I ran into a post that discussed adjusting the torsion bars for alignment.

How do you adjust the rear torsion bars on an 84' Regency? I have about an inch between the trailing arm and the rubber stop on the frame, and would like to get a little lift on the rear, so I have more then an inch clearance. I am afraid that these have not been adjusted for a long time.

Thanks,
John

If you find out - please post the info here. Unfortunately, there is little info on these that I have.

All that I have been able to find, which tells me that it is possible, can be seen in this site.

https://www.barthmobile.com/eve...1087061/m/2613929667

So, as the season comes to an end for us Northern Campers, my hope is that more people will return to Barthmobile Forum, and hopefully get some direction on where to find out about this procedure.

Would you mind sending me a picture of your Barth and one of the data tag?

bill_ny@barthmobile.com

Check out the bus conversion boards. The Eagle bus had torsion bar suspension and you will find numerous article on their adjustment. Should be the same.

Also you might check out some old Chrysler manuels as they used torsion bars for years.

Ok...I figured it out. Maybe there are no responses, because it is quite easy. Reference this site, to get an idea of what we want to do.

http://www.freeasestudyguides....-bar-adjustment.html

So when laying under your MCC coach, look at the control arm, and from the control arm you will see the torsion bar come from it (about 12") to the torsion bar adjustment box (approx 8" x 8" x 2"). There are two 3/8-16 bolts holding the cover on (use a 9/16" wrench), and remove the bolts. It is pretty self explanatory from this point...drive the adjustment bolt accordingly, to get the lift you want.

Keep in mind, I do not know if excessive lift will effect the steering.

If you can't follow my directions, let me know, and I will post some pictures. But after looking at the site I posted above, it really made it easy to find the adjusting bolt.

Bill,

I am the fifth owner. Sloan Mfg was the first, don't know the second, Morrie was the third, and Betty was the fourth. Reference my first post:

https://www.barthmobile.com/eve...251065832#8251065832

M/N: 8309-0028-35RDA

S/N: 1RP1A586D1US1089

And I have attached a picture as a DOC file.

I am a FMC Owner and occasionally vist this site to see MCC type entries. I do not know all the differences among MCCs and Barths or what years or "models" used the FMC derived chassis, suspension and steering.
The MCC was built on a MCC made stretched FMC chassis and apparently used the same design for the front and rear suspension as well as the steering design from FMC #646 and above. One of our FMC Owners (Kjetil #477) in Oslo, Norway, maintains a website that has the FMC Service Manual and the FMC Parts Manual. The link - http://www.fmcmotorcoach.com/Manuals.html - will lead you to Service Manual Chapter 6 Suspension, where you will find description of the FMC rear suspension and adjustment of the Torsion Bars. In Figure 6-1 at the left side, the "ANCHOR", and the "ADJUSTMENT SCREW" that goes thru it, are how the torsion bar is adjusted as that rides against the frame. It is behind a approx 4 by 6 inch removeable panel at the front of the wheelwell. It is the "fixed" end of the torsion bar spring. The other end is splined into the big outside tube that has the bushing supports on each side of the trailing arm, that swings up and down as the inner torsion bar twists.

Please remember - this link is for a FMC. Use at your own risk.

The FMC torsion bars are . . . deficient. In general we FMCers do not adjust the rear torsion bars as it is pointless, and easy to get the two sides out of plumb. We have a fix for the rear suspension torsion bar "deficiency", but perhaps the MCC does not have the same issue that the FMC does. The Rear GAWR on the FMC is 9500 lbs. The MCC torsion bars may or may not be the same as those used in the MCC.

If you look at the Parts Manual Chapter 7 Steering on pages 7-4 you will see the steering setup for FMCs up to #645, and then on Page 7-6 the steering setup for FMC #646 and above. I think all the MCCs have the steering as shown on Page 7-6.

Please remember, the Manuals at the above link apply to the FMC 2900R Motorhome made between 1973 and 1976 ONLY. There is no information per se about the Transit FMCs or the Shuttle Bus FMCs nor anything that is about the MCC made Motorhome or any other Barth that used the FMC "designed" chassis, suspension, steering. Lou #120 FMC.

Looking thru the Regency Suspension Restoration, Entry #168 by ChrisW, third picture down shows the MMC torsion bar for each trailing arm extending toward the CENTER of the chassis, where the adjustment ANCHOR is behind the sheet metal covered box. That is significantly different than it is on the "parent" FMC, as the FMC ANCHOR is on the outboard end of the trailing arm tube. The tube, bushings, trailing arm appear to be the same MMC and FMC but the torsion bar itself and it's anchor point are different. This also implies that a heavier torsion bar was "new" for the MMC as it is quite a bit heavier. The MMC torsion bar is also LONGER than that used on the FMC.

The shock absorber mounting is slightly different on the MMC than that used on the FMC. The FMC has a "loose" thru bolt mount at each end of the shock and the upper end is four inches closer to the coach center than the bottom on the trailing arm. This alignment starts squirting the shock rubber out as soon as they are installed. We have a fix for that. Many of the FMC lower shock mount tabs have broken off where welded to the trailing arm. The MMC lower shock mount tab seems a "stouter" weldment. The pictures I have seen so far don't show if the MMC shock is straight up and down or badly tilted in like on the "parent" FMC. Appears that both the MMC and the FMC use the same Monroe Shock #74028. Be advised that full shock extension "holds" the axle/brake/wheel "up" when the chassis is jacked up. If you take either end of the shock loose, the trailing arm and all that axle/brake stuff will come DOWN another 4-6 inches. Don't get your toes or fingers pinched when it comes down ! Put a bottle or small floor jack under the trailing arm before unbolting the shock and use it to get everything back up high enough to re-attach the shock as all that stuff is heavy, and that movement is starting to wind the torsion bar as well. It does not "hurt" anything to have it hanging free or on the full shock extension, but don't let the whole trailing arm/axle/brake/wheel DROP to be stopped by the shock full extension.

FYI - the trailing arm used in the FMC and MMC is almost identical to the one used on the US Army M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier that was made by FMC Corp starting in the 1960s. There have been over 80,000 of the M-113s produced. Lou#120FMC.