How Do You Adjust Your Torsion Bars To Get A Littel More Clearance In Front What Does This Involve Getting New Ones Or Using The Old Factory

 

If you have a 4wd 97-03 (and 04 heritage) you use the factory bars, if newer you need the leveling kit. they are basically right under the front seats, you just go under with an 18mm wrench and turn them to the right to lift, once you get it to where you want it go get it aligned. good luck

 

Here's a pic of a torsion bar/adjustment cam. Just crank up each adjustment bolt an equal number of turns (they will probably have different amounts of preload) and get an alignment.

 

I thought that you had to buy the torsion key kit to adjust them?

 

mine are turned up

 

whats that mean? turned up

 

No, you don't need to buy anything. "Turning up", "cranking up", etc, are just terms used for increasing the preload on the torsion bars. See the bolt on the bottom of the torsion bar adjustment key (the metal piece covered in surface rust) in my pic? You tighten it to increase the preload (raise the truck) and loosen it to decrease the preload (lower the truck).
Also, the aftermarket torsion bar adjustment keys sold for our trucks are a bad idea. They are just reindexed torsion bar adjustment keys that allow you to put way too much preload on your torsion bars. This leads to premature wear on your CV and ball joints and destroyes your ride quality.

 

hm thanks!

 

Can't wait 'till it's a warmer day here and I can find a dry and level place. Think I need to put the tape measure to my truck... I'm feeling the urge to crank the front (if required) before I get my new tires and/or shocks... and of course an alignment to keep the new tires... umm, new longer.

When measuring should I just measure from the ground to the bottom edge at the top of the wheel-well?

 

If you want to level it dont use the top of the wheel well as the front has more fender gap than the rear. Use the bottom of the body or the body moulding. If you know you just want to go a inch you can use the wheel well

 

Hi Jughed... Should I measure from the bottom of the body behind the wheel-well, just slightly infront of the driver/passenger doors? And, where should I measure at the back of the truck... infront of the wheel-well from the bottom of the box body to the ground?

On a different note, I already have a posting in the wheels and tires section about tire choices and I'm looking at the Toyo OpenCountry AT vs the Kumho Road Venture A/T... Noticed you have the Kumho's, would you mind checking out that post and leaving comments about the Kumho's and listing the exact model you have... can't tell from the pictures in your gallery. Thanks.

 

Any time I have lowered or raised a vehicle I have used the bottom of the body just as you described; directly behind the front wheel well, and directly in front of the rear, unless there were ground effects involved. I have only raised a handful of vehicles but I have litterally slammed over a hundred. The wheel wells are not a accurate way of leveling a vehicle as they will generally have more fender gap in the front and you will end up with a actual rake. If you measure from the top of your tire to the fender and adjust to the same difference the actual body line will be nose down.

 

So how much is too much to crank the factory torsion bars? 1 inch? 1.5 inch?

 

Every truck is differnt. You can usually get at least 1.5 inches.

 

Great info!! I've been wanting to raise mine a little if possible and have never adjusted the torsion bars. So you can crank the front up in equal increments until one or both sides are maxed (equal turns match first side that's maxed) - Then align.

Will this warrant a block in the rear to keep her level? Or is that just Personal preference depending on how much travel is gained in front.?

Thanks.