I've been looking for a while at adjusting my torsion bars to raise the front about 1.5-2 inches. I pretty sure that i know what to do, however i dont feel like ****ing up my truck just for a little height. Could someone give me detailed instructions and pictures (or post a link to somewehre that does).

Also, I'm going to be putting on new tires in the next few months. I currently have 265/70R17's installed and would like to go a little bigger. What size should i go with without having issues with rubbing or having to change out my gears?

 

You can fit 285's without cranking the torsion bars . Also I suggest NOT cranking the torsion bars to try and achieve 1.5-2" of additional lift that will over stress they bars and make your ride pretty harsh.

 

simple, you're not going to flock anything up but the alignment. crank up the t-bars, and drive the truck directly in to get an alignment. do this, and you shall experience no problems. i used a 1/2'' drive breaker bar and an 18mm socket to do this. if they do not want to turn, spray them with some pb blaster. just count your turns, and do three per side and then switch to the other side. keep doing this until desired height is achieved. you will not get the two sides perfect, maybe to within 1/4'' of each other, as you have to factor in the weight of the gas tank, etc.

i would personally crank them all the way up the first time, and avoid a tire fitment issue. every time you turn the bars, you will throw the alignment off. i did not notice an increased roughness in ride quality after doing this mod (as some claim), perhaps but only on speed bumps. unless you off-road frequently, i would not worry about the added stress on the bars.

the max tire size w/o rubbing or trimming you can go with on this setup with the bars cranked up all the way would be a 33'' tire, or a 305-70-17. however, this is an uncommon tire size, and your selection will be somewhat limited. your acceleration will probably suffer, but gears will not be necessary.

would you still like pictures of the t-bars themselves, or do you feel as though you will be ok w/o them? i will gladly take them if you would, and will post them tomorrow.

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=288279

 

A 265/70/17 is 31.6" tall and 10.4" wide.

A 285/70/17 is 32.7" tall and 11.2" wide.

A 305/65/17 is also 32.7" tall, but is 12" wide.

Would the 305/65 be an equal option to the 285/70 since they are the same height, or would the additional 3/4" width cause problems?

 

You should be fine but the rim width and backsapcing will play a part. You can always trim down part of the valance. I had to with my 35's and I am running the Fabtech 6" Lift.

Also you can take it for what it's worth but cranking the torsion bars all the way is not a good thing. It tends to wear the bars out prematurely and it essentially is putting he suspension at it's full extend and you may ride on the bumpstops. It also tends to wear ball joints and tie rod ends out prematurely as well. I advise against it. Take it for what you want.

 

You will not be able to crank the torsion bars up enough to fully extend the suspension unless you buy a set of those aftermarket torsion bar adjustment keys (aka leveling kit).

 

crank em all the way, if it wasn't good for the truck, why would it be adjustable from the factory? Think

 

im running a true 33x12.50x17 cooper discoverer STT (mud terrain with side lugs) on the stock wheels and have zero rubbing anywhere and have not cranked my torsion bars a bit

 

im running 305/70/17 and have my tbars cranked. The tires tuck in the in fenderwells nicely. Never had a problem after cranking them. I plan on putting on 35x12.5x17s hopefully next month since its my Bday maybe the parents will get me some tires. I wont hold my breath tho...

 

Can someone explain please the difference between true 33x12.50x17 tires and 285/70/17 tires. I am having a hard time understanding it. Also, if you mount one of the above options on stock suspension is regearing/recalibration necessary? (Sorry if I just hijacked this thread, but I didn't feel like making a new thread in wheels and tires )

 

The 285 is actually about a 32.7x11.5 if i recall

 

Your truck looked like it gained a bit of height, looks much better than those stock tires.

 

Take a look at my gallery, mine are cranked an inch and a half and I am running 285/70/17. I will be putting on 35x12.5x17 soon.

 

Grnzr03, i think it was how worn down my old tires were, plus i think all the old pics were taken with the factory running boards still in place. I deleted those a couple of months ago and that combined with the new tires makes for a significantly taller stance i think. I never saw what the truck looked like with the stock tires since it had the 285/70/17 cooper discoverer stt tires on it when i bought it from a friend of mine. But I do think the full 33x12.50x17 fills the wheelwells out better, and should look even better when i switch to an aftermarket wheel, just trying to decide what I want