Torsion bar madness HELLLP *RESOLVED*

[Gdsmith07]

Alright I’ve searched the thread and haven’t been able to compile enough info to answer my questions.

I’ve got my 2005 Yukon in the garage right now. I can’t figure out this damn suspension.

I replaced the entire front end a few months back and a few days ago I got back from work and decided I’d take the Yukon out for a drive.

It rides like crap ….

When I pulled the LCA’s I left the corresponding torsion bar with key in the old LCA. Then I just swapped it over the new LCA and with the correct key and installed from there.

With the Yukon sitting currently on tires it’s throwing the CV angle what seems like way out of whack and I don’t have the key cranked up at all.

However in searching through the forum I saw that someone had said that the bars have one side of them stamped on the end and the stamped end is supposed to face the rear. My stamped end is in my front LCA….. is this my problem? Are they able to be flipped like that ? Is there a possibility the guy before me flipped them to attempt to keep the ride height higher ?

 

[Gdsmith07]

 

[Gdsmith07]

 

[Gdsmith07]

Guys…. I’m an idiot. This has an obvious lift under it so I’m guessing these keys are for a lift. I have a spacer on the bottom of my strut that I realize now isn’t factory. Holy crap…. I’m an idiot hahahaha

Okay so how can I help my cv’s with this lift? I feel I’m probably height maxed out with my cv angles and I would have to do a diff drop to correct it. Am I correct in assuming this.

 

[1badjimmy]

Guys…. I’m an idiot. This has an obvious lift under it so I’m guessing these keys are for a lift. I have a spacer on the bottom of my strut that I realize now isn’t factory. Holy crap…. I’m an idiot hahahaha

Pic of the spacer?

If your second picture is NOT of the vehicle lifted with a jack or supported by jack stands then yes you are at max lift. See how the upper control arm is all but touching the frame piece below it.

More than likely what you have is a leveling kit. A full on lift kit will drop your differential and ease your CV angles. It will probably also bring the front up more. Lowest actual differential lift kits that I am aware of start at 4 inches.

Also it happens to all of us.

 

[Gdsmith07]

It was not supported in the photos my Jack is just chilling there for a photo op.

Currently aligning the front end, went for an around the block cruise snd it seemed the cv’s settled a little after I backed off the keys last night. Let y’all know how the test drive goes.

 

[Gdsmith07]

This is the second time I’ve tried to align the truck. I’m beginning to suspect something else is at play and not allowing me to get a proper toe alignment.

Going to get a second set of hands and see if maybe my idler and pitman arm are a little worn. Only steering components I didn’t replace and they didn’t appear to be bad when I initially changed the front end parts.

As a circle back this has all started because

1.) I have a consistent what sounds like bad cv click coming from the front driver side.

2.) when I engage 4WD the truck feels like it just is stumbling over itself and also likes to jump from left to right.

When I bought it, the PO said that he hasn’t been running the 4WD due to the fact that he had a front differential leak and when he took to the shop they recommended not to run it.

I got it up in the air and checked the diff fluid level was fine but noticed some weeping around the drivers side seal. So I replaced the seal. No new diff leaks have appeared.

Grabs case fluid level was good and transfer case doesn’t make any weird noises.

Basically my hunch is that it’s something with the suspension/steering that’s causing the 4WD craziness. I mean anything causing that much play in the front differential I would assume would just grenade the front diff rather quickly and I’ve never had an issue with the diff being hot or letting go or making noise.

If anyone’s got any ideas I’m open to anything at this point.

 

[1badjimmy]

That there is one of them budget leveling kits.

My best guess is that maybe the CV angles are allowing the inner joint to come out and go back in. Which could cause the jumpiness.

 

[Gdsmith07]

Im
Wondering if I should just remove the leveling kit and bring it back to relative stock height and then Crank the keys a little instead.

I was planning on ordering a coil over conversion kit and doing a proper lift then. Wonder if it’d be best to return to stock and deal With it later. Hopefully the springs in the back haven’t been changed. But honestly the suspension feels like riding on bricks right now.

 

[Gdsmith07]

But I’ve got 285’s under it now. Idk if they’ll fit with a stock height. I’d it’ll be real tight hahahaha

 

[1badjimmy]

Instead of suffering through changing the keys back to stock and hoping the 285’s fit; just save for/ ask the accountant for the true lift kit and coil overs.

It’s a ton of work plus expense of two alignments. Should get alignment checked/ adjusted for any suspension/ steering work performed.

And looking through your pictures again the right torsion bar seems to be installed backwards. On my GM vehicles of the same era the R & L were at the keys.

