I'm going to crank my t bars tomarrow. I'm just a little worried because i have 4x4. I read some stuff about problems with the cv joint i think it is i can't remember exactly.I've read alot about cranking and know most the pros and con with spring fatigue, ride, and ball joints etc ...

How high are u guys with 4x4 cranked ?

how high can 4x4 go without problems or damage?

How many miles have you driven on it overall and how many while in 4 wheel drive ? have their been problems for any of u ?

who thinks i should go for 1 inch and who is for 1.5 ... ?

it seems like alot of money for alignment for only 1 inch of lift so i kinda want to go a little higher. . i'm going to drive it for a few days before i get it aligned to make sure i like the height.

 

The angle of the cv joint is where you need to worry, if it's at too steep an angle it will wear quicker. I cranked mine about 2.5 inches about 2 years ago. When I went to have it alingned I was half a degree out, not enough to worry about. Everything under my truck seems to still be in good shape.

PS-About 25,000 miles on it w/crank and about 250? miles off road.

 

im not 4x4, but i have had my t-bars cranked since i got the truck in 04, plus i got spindle lift and 35's for bout a year..with alot of offroadin.. almost every weekend.. and im just now havin to replace my balljoints.. ^^ like he said.. just watch the angle.. should be alright

 

for the amount of crank you are putting on yours you won't have to worrk about cv shafts for a long time, also, some people may argue about this but i don't believe an alignement is necesary with a t-bar crank, it does nothing to change your steering angles, it only changes the camber and in some cases (like mine) it results in better tires wear

 

thats encouraging but i have 24,000 miles on my truck and approximetely 1,500 + are off road in 4x4. apparently it only causes damage to the cv joint if 4x4 is engaged . Thats what i have gathered anyways .

 

i have put on 30,000 miles on my truck with the t-bar crank done. a lot of offroading and highway driving, even some oooops i got all 4 wheels off the ground and still no problem with anything. i only cranked until the front was level with the rear. the only thing i can complain about is a rough ride.

 

it tore the **** outta my old AT's w/out an alignment

 

it tore the **** outta my old AT's w/out an alignment, but then again im 2wd.. mods ^^ delete that post plz.. thanks

 

i oh yeah, i got the camber kit on my truck just to save my tires

 

with the live axle front end, the CV's are turnin all the time. 4wd engaged or not, doesnt matter for wear.
there is a concern in high torque situations off road in 4wd. the higher the angle of the CV the less load it can handle. crankin the bars put the CV at a higher angle in higher load situations more often.

FWIW, i had the bars cranked on my 03 EDGE 4wd since new, and put 60K on it w/o incident

 

if my cv joints ever die is there a replacment that is stronger and will last longer ?

 

Mine are at 10k cranked right at 3 inches. No issues at all and probably about 400 miles of that is off road. I don't beat the crap out of it but I am not gentle either.

 

i've had mine cranked for about 2 years, 3 inches. just a more "truck like" ride!

cranking them only 1-1.5 inches really doesn't do a whole lot. (imho)

 

Regardless of what people will tell you, the camber will always be more negative after cranking the bars higher than stock. Whether the alignment will be within spec afterward depends on where it is now within the allowable range and on how much you intend to crank them.

If you crank them an 1", you will probably still be in spec. Cranking them 2" or more will usually push the camber out of spec. The camber error causes the insides of the front tires to wear out prematurely. IMO, if you go higher than 1" over stock, you should have the alignment checked and corrected, if necessary. Correcting the camber requires replacement of the fixed factory camber plates with adjustable cams (AKA camber kit).

Cranking the torsion bars is not a true lift. It simply changes the equilibrium position within the stock range of travel. The higher they are cranked, the more often the shocks will top out as the truck moves over uneven ground or pavement. At +1", the increase in harshness is barely noticeable but it gets progressively worse from there. Cranking to the max will have the shocks smacking their internal rebound stops almost continuously.

 

cranked the bars 1.5 this weekend . I noticed almost no difference with 1" but surely i could feel the firmed up ride at 1.5 inch . I cranked it 8.25 turns . the bolts moved with no problems at all ... w/d 40 2 days before.

body roll is better but handling is compromised slightly. i can feel the wheels loosing traction when corning hard over rough pavement . When i go really fast up a driveway instead of it bucking up and down it feels like the tires loose contact and its in the air for a second before touching down. overall it seems fairly minor but this weekend i'll get it in some dirt and get a better idea how it changed

had it aligned today and the camber was still in spec . they just did some minor adjustments and straightened the wheel. it is driving perfectly straight , even better then the day i drove off the lot . Had a shop that specializes in alignment do it .

thanks for everyone help and input ... when i get time i'll put up pics of the shackle install and t bar crank i got some good before and afters for everyone.

i let air out of my tires and also they where wearing in the middle so i needed to let some out . letting out a few psi helped . I went from 33 upfront and 30 out back to ...30 up front and 28 out back .