Torsion Bars v Coil Springs

[MacQuigley]

Is re a big difference I the ride quality between a C10 with Torsion Bars and one with Coil Springs?

Bearing in mind Ive never actually driven a C10 (I bought mine as a project) I cant answer this but Im trying to decide if its worth swapping my 62's front cross member for a 71-72 or 73-87 cross member so I have coils and disc brakes. The alternative is sticking with the coils and putting a disc brake conversion on.

[1960HDGMC]

The Torsion Bars in the 60-61 GMC and Chevy trucks ride like a 59 Cadillac,which is the platform from which they were usurped. Radial tires add to the cush factor, but also to the sway factor. You have to rig up a swat bar from a 63and up c10 kit (Addco makes a good one) to handle the sway. Depends on how you want to use/drive the truck too. Performance driving, you have to lose the T-Bars. Ultimate cruising comfort and reasonable load hauling ability(for which the were designed), stick with the T-Bars. Do us purists a kind turn and save the T-Bars and other components if you do swap it out. This stuff is two year only,50 years old and getting harder to find. I grew up farming and our car was a truck. The solid axles rode like well, solid axles. The T-Bars were too expensive to stick with, so they met in the middle with Coil springs. Both offer comfortable ride. The coils can be made to perform. The T-Bars can only be made to cruise as if on a cloud. I have a 1960 GMC with T-Bars. It is hands down the most comfortable ride quality I have ever experienced in any truck, old or new. Good Luck deciding. GM

[RKS0069]

I would keep the t-bars for a 1/2 ton cruising mobile, if you want to do track days then probably swap to coils. Luckily for the 1/2 ton trucks you can use aftermarket parts with the t-bars to get disk brakes. I went with coils just because I want to keep my truck a 3/4 ton work truck but I wanted disk brakes. there is probably a way to do 3/4 ton disks on the t-bar front end but I was having no luck figuring that out and I had an '82 c-30 front end just laying in the yard so I went that route.

FYI: I have two t-bar front ends one is from a '62 GMC 3/4 ton and the other is from a '62 Chevy 1ton dually. I can't bring myself to take them to the scrap yard so I will hang on to them until I find them a new home. I just did ball joints, tie rod ends, bearings and brakes on the GMC a few months before I decided to swap the front end. The GMC was ordered from the factory with 1 ton brakes on front so it has the wider drums and pads. Picture on left is t-bar from GMC and picture on right is from the Chevy.

[1960HDGMC]

Originally Posted by RKS0069

I would keep the t-bars for a 1/2 ton cruising mobile, if you want to do track days then probably swap to coils. Luckily for the 1/2 ton trucks you can use aftermarket parts with the t-bars to get disk brakes. I went with coils just because I want to keep my truck a 3/4 ton work truck but I wanted disk brakes. there is probably a way to do 3/4 ton disks on the t-bar front end but I was having no luck figuring that out and I had an '82 c-30 front end just laying in the yard so I went that route.

FYI: I have two t-bar front ends one is from a '62 GMC 3/4 ton and the other is from a '62 Chevy 1ton dually. I can't bring myself to take them to the scrap yard so I will hang on to them until I find them a new home. I just did ball joints, tie rod ends, bearings and brakes on the GMC a few months before I decided to swap the front end. The GMC was ordered from the factory with 1 ton brakes on front so it has the wider drums and pads. Picture on left is t-bar from GMC and picture on right is from the Chevy.

Thank you for not scraping these . I wonder if it would be practical to try and use 3/4 ton front hubs, and have them set up for 1/2 ton 6Lug wheels. I would like to have the larger breaking surface, but I also want to keep the factory 6Lug wheels and caps. Kind of a 3/4 ton hidden in 1/2 ton cloths. Probably not worth the extra effort. Anyone ever tried doing this? GM

[MacQuigley]

Thanks for the comments guy's.

I am only building a cruiser, Im not building a racer. I do want to have increased stopping power as Im fitting a 350 SB but I dont need it to corner like its on rails.

So Im heading back towards the T Bar setup. In truth anyway Ive enough to send on it as it is and shipping a cross member to Scotland will be pricey. So I will probably stick with my original plan and go for T Bar and a disc brake conversion.

