Torsion Bar Settings

[mike_hinson]

Situation:
New 2 seat 9 chassis without an adjuster. New 28MM 300M SAW bars and chromo spring plates. Driver and co-driver are heavy (200+lbs ea).
Question # 1:
Where is a good starting point for an initial torsion bar setting (pre-load) and how do I go about it. Level the frame, use a degree finder, etc? Need your suggestions.
Question # 2:
How long will it take for the bars to sag out? Will testing be enough, or will it take one or more races?

[TimHayosh]

Mike, here are some of my experieinces....

The 300M bars shouldn't sag much (at all?).

It sounds like my car will weigh about the same as yours. So, depending on where you will be racing, a good starting point is about 14-15 deg of preload. I use a digital level to set mine. You can see how I level the car on the "Rebuild" section of the F9.com website. For me, the softest courses (Rocky Point, Snowflake) requires about 13 deg of preload. When I set up for an MDR course, I'll crank it up to about 15.5 deg. I guess the only real setting will be the one that keeps you from bottoming out. With a variance of only a couple of degrees, I don't have to revalve my shocks. The back end of my car handles as good as I could imagine.

Let's hear some from everyone else!!!