some degree of sand, but that really is not the same as high pressure sandblasting so be careful.

Now that I think of it, mine are coated with an odd coating, so if that is intended to prevent sand from scratching them it might be wise to be as careful as possible.

Have you looked for a comparable set from a boneyard or donor car?

http://www.directindustry.com/prod/usf-surface-preparation-group/shot-peening-machines-5660-46593.html

"Shot peening is a specialized blasting process that bombards a metallic work piece with a round abrasive, typically steel shot, glass beads, or ceramic shot, thereby compressing the surface. This compression can greatly improve the strength and fatigue life of the part. An analogy would be the blacksmith that hammers a sword to increase its strength.

Parts that are commonly shot peened include:

- Valve Springs
- Suspension Springs
- Leaf Springs
- Torsion Bars
- Gears
- Connecting Rods

"

I have multiple sets but they're all kind of the same--nice where the leaks are and rusty toward the rear. I think I might stick to beads or walnuts because shot peening might change the rate of the bars--shot peening is a pretty harsh process. Thanks for checking.

I found a fine match for the torsion bar paint color so I'll have to check for a durable type of paint that I can put into a dipping trough and make it happen.

I did not intend to suggest shot-peening, it was just the only source I could find that suggested any of these processes might be OK. I would start with walnut shells and only do glass if that does not work.

Let us know what your results are.

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