breaking torsion bars

["Robert Dervin" <rjdervin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim, Here is my story: My father bought a 1958 Black Lebaron in 1961. It was 
our family car, and we 3 kids and parents loved it very much. It was a real 
head turner even in the 1960's. Anyway I was mowing the grass one nice 
summer evening in about 1967, and over the sound of the push mower I heard 
the sound (I thought) of a high-powered rifle. It was VERY loud. I stopped 
the mower, looked around the neighborhood and saw nothing out of the 
ordinary. I resumed mowing. Later when I went into the garage to put the 
mower, I was shocked and horrified to see our Imp. leaning severly to the 
left. I dont remember if it had been driven that day. We also had a '64 Imp 
and a '67 VW beetle.

I do remember the repairman telling my dad that they "never break when the 
car is moving. only when sitting still"

Regards, Bob


>From: Jim H Fielding <bonhoffer@xxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: IML: breaking torsion bars
>Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 21:17:18 -0500
>
>Well, I sure stand corrected.  I had never heard of a torsion bar
>breaking.  I guess it makes sense though.  Any spring can break so why
>not?  I am kind of curious about the circumstances under which the folks
>out there have seen them break.  One posting references cars sitting
>still for a long time.  Does anybody else have a story to illustrate why
>the ones that broke did so?   I've personally never played with anything
>older than a 64 so if its just the 50-somethings that break maybe that's
>why I'm ignorant on this one.
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