Yukon Torsion Bar help

[hellbender]

My 97' 4x4 4 DR yukon has 130k miles on it and I believe my springs may be sagging a little bit. I'd like to get new torsion bars to fix the sag and gain a couple inches in height instead of adding lift keys. Then I'd use an add a leaf in the back to help out the rear springs. All of this to clear 285's. This sound like a good idea?

So my torsion bar tags are unreadable and when I called the dealer up and gave them my VIN I got this part number back from them for the LH side: 15988805 with a code that read (6YB) and a side note that said torsion bar nut torque 7111. Does that mean my t-bars are rated at 7111 lbs? Are the gmc/chevy truck t-bars the same length of my yukons? If I want to correct any possible sagging and add about 2" in height to clear 285's can I use a slightly heavier bar like the WZ code ones or am I way off? I tried inputting the part number into gmpartsdirect but couldnt find any info about the t-bars.

Thanks!

 

[TheAutumnWind]

How are your keys indexed currently? If they are screwed all the way in then yeah you might have some sag and may see an improvement with new bars. If they have quite a bit of thread left then I wouldn't bother.

 

[hellbender]

How are your keys indexed currently? If they are screwed all the way in then yeah you might have some sag and may see an improvement with new bars. If they have quite a bit of thread left then I wouldn't bother.

I got the truck about 9 years ago and im the second owner and ive never adjusted them. Im assuming the previous didnt either as the only mod it had when i got it was a catback system. Where do i look to see if they are indexed or not? Where should i look for the threads? If the bars are fine then should i just get keys and a rear add a leaf? Thanks

 

[TheAutumnWind]

I got the truck about 9 years ago and im the second owner and ive never adjusted them. Im assuming the previous didnt either as the only mod it had when i got it was a catback system. Where do i look to see if they are indexed or not? Where should i look for the threads? If the bars are fine then should i just get keys and a rear add a leaf? Thanks

Let me preface this by saying that it has been a long time since I have worked on an OBS, but I am pretty familiar with my NBS.

I assume you know where the keys are located? In the crossmember in the middle of the truck where the keys are there is a bolt touching each key that is oriented vertically with the head of the bolt facing down. If that bolt has visible threads below the crossmember then you can tighten it and it will lift the front end of the truck. Most vehicles have a bit more thread showing on one side than the other. If your vehicle sits at a typical ride height and you have a couple threads showing than I would say that your t bars are in fine shape. If one or both are screwed all the way in and you are at a typical stock right height or lower than you have worn tbars. Most of these rigs can easily gain or drop an inch or two with the stock keys.

Hope thats helpful.

Since you think that your suspension is worn I would take a good hard look @ your jounce stops (front bump stops). On a factory height truck they should be just touching when at rest. These are different than what we typically think of as "bump stops" they will make your spring rate more gradual rather than linear. WIthout them or if they are worn out (very likely @ that vehicles age) then your ride will suffer. Very cheap and easy to replace. I replaced mine on my NBS recently, and if its the same you can just pop em out with a flathead screwdriver (pressed in place) and push the new ones in. Someone correct me if I am wrong here, but I believe that these are the same on OBS trucks.

 

[hellbender]

Hey , thanks for responding Autumn. I do know where the keys are located, I just didn't know where to look for the screws so I will check it out tomorrow. Where can I find the factory jounce stops? I'll check those as well, thanks.