 

[wjburken]

View attachment 370116

It was not supported in the photos my Jack is just chilling there for a photo op.

Currently aligning the front end, went for an around the block cruise snd it seemed the cv’s settled a little after I backed off the keys last night. Let y’all know how the test drive goes.

I’m no expert on the NBS torsion bar suspension, but it sure looks like there is a larger than normal gap between your jounce stop and the lower control arm. It’s my understanding that with torsion bar systems, the bounce stop should be almost touching when the vehicle is at rest.

Torsion bars?

I'm new to my Tahoe, so I'm not sure if I'm getting the terminology right, so bear with me and correct as necessary. I noticed that the passenger's side front corner was lower than the driver's side. I thought maybe it had some accident damage, but when I got under the truck, I noticed that...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

 

[Gdsmith07]

Instead of suffering through changing the keys back to stock and hoping the 285’s fit; just save for/ ask the accountant for the true lift kit and coil overs.

It’s a ton of work plus expense of two alignments. Should get alignment checked/ adjusted for any suspension/ steering work performed.

And looking through your pictures again the right torsion bar seems to be installed backwards. On my GM vehicles of the same era the R & L were at the keys.

Yeah that’s what I was wondering as well are they able to be reversed? I agree that everywhere I had seen had said lettering to the back can they be flipped front to back?

I could definitely drop the bars again and flip them it isn’t too much of a hassle.

 

[Gdsmith07]

I’m no expert on the NBS torsion bar suspension, but it sure looks like there is a larger than normal gap between your jounce stop and the lower control arm. It’s my understanding that with torsion bar systems, the bounce stop should be almost touching when the vehicle is at rest.

Torsion bars?

I'm new to my Tahoe, so I'm not sure if I'm getting the terminology right, so bear with me and correct as necessary. I noticed that the passenger's side front corner was lower than the driver's side. I thought maybe it had some accident damage, but when I got under the truck, I noticed that...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

Thought the threads I had read most people Said just touching or an inch off. I agree my angles seem way crazy. Im
Wondering if maybe I do flip my torsion bars front to back if it would fix it. Maybe whoever installed the cheap lift put the bars in wrong. Ill
Give it a go tomorrow.

 

[Gdsmith07]

I was able to get a camber and tow alignment done this evening. Drives perfectly Fine in 2WD no issues with steering. Suspensions a little rough feeling but not any worse or better than it was.

Tried the 4WD again. Still having the same issues. Feels like it’s trying to fall over itself, and jerks left and right.

Even in 2WD I get a consistent click like a cv joint gone bad. There’s one strip of pavement available to drive on here and when I take the truck across the pavement st about 35-40 the cv click noise disappears. As soon as I hit the rock/dirt at the other end it comes back. It’s such a weird thing.

I was thinking maybe the bearings in the Axel stubs have gone bad? I’ve finally got a second set of hands and we will check the pitman/idler tomorrow as well.

 

[Gdsmith07]

Instead of suffering through changing the keys back to stock and hoping the 285’s fit; just save for/ ask the accountant for the true lift kit and coil overs.

It’s a ton of work plus expense of two alignments. Should get alignment checked/ adjusted for any suspension/ steering work performed.

And looking through your pictures again the right torsion bar seems to be installed backwards. On my GM vehicles of the same era the R & L were at the keys.

What’s a decent kit to go for with these Yukon’s? Are the rough country kits actually any good ? I’d assume they’re what you pay for which is what I’ve always thought of them but this is my first Yukon so I don’t know much about them in specific and how they handle the kits. Are they similar/the same as the silverado /Sierra’s ?

 

[Fless]

The front suspension on these is designed for the jounce stop to be contacting the lower control arm; it's a fulcrum point and having a gap will cause issues.

 

[Gdsmith07]

The front suspension on these is designed for the jounce stop to be contacting the lower control arm; it's a fulcrum point and having a gap will cause issues.

Even with the leveling kit should I still
Be able to adjust the front to touch the joints stop ?

 

[Gdsmith07]

Also just a why not. I antiseized the hell put of my bars and keys when I initslly
Took them out 8 months ago…. Was able to pull them by hand I’d recommend it if someone drops their bars made my life much easier.

 

[Gdsmith07]

Alright here’s a couple
Pictures of the new cv angles after finally
Getting a decent toe/camber alignment finished last night and cranking the T bar keys bolts basically all the way out this is what my cv axels angles look like and hy basically all the way out I mean my torsion keys are pretty much resting on the blocks.

I’m going to get it back in and flip the torsion bars front to back maybe that’ll give me a little more give in the front end so it’s not so brick like.

Then I guess it’s on to figuring out what’s going on with the 4WD