[1960HDGMC]

Unless your hauling trailers or putting your foot in it on a regular bases, consider sticking with the stock drum brakes. If you get them to specs with new shoes, wheel cylinders, etc, and add a power brake booster, you will have great stopping power. Disc brakes are fine, but I really think there charms are overrated. If you need to go with 5 lug wheel, then it helps to convert them. Remember, you have more braking surface area with drums than discs. The disc advantage is there heat dissipation. Drums will get hot and fade, but only if your pushing the ever loving guts out of them. I added a booster to my stock rebuilt brake system. I run a 396 Big Block with a 700R-4 Tranny on a 60 GMC Lwb Wideside, the heaviest 1/2 ton combo of which I can think. I got hellacious brakes this way. Saved a ton of expense and headache too. GM

[61_FL_Apache]

I have had both in my 61 and a 65 I use to have. I perfer the T-bars over the coils. Especially for lowering.. Just turn the bolt and watch it come down

[LostMy65]

I'm actually torn.
Yes, the torsion ride is nice, but the X-Frame is making my Auto tranny install a little more cumbersome.

[61_FL_Apache]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I'm actually torn.
Yes, the torsion ride is nice, but the X-Frame is making my Auto tranny install a little more cumbersome.

I swapped tranny's in my 61 and don't remember much hassle.

[LostMy65]

I just picked a thread about torsion bar suspension to ask my question, rather than starting a new one.
.
The 60-62 Torsion bar trucks have an x-frame.
Do the newer trucks with torsion bars use an x-frame?

[Captainfab]

The '88+ K series trucks with torsion bars do not use an X-member frame. The ends of the torsion bars are mounted to a crossmember back behind the trans.

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I just picked a thread about torsion bar suspension to ask my question, rather than starting a new one.
.
The 60-62 Torsion bar trucks have an x-frame.
Do the newer trucks with torsion bars use an x-frame?

[oldusafmsgt]

If you drive a 60-62 torsion front end truck, and a 63-66 coil front end truck, you will definitely notice a better ride in the torsion bar trucks. Chevrolet switched from torsion bars to coils in 63 not for ride quality, but because coils were cheaper to produce, and rumored that Chrysler Corp. was threatening a lawsuit, as they had been using torsion bars in their cars for a few years before GM did. Now, with the aftermarket producing 5 and 6 lug disc brake kits, dropped spindles, etc., for 60-62's, I see no logical reason to swap a 60-62 torsion front end to a coil front end.

[par4tom]

Originally Posted by oldusafmsgt

If you drive a 60-62 torsion front end truck, and a 63-66 coil front end truck, you will definitely notice a better ride in the torsion bar trucks. Chevrolet switched from torsion bars to coils in 63 not for ride quality, but because coils were cheaper to produce, and rumored that Chrysler Corp. was threatening a lawsuit, as they had been using torsion bars in their cars for a few years before GM did. Now, with the aftermarket producing 5 and 6 lug disc brake kits, dropped spindles, etc., for 60-62's, I see no logical reason to swap a 60-62 torsion front end to a coil front end.

I agree. I kept the torsion bars and added the sway bar and the ride is really nice for a cruiser. Plus, one of the things that a lot of guys won't tell you, when you put on a new front end there is the tendency to have drivability issues. Steering, tracking straight, etc..

On mine, I left the torsion bars in tact...truck drives as straight as an arrow down the highway...keep em!

[verdell]

I kept my torsion bars too. Added dropped spindles along with a power disc brake set up and sway bar and it's all good. The ability to adjust the ride height with the bars is a big plus. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

[53lowdown]

I've got the original Torsion bars in my 62. I'd just add that there is less clearance for headers with the bars. I'm using long tube headers, and only have about 1/4" inch clearance. You'd probably want to run shorty headers, or stock manifolds with the torsion bars.

[jasnake65]

Little off topic but what sway bar did you use? Looking to add one soon to my 60. I did searches and read up but the 60-61 is different

[LostMy65]

There's one member here that used a 73+ sway bar. They mounted it to the bottom of the a-arms. I'll see if I can find it.

[LostMy65]

Here's a thread on 60-62 Sway bars.
It's not the thread I was thinking of, but if I find it, I'll post it over there.

[forestb]

I would stick with the torsion bars if you are not planning on baging it. I did the switch on my truck and I retrospect it seems like a lot of wasted time and effort.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by forestb

I would stick with the torsion bars if you are not planning on baging it. I did the switch on my truck and I retrospect it seems like a lot of wasted time and effort.

And that leads to the next question :
Ride quality - Bags vs Torsion ?

[forestb]

I didn't really notice a difference.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by forestb

I didn't really notice a difference.

I ask because my 65 is on a 62 frame.
I really like the torsion ride, but about a year ago I bought a 65 frame that I want to do all the upgrades to, and then move my 65 over for minimal downtime.
But I've been concerned about losing that nice torsion ride quality.

[forestb]

mine is from a 77 c10