Torsion Bar Lift?
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Joined: Apr 2001
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From: da great white north
Torsion Bar Lift?
Can i lift my 97 f-150 by cranking up the torsion bars in the front and putting blocks in the back? how much lift can i get doing this? and is it a good idea to do? and will i need wedges to correct my pinion angle?
thanks
thanks
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 133
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From: Kemah, TX
I cranked my t-bars one complete turn to get one inch. Anymore than that and you may experience harsh suspension stiffness and need of an alignment.
your *** is high enough already. but if you really want to put blocks in your rear, i wouldn't put more (height in the rear) than what you got in the front.
no, it's not a good idea.
no you will not need shims to correct your pinion angle. a couple of inches is not enough to mess with your driveshaft angle. you are still within the 10 percent of stock angle with a mere inch or two.
your *** is high enough already. but if you really want to put blocks in your rear, i wouldn't put more (height in the rear) than what you got in the front.
no, it's not a good idea.
no you will not need shims to correct your pinion angle. a couple of inches is not enough to mess with your driveshaft angle. you are still within the 10 percent of stock angle with a mere inch or two.
Member
Joined: Apr 2001
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There are many different opinions about this subject. The most you can get is about 1.5-2" w/ 3 full turns. Going more than that will mess up the CV joint angle and cause lots of front end probs. Yes you can put blocks in the back to even it out and i dont see why it's not a good idea. Search the past posts for more info.
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Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 164
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
I did exactly what you are thinking of. I have a 97 4x4 on 265/75R16's. The back end was sagging a bit, and wayyyy to soft in my opinion. Put any kind of a load in, and the back end started dragging.
So, I put an add-a-leaf , this really helped to get rid of the sag. I can actually carry a load now. Next, I put in a Pro-comp 3" lift block. This replaces the stock 2" block sitting between the axle and the springs. The Pro-Comp block has a shim angle already built into it. I used a very precise digital angle meter to measure u-joint angles on my axles after, and everything seemed close, no more than 4.0 degrees of angle on either u-joints.
The block raised the rear another inch, and gave it a noticeable rake, a tiny bit more than the new 4x4's with the "factory" rake. I also had a local shop make up some longer heavy duty u-bolts.
In the back, I also spent the money on huge poly bump-stops that are 4.5" tall, from Pro-Comp. I carefully measured the articulation travel distances in the back, before I even started. With this new stop, I have about an extra inch of travel in the back, which will not stress anything.
On the front, I went with about 3.5 turns on either torsion bar. I carefully measured the fender height before and after, while bouncing the suspension, to ensure an even lift. The front lifted about1.5 inches. This may not sound like much, but it actually is quite noticeably higher looking, and reduced the rake angle of the whole truck to about what a new 4x4 looks like.
I also carefully and precisely measured the front CV axles with the digital meter. They are both very close to 6.5 degrees. I think this is well within limits of a normal CV joint angle.
A lot of guys on this board think that you will overstress a CV joint by increasing the angle. This is true, but you really have to radically change the angle. After all, CV axles are designed to be turning the tires while under full articulation of the front suspension up or down, and while being fully turned left or right. These angles caused by normal driving are much bigger than what you can ever achieve by "cranking the bars", and the CV's are just fine. That's not just my opinion, but the opinion of several Ford tech's and chevy techs (the Chevy IFS and CV's are almost identical to the Ford's).
The whole point of my mods was to give me a cheap lift. It worked great. My truck, sitting next to any other stock Ford 4x4 with the same height tires, sits about 1 to 2 inches higher. It is very noticeably higher, just by looking. It sits about as tall as a Superduty F-250 4x4, and they are big rigs. There is a lot of room between the tires and the fenders, which is the way I like it. It also leaves me lots of room for bigger tires, which is my next purchase in the distant future. The total cost for me came to about $600 Canadian including taxes and labour, and that includes new Pro-Comp shocks! Not bad, considering any kind of lift costs minnimum $2500 csd!
So, I put an add-a-leaf , this really helped to get rid of the sag. I can actually carry a load now. Next, I put in a Pro-comp 3" lift block. This replaces the stock 2" block sitting between the axle and the springs. The Pro-Comp block has a shim angle already built into it. I used a very precise digital angle meter to measure u-joint angles on my axles after, and everything seemed close, no more than 4.0 degrees of angle on either u-joints.
The block raised the rear another inch, and gave it a noticeable rake, a tiny bit more than the new 4x4's with the "factory" rake. I also had a local shop make up some longer heavy duty u-bolts.
In the back, I also spent the money on huge poly bump-stops that are 4.5" tall, from Pro-Comp. I carefully measured the articulation travel distances in the back, before I even started. With this new stop, I have about an extra inch of travel in the back, which will not stress anything.
