If I perform this "mod." will it have any adverse affects on my alignment / tire wear? Any chance of the bars snapping? Where exactly is the "bolt" I tighten? I haven't yet crawled under it, so I'll probably figure out what to tighten after I do.

-AR

 

The adjustment bolts are about in the middle of the door under the truck. Follow the bars back to the crossmember and you will find them.

For the alignment, if you go past level with the A arms, you will pinch the TOE in. Get it aligned for optimal tire wear.

 

Thanks for the info. Matt, I just went out and checked, and on the driver's side, I have 4 threads showing...while on the passenger side, I'm showing 11!!! Is this right? My "A arms" are pretty well angled down already...but why the big difference from side to side?

-AR

 

B.T.T.T.

-AR

 

B.T.T.T.

-AR

 

I dont know about the thread difference. most likely weight. The difference is to keep the truck from leaning to one side.

Basically get some wd40 or oil on the adjustment bolts, you will need a 18mm socket and 1/2 breaker bar or socket wrench. basically measure the front and rear fender directly thru the center of the wheel. Then just turn each bolt 1 turn. Measure again. repeat until level or within 1/2". Dont crank them so that you have more than 1" lift from stock height.

 

test

 

Great, thanks man, just one more thing...is alignment necessary when doing this?

-AR

 

Matt is correct, you need an 18 mm socket for proper fit on torsion adjustment screw, but you may be able use std. tool without boogering up screw head. The screws threads were different on my truck too, but the right side is screwed in more than left. They end up like this when you level the truck - the torsion bars are not quite identical in the height change per screw turn (you'll see), and vehicle is probably not evenly weight distributed L to R. I agree with Matt, just adjust screws until level as measured to fender lip at wheel center. I actually lowered my 4WD (for a week) by removing rear 2" bumper block and adjusting torsion bar screws nearly full out (just enough torque to hold screws in place). Learned some things doing this: a. rear axle moves forward ~3/8" when doing this as block has ~ 1/2" offset with leaf-spring-to-axle peg and hole alignment, so removing block moves axle forward, which may cause axle wear(?), b. alignment required if you mess with torsion bars, which requires camber cam(s) addition if adjustment exceeds factory tolerance, c. torque and ride height are NOT independent - if you lower 4WD it reduces torsion bar "spring", and in my case it was like no springs in front, the ride sucked. I raised it back up in front until ride improved, then finally put F & R back to original condition. This knowledge cost me about $160 in F.E. alignments. Yippee. Not to mention the shock absorber experiment, which is another story. My recommendation is to leave it alone unless you have a burning desire to spend money, time under you truck and Saturdays at your local tire shop getting alignments done.

 

Hahaha...that's what I figured man. Thanks.

-AR

 

Well, here's my quick story. Adjusted mine today. Truck's got 81,000 miles on it, and looked as if front end may have started to 'sag' a little. My new tires (with 4000 miles on them now) were starting to wear on the inside. I measured several places, then jacked the front end up, marked and oiled the bolts, and gave them 3 (easy) full turns with an ordinary 1/2" socket wrench. Result: Drives like a 'new' truck! With, a hair more than an inch of lift. The front tires are more vertical now, and the steering is a lot easier. Don't really notice any difference in ride comfort. It doesn't walk the road like it did, but I will still get it aligned pretty soon. So, I guess it will pretty much depend on your truck's condition before doing this. I'm happy, my wife's happy ('cause I didn't spend any money doin' this). Thanks for everyone's advice.

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'97 F-150 Lariat Ext. Cab 4X4

• White/Silver
• 4.6L, Auto.
• Bugshield/Bedmat/Toolbox/Tinted Windows
• 265/75/16 BFGoodrich on polished 16x8 AR-136's
• Cat-back Dual Exhaust
• Polar Bear Grille Guard

 

Flatlander, you may have other problems. Have you checked for worn parts to see why your truck was in the condition it was b-4 you lifted?

 

Thanks for asking, I'm sure I've got more problems. Just need to wait for the money and take it down to have it checked out. For right now anyway, it sure drives better. I dunno, do the torsion bars lose that much of their strength after a while? It's not like it was sagging that much, I had to take a level to several different wheel spots to see that it was off.