Which is better: coil springs or torsion bars?

[Lefty]

Here I go again, asking the dumb questions so that you don't have to. I confess, I like good, tight handling.

Presently I've got a torsion bar type 2003 Ranger Edge. I am somewhat impressed by the ride. It seems to take the bumps in stride. Still, I like good, tight handling. I lowered mine by 1" in the back and about 3/4" in front. The T bar made lowering easy, of course. It also made a difference. So did a cheap pair of leaf spring clamps.

I've read different comments about torsion bars and coil springs, anti sway bars too. It seems as though there's a great range of opinions here.

Am I missing something?

 

[cbxer55]

I've never had a vehicle with torsion bars, so I can't say. I love the way my 98 3.0 V-6 Ranger runs and handles. It's not lowered, it's a SPORT version. I did fit it with Hellwig anti-swaybars back in 2002, two years after I bought it. And put all new suspension bushing on them in 2015, the originals were shot. Rolling on 205/70-15s up front and 255/60-15s in the b ack. Goes around corners like a slot car on a track. Have some new rims and tires making an appearance Sunday evening. Front's are 215/60-14 on 14 x 7 rims, rears are 235/50-14 on 14 x 8.5 rims. Nice staggered arrangement with some fairly fat tires. Will be replacing the rears with BF Goodrich TA Radials in 245/60-14, to keep near the 26 inch diameter I have now.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I beams FTW.

i had a 96 F150 with TTB then a 97 Expedition with torsion bars. The TTB was better in every aspect IMO except road feel.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Lefty]

I've never had a vehicle with torsion bars, so I can't say. I love the way my 98 3.0 V-6 Ranger runs and handles. It's not lowered, it's a SPORT version. I did fit it with Hellwig anti-swaybars back in 2002, two years after I bought it. And put all new suspension bushing on them in 2015, the originals were shot. Rolling on 205/70-15s up front and 255/60-15s in the b ack. Goes around corners like a slot car on a track. Have some new rims and tires making an appearance Sunday evening. Front's are 215/60-14 on 14 x 7 rims, rears are 235/50-14 on 14 x 8.5 rims. Nice staggered arrangement with some fairly fat tires. Will be replacing the rears with BF Goodrich TA Radials in 245/60-14, to keep near the 26 inch diameter I have now.


View attachment 90169

That's one nice looking Ranger. The reg cabs certainly drive and handle nice, just as well as cars, maybe even better. The wheel base is the same.

Ranger reg cabs are also light. I believe that mine weighs in just over 3,000 pounds, less than a Mustang, or a mid price Buick. Didn't yours come with sway bars? Or were those Hellwigs an upgrade?

 

[sgtsandman]

The advantage with coil springs is there tends to be more options.

Handling and ride comfort is pretty much equal if the specifications between the two are the same.

For handling, there is more than one way to skin that cat. Sway bars in the front and rear, different suspension bushings, spring rates, lower profile tires, and so on.

A big thing in unibody vehicles is strut tower braces to stiffen the body/frame. Frame twist can play a big factor in handling. Though that is a bit more difficult of a thing to do with a body on frame vehicle.

I know that a K Frame member has been used by some on coil spring, RWD Rangers but I don’t think an equivalent is out there for torsion bar ones since most are 4X4 and the priorities for the 4X4 crowd tends to be different than the RWD crowd.

 

[Josh B]

Do torsion and sway bars go together?

Do either ever go together with coils ?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Do torsion and sway bars go together?

Yeah.

Torsion bars run front to back, with one end attached to the A arm, the other end hooked to a frame bracket. They "twist" with bumps and act as a spring. Basically.

Swaybars mount to the front of the a arm on both sides and to the frame, and basically "tie" everything togther to help keep stability when cornering.

 

[cbxer55]

That's one nice looking Ranger. The reg cabs certainly drive and handle nice, just as well as cars, maybe even better. The wheel base is the same.

Ranger reg cabs are also light. I believe that mine weighs in just over 3,000 pounds, less than a Mustang, or a mid price Buick. Didn't yours come with sway bars? Or were those Hellwigs an upgrade?

Mine only had the front bar when purchased. So yes, they were an upgrade, and worth every penny.

 

[cbxer55]

Yeah.

Torsion bars run front to back, with one end attached to the A arm, the other end hooked to a frame bracket. They "twist" with bumps and act as a spring. Basically.

Swaybars mount to the front of the a arm on both sides and to the frame, and basically "tie" everything togther to help keep stability when cornering.

Basically, a sway bar is a sideways mounted torsion bar. It works on the vehicle trying to twist the bar when it leans around corners. Take a straight piece of metal, say a paper clip. Straighten it out, then bend both ends 90 degrees. Then try twisting it with both hands. That's an anti-sway bar.

 

[Blmpkn]

Google will tell you the answer. You can't use the regular search though... you'll need to use the image search.

Search "off road race truck/vehicle/rig/whatever" and look at the front suspension setups on the fanciest rigs it shows you.

You won't see any t-bars. You'll see SLA and coils, beams and coils, or a 3/4 link solid axle setup with coils. Race/ultra-performance vehicles get built "the best".

T-bars work just fine.. or else they wouldn't have been so widely used for so long... they're just super limiting and give you more shit to snag up on off road. Hate em.

 

[Josh B]

So,, now we have sway bars, anti-sway bars, and T-bars. I'm beginning to get dizzy trying to sort this out

 

[Lefty]

So,, now we have sway bars, anti-sway bars, and T-bars. I'm beginning to get dizzy trying to sort this out

Hang in there Josh! I'm with you!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

They both do bouncy things.

T bars are cheap to lift a little. Coils are cheaper to lift a lot.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So,, now we have sway bars, anti-sway bars, and T-bars. I'm beginning to get dizzy trying to sort this out

FYI nerf bars ain't made out of foam...

 

[Lefty]

Google will tell you the answer. You can't use the regular search though... you'll need to use the image search.

Search "off road race truck/vehicle/rig/whatever" and look at the front suspension setups on the fanciest rigs it shows you.

You won't see any t-bars. You'll see SLA and coils, beams and coils, or a 3/4 link solid axle setup with coils. Race/ultra-performance vehicles get built "the best".

T-bars work just fine.. or else they wouldn't have been so widely used for so long... they're just super limiting and give you more shit to snag up on off road. Hate em.

Do they both handle the same on the road?