On the front, I went with about 3.5 turns on either torsion bar. I carefully measured the fender height before and after, while bouncing the suspension, to ensure an even lift. The front lifted about1.5 inches. This may not sound like much, but it actually is quite noticeably higher looking, and reduced the rake angle of the whole truck to about what a new 4x4 looks like.
I also carefully and precisely measured the front CV axles with the digital meter. They are both very close to 6.5 degrees. I think this is well within limits of a normal CV joint angle.
A lot of guys on this board think that you will overstress a CV joint by increasing the angle. This is true, but you really have to radically change the angle. After all, CV axles are designed to be turning the tires while under full articulation of the front suspension up or down, and while being fully turned left or right. These angles caused by normal driving are much bigger than what you can ever achieve by "cranking the bars", and the CV's are just fine. That's not just my opinion, but the opinion of several Ford tech's and chevy techs (the Chevy IFS and CV's are almost identical to the Ford's).
The whole point of my mods was to give me a cheap lift. It worked great. My truck, sitting next to any other stock Ford 4x4 with the same height tires, sits about 1 to 2 inches higher. It is very noticeably higher, just by looking. It sits about as tall as a Superduty F-250 4x4, and they are big rigs. There is a lot of room between the tires and the fenders, which is the way I like it. It also leaves me lots of room for bigger tires, which is my next purchase in the distant future. The total cost for me came to about $600 Canadian including taxes and labour, and that includes new Pro-Comp shocks! Not bad, considering any kind of lift costs minnimum $2500 csd!
Senior Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,002
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From: Oregon
It is not just the up and down when you crank the bars, but the turning of the wheel. Every angle is more severe. yes, the joints can usually take the angles, but the problem becomes the boots! They are moving more and are more prone to tear. once dirt gets in the CV joints, whip out the wallet!
Senior Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,002
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From: Oregon
torsion bar instructions
Torsion bar lift, front 4x4 only:
tools:
tape measure
1/2 socket wrench
wd40 or pentration oil
18mm socket
Get under the truck. In about the middle of the doors there is a crossmember. If you look at each side you will see 2 bolts there. That is how you adjust the bars. Lube them up with the oil or wd40.
First check your tire pressure. Make sure each tire has equal pressure in it!!!!
Second, measure the top of the wheel well directly thru the center of the wheel. Do this for both sides and mark the measurements on paper. Also measure the same thing on the rear. Now if one side is lower than the other, you can adjust the lower side. Basically 1 full turn of the adjustment bolts is about 1/2" of lift.
Once you get each side level up front, then crank the bars in 1/2 turns until the front is about 1/2" lower then the rear. After each 1/2 turn, bounce on the front bumper about 2-3 times and measure. Do not exceed 3 turns on the bolts or more than 1 1/4" lift in the front. This will create excessive angles on the CV joints and cause premature wear!!!!
After that, drive the truck and check the measurements again side to side. You should have an alignment done on the truck
tools:
tape measure
1/2 socket wrench
wd40 or pentration oil
18mm socket
Get under the truck. In about the middle of the doors there is a crossmember. If you look at each side you will see 2 bolts there. That is how you adjust the bars. Lube them up with the oil or wd40.
First check your tire pressure. Make sure each tire has equal pressure in it!!!!
Second, measure the top of the wheel well directly thru the center of the wheel. Do this for both sides and mark the measurements on paper. Also measure the same thing on the rear. Now if one side is lower than the other, you can adjust the lower side. Basically 1 full turn of the adjustment bolts is about 1/2" of lift.
Once you get each side level up front, then crank the bars in 1/2 turns until the front is about 1/2" lower then the rear. After each 1/2 turn, bounce on the front bumper about 2-3 times and measure. Do not exceed 3 turns on the bolts or more than 1 1/4" lift in the front. This will create excessive angles on the CV joints and cause premature wear!!!!
After that, drive the truck and check the measurements again side to side. You should have an alignment done on the truck
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Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 28
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From: Tuba City, AZ
Larry,
I have a '97 4x4 ext cab truck. I broke the rear springs hauling gravel so this required new leafs. While replacing the leafs I added another leaf for increase load capacity. I drove it like this for a while. The rear end lifted about 3 inches made the headlights point downward. I used a floor jack and lifted the front so that the wheels were hanging down. I left the truck like this for half an hour and I also used WD-40 on the torsion bar bolts. I gave it 1.5 turns and it lifted the truck. I have the 265/75-16 tires and the truck sits higher than other trucks. I like it and the ride is much more like a truck.
I have a '97 4x4 ext cab truck. I broke the rear springs hauling gravel so this required new leafs. While replacing the leafs I added another leaf for increase load capacity. I drove it like this for a while. The rear end lifted about 3 inches made the headlights point downward. I used a floor jack and lifted the front so that the wheels were hanging down. I left the truck like this for half an hour and I also used WD-40 on the torsion bar bolts. I gave it 1.5 turns and it lifted the truck. I have the 265/75-16 tires and the truck sits higher than other trucks. I like it and the ride is much more like a truck.