ok this is prob a stupid question but i've heard plenty about cranking the torsion bars to get an inch or two more of lift. i looked under my truck today and seen the bars and looked towards the front of them and looks like you need a big *** key or something to turn them. If there is a different way, how do i crank my torsion bars?????????/ i'm getting new tires and wheels tomorrow and I'm gonna need those couple extra inches for the wider tires thanks

 

lol.

Torsion bars or t-bars have been discussed SO many times it's actually a pain in the neck to search!

Cranking them is actually a bolt with a 1/2" hex head that sticks DOWN from the towers at the back of the bars. Follow the bars back from your front suspension and you'll see they end in a "tower" sticking down from the frame right under the front edge of your doors.

Look up into a hole in that tower and you'll see a 1/2" bolt head. It's pretty hard to turn. Turn it clockwise to RAISE the truck, and counterclockwise to lower it.

Don't go over board. Give it 2 to 4 full turns at the most, then move your truck around a bit and turn the wheels, etc. to let the suspension "unwind" so-to-speak. Then look and see if it's where you want it and readjust from there.

Since there is a sway bar that links the two sides, do both sides the same amount before you move the truck around and look at the result.

Some people say you can just bounce on the bumper -- but I've found with mine if I don't drive it back and forth and all it doesn't move very much from the adjustment.

Hope that helps.

 

hey thanks

 

(>,<) I had a picture of this, Lemme find it somewhere....

 

This is looking in from the passenger side, just under the door.

 

Woot! There it is!

 

lol john
gotta be helpful when I can

 

Hey, what can I say -- I'm too lazy to go dig up a picture. It's easier just to type, lol!

 

john i could SWEAR its a 13mm bolt

 

Well, when I've used 13 mm's in the past, some of them have actually split on the torque when the bolts weren't adjusted for awhile (mine get buried in mud and corrode a bit). 1/2 fits on mine, so that would sort of say that 13 mm is too large? Yes, it works, but when it's too large it can break the socket (well, cheap ones anyway, lol). 13 mm wrench always fits over 1/2 in bolts, but seldom the other way around. Did you try a 1/2 inch socket on it?

 

Could someone PLEASE make a sticky for torsions.

 

Half-inch.

 

i still think they are 13mm..... not too many standard sizes on new vehicles nowadays. nothing worth arguing though

you say 1/2 i say 13 either way the bolt turns the same

 

Don't you have to loosen the upper control arms & then tighten them back up after you have cranked the T-Bars?

Brenton

 

Get someone to make your topic (and any others if there's differences) STICKY's so we don't have to hear this question again! lol! (though you know we will)

I've always done it by just adjusting those bolts. That's all the Ford manual has you doing anyway (regardless of what size they are).

 

Why in anyone's name would you have to do that???

 

It's actually really easy. Get a 2 ton Floor jack, Jack up the front end of your truck evenly so that your tires are at least 1-2"s off the ground. Get a can of WD40, Hose down the bolts and let it sit for about 5 minutes before you start cranking. Make sure that you crank each one the same amount of turns. After it's done, if your tires are kinda cockeyed, you might need to go in and get a Front end alignment so that you don't get unusual wear on your tires.

 

That's ridiculous, Ricky (hey, how come I'M the girl -- never mind, don't answer that, I don't want to know or I'll cry "waaaaahhhhhhh"...)

If that were true, your suspension could never flex. Your torsion bars connect to your LOWER arm and the upper arm just follows.

Wasn't it YOU or was it someone else who told us about crappy Ford ball joints, lol? I don't think the process of how you crank it makes ANY difference and there is NOTHING in physics that suggests it.

I'm on my second set of lowers at 50K and with 35's I expect to go through more, lol.

I did let my bars down an inch to inch-and-a-half though. Rides much better. With the spindles I don't need as much lift anyway.

You shouldn't hose down the bolts or you wash off the dry threadlocker Ford puts on the -- but if you crank up, and then back down, it's gone anyway.

I will point out that Ford's service manual mentions nothing about lfiting it when adjusting.

 

If you have to loosen your upper a-arm just to adjust the torsions (which moves the lower arm through it's normal arc a LITTLE), then how could the suspension EVER flex? That's whacked.

The idea that loosening the upper control arms does ANYTHING to that adjustment process is astounding to me. How could you think that? You STILL haven't explained why it would help and the geometry says it WOULDN'T.

And I've had guys who fix cars for a living BUTCHER my truck. No offense meant, but it doesn't mean you're right just because you do it for a living. I mean, Ford MAKES the things and doesn't tell you to lift it OR loosen those, lol.

And I must say, that whole upper arm loosening thing DOES have me wondering about you!

 

I've cranked my torsions up and down so many times I lost count.... I have never Used or even touched a torque wrench in the process.... Nor do you need to undo the upper control arms to crank your torsion bars... That's a waste of time... All you need is a can of WD40, a 13mm Socket wrench, a 2 ton jack stand and about 10 minutes....