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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Torsion bars - soild VS hollow

Posted by: itsa914 Sep 19 2005, 08:53 AM

I'm starting to put together my winter project of suspension work. I have my Koni adjustable spring perches & springs and Weltmeister front adjustable sway bar coming soon from Rich (a914guy) and I am now looking at torsion bars.

PP has both the solid & hollow 21mm torsion bars at $240 (solid) & $291 (hollow). I have come to the conclusion that I want AX car that I can drive on the street so with that in mind is extra $$ for hollow torsion bars worth the money? What is the advantage of hollow over solid?

Thanks

Posted by: Jeroen Sep 19 2005, 09:02 AM

the advantage over solid is that they weigh less

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 19 2005, 09:03 AM

QUOTE
What is the advantage of hollow over solid?

they're a little bit lighter.
they're pretty low, where a little additional weight is not a huge deal.

i bought them for my 911, in part because rear torsions are pretty big and heavy and i wanted a matched set. in part, because i wanted the "ultimate" suspension i wouldn't be tempted to second-guess and "upgrade" again later.

"worth it" for a car with rubber in the suspension? probably not.

(i have no rubber in the 911 suspension.)

YMMV.

one additional minor factor - typically, the only people making the hollow bars are the good makers - e.g. Sander or Charlie - so you may be getting a bar with a better alloy of steel, better heat-treated, and with better, more accurately machined splines.

might.

Posted by: Aaron Cox Sep 19 2005, 10:55 AM

sway away also make hollow bars rich....

Posted by: ArtechnikA Sep 19 2005, 11:04 AM

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Sep 19 2005, 12:55 PM)
sway away also make hollow bars rich....

QUOTE
e.g. Sander or Charlie
e.g. -- "for example."
i have some Sway-A-Way parts - i think my adjustable spring plates are S-A-W.
they have a good reputation in axles and i'd see no reason they couldn't also make good torsion bars - they've been doing it for the SCORE crowd for 40 years.

or is your meaning that you consider the Sway-A-Way parts to be inferior; it could be taken either way...

Posted by: Aaron Cox Sep 19 2005, 11:07 AM

just throwing it out there that they also make hollows.....

Posted by: anthony Sep 19 2005, 11:28 AM

I would get solid. I think the weight savings must be pretty small. Divide the weight loss by the extra $$$ and you'll probably come to the conclusion that the money could better be used elsewhere on the car.

Posted by: itsa914 Sep 19 2005, 01:03 PM

Yep, that's what I thought too. Just wanted make sure there wasn't some sort of magic powers from using hollow torsion bars