Eagles International Forum

Ah, I guess I don't understand how the Torsilastic springs work. I assumed they're a solid torsion bar packed in rubber. How do they slip? Does anyone have a diagram?

Eric,

As I mentioned, someone who knows Eagles needs to look at this one and assess the situation. Yes, it is a torsion bar encased in a rubber compound, and there is an adjustment rod that is turned to bring the bus up to the correct height. If the torsion bar has lost it's tension, in some cases it can be "reindexed" (twisted in its mount and rebolted), and then start the adjustment rod in a new cycle. I have not heard of a torsion bar actually snapping, but since it is old steel under a lot of stress, it might be a possibility. The usual situation is that it loses its ability to resist the load, and even though it has been adjusted, it creeps back down. I have one of my rear torsilastic's failing on my 1984 Model 10. I adjusted it last summer,and now it is back where it was. The Sulastic Company is the only one rebuilding these, just as Mason reported, but the cost of the part and paying someone to do it might double the part cost.

My solution will be to take off a good torsilastic from a donor bus, and install it myself. Those are the two extremes. By the way, you do not need to take the rear axle out to do this, but there will be a lot of work, and the tube is the same for Model 05's and up. If air bags are considered, fabrication of mounting brackets on the frame and on the center of the torsilastic are involved. You mentioned that the current or previous owner had installed some kind of rubber support device to supplement the torsilastic, which sounds strange, maybe it is an airbag system. Detailed pictures would help us sort this out, and if you indicated where the bus was located, perhaps someone nearby from this forum could look at it. Someone might even know this bus personally from working on it, that has happened before. Don't worry about someone trying to snatch up your Eagle prospect, very few people want a car storage setup as a conversion. Most racers use trailers for the cars and equipment. (Of course, if there is just one other person who wants an Eagle with half the length devoted to storing a car, then the bidding race is on).

A model 20 with a M11 was probably one of Freedoms Eagles from Indiana when he owned those they were well cared for

Historically, Cliff (luvrbus) is rarely wrong. Is your bus in Indiana, Eric?

Who is having good luck with there shocks and what is the part # and manufacture

try the tech page, it has the part #'s.

here is screenshot of Gabriel catalog