torsion keys question

[bowtiefreak]

If you can unbolt the bottom now and let the shock extend all the way and see how much travel it has in it. Kind of go from there. Worst case the ride will suck a little and the shocks will get damaged...then get longer shocks. Shocks are tough, I learned with trial and error on my truck. My sits taller than most 6" lifts so finding shocks was a bit of a pain in the ass. I bought a set for the rear that were way short but for a 6" lift. Now the ones I have are way long but do the trick. my fronts were easy since I have the hoops. I measured from mount to mount at ride height , on a jack and went from there nowing close to how much travel I needed.

 

[woodman300]

thanks for the info. i cranked the stock keys. it took 10 minutes. i measured at the wheel center line to the fender about 35 1/2". i then lifted the front end to get the wheels off the ground, put the jack stands under the frame. sprayed the adjuster bolts. i took a piece of blue masking tape and put a mark on my socket. using an air gun i gave it six turns on each side. it literally took ten minutes. i let the car down and measured again and i had put over 2" lift so i put it back up and backed the adjusters off about a turn. i now have about 37 1/4" at the wheel center line to the fender. there is still room for adjustment but i think this is good. fyi my truck is a 96 with all stock except for the tires which are worn out mostly 285/75r16. i ordered new wheels and tires today (same size) and i should be getting them on Friday. i may still need to trim a little on the inside fender area but i will let the body guy do that.

thanks again for the help.

 

[bowtiefreak]

alignment too....

 

[piranah]

not to thread jack, but is there a guide as to what the torsion bar/keys are?

so if i do this, it raises the front of the truck? or is there stuff in the back? sorry for being stupid.

im a NOOOOOOBBBBB to this stuff. this looks like something im interested in, as i dont have the money do do a proper lift.

 

[woodman300]

alignment

right, i intend to get the front end aligned as well, i have never once done that but i will when i get the new rubber.

 

[bowtiefreak]

Don't hold off too long, wet roads and so on will make turns..braking and so on a bit sketchy.

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------

not to thread jack, but is there a guide as to what the torsion bar/keys are?

so if i do this, it raises the front of the truck? or is there stuff in the back? sorry for being stupid.

im a NOOOOOOBBBBB to this stuff. this looks like something im interested in, as i dont have the money do do a proper lift.

Torsion keys are part of the FRONT torsion bar suspension. I would not even call it lifting the truck by cranking on them IMO. you will raise the front up a bit to where it should have been from the factory. The rear of your truck is leaf springs. New springs or blocks or a flip kit will raise the rear depending on how much you want. Search around and read some posts before you go wrenching on anything, no offense by this but you really need to have at least a little understanding of the truck before you touch it. Knowledge is priceless when it comes to this stuff. Slight oversites can cause problems for you and everyone on the road at that point.

 

[woodman300]

update

i went to get the tires and wheels. when they put on the 285s with the new wheels (atx artillery 16x9 chrome) i had some serious clearance issues. the top of the wheel well was fine but the tire made contact with the front bumper when turned. after looking at the wheel, it is easy to see why. they stick out much more than the stock wheels i had before. it kind of bugs me because before i ordered them i talked with the guy about wheel offset and he thought they would be ok. if i had known there would be a problem i probably would have chosen a different wheel. i had to decide on the spot whether to trim the offending material or switch tires. in the end i decided on the 265s. i could have easily trimmed the plastic air dam but the bumper itself was going to be a problem too and i just didn't want to mess with it. now i will probably make another small adjustment to the torsion bars to get a perfectly level ride stance and move on with some other items. i may replace the front bushings but i might wait a while. in the meantime, all i need now is the front end alignment.

 

[bowtiefreak]

Cutting teh bumper does suck but a cutoff wheel makes short work of it...trimming the plastic is also really common. I ran into a simila problem when I got my wheels...before the lift. They were an inch wider with less back spacing and I also ran a 265. I knew it was only staying until the lift but that still took two years.

 

[howhoecanyougo]

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