Suspension Tech General discussion of suspension for the Ford Ranger.

Torsion Bar Adjustment

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Old Feb 8, 2009
  #101  
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From: athens, Al
Make sure you jack the front wheels off the ground!!
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #102  
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From: Quebec , Beauce
Did you have to lift down the truck every shot you want to measuring how the front is lifted???
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #103  
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From: athens, Al
Originally Posted by 98xlt
Did you have to lift down the truck every shot you want to measuring how the front is lifted???
LOL..yeah so you can measure from ground to bottom of fender well. Also after you adjust drive it down the road. it will settle a bit, then recheck it.
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #104  
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From: Quebec , Beauce
Did you lift the front of the truck with a jack because it make easier to turn the bolt.It that the only reason???
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #105  
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From: athens, Al
Originally Posted by 98xlt
Did you lift the front of the truck with a jack because it make easier to turn the bolt.It that the only reason???
Yes i did. some say do some say don't. but im mr.safety so i did....lol!!
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #106  
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From: Quebec , Beauce
Does it change something when you drive the truck??I don't know..... but I'm thinking it makes the truck tighter???
 
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Old Mar 30, 2009
  #107  
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From: athens, Al
Originally Posted by 98xlt
Does it change something when you drive the truck??I don't know..... but I'm thinking it makes the truck tighter???

LOL!! just do it!! If you dont like it just remember the amount of turns you did and reverse it. I like mine but its a VERY opionated thing.
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009
  #108  
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From: Kawartha Lakes
Originally Posted by 98xlt
Did you lift the front of the truck with a jack because it make easier to turn the bolt.It that the only reason???
im no expert but from what ive heard its the proper way to do it.. you jack it up to release the tension on your suspension, so you can properly adjust it. im sure someone has a better explanation for you
 
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Old Jun 18, 2009
  #109  
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okay prob a dumb question, can i use ramp stands do to this or be better if i use the bottle and jack stands?
 
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Old Jun 18, 2009
  #110  
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Need a jack & jack stands the ramps wont allow the tires to drop. They need to be suspended in the air.
 
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Old Oct 31, 2009
  #111  
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From: portland, or
so if you do this and you crank both bolts the same amount of turns, say 3... and when you measure it the pass side is higher should you adjust the drivers side so that they measure the same and one bolt has more turns or do you leave it the same number of turns???
 
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Old Nov 4, 2009
  #112  
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From: Greensboro, NC
adjust it so that it rides evenly, same hight. different weight balance (battery, gas tank, driver) and wear will cause one side to sit lower, so doing this is a good way to level the truck
 
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Old Jan 21, 2024
  #113  
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From: plum
2001 Ranger

Originally Posted by WowMike2001
haha, NO! I'm not going to ask where or how to do it.. I'm actually going to be snapping a bunch of photo's here in a minute because I FINALLY have some dang free time to balance the front of my truck up to match that 2" stock rear block from the factory in the rear. So just a heads up for any adventurers into the underside of the truck and wanting info on the proper way to do things with it.

If your interested, stay tuned.. as right now I am heading out to start working on it.

If you plan on following along, gather up a couple tools.. and pop them out in your work area.. nothing like prepping for a job :-)


*************************
Tools Needed:
1/2" Socket + Breaker Bar
Bright colored paint for marking torsion bolt stock location and turn point. Or a Dremel (Like I did)
1x Quicklift/Hydraulic Jack to lift the truck
2x Jack's to drop the front end on (ALWAYS Safer using a proper set of jacks)
1x Measuring Tape, for measuring the rear end.. (Will provide pictures on proper measurement areas.)




First step, you'll need to pull out your measuring tape and measure the front and rear height to get a mark as to how much you wish to lift the front of the truck. Write them both down on paper so you don't forget them, and keep the paper handy for frequent measurement checks. This is the proper way to get your measure, from the ground, to the lower portion of the top most point of the wheel well:





This is where the torsion bars are located.. 2 of them, one for each side of the front suspension. Which means there are 2 bolts to adjust, each bolt is a 1/2" socket, with plenty of room to get both hands around to give you some leverage if you need it. They are located a couple feet behind each wheel, and are very visible just by peeking under the edge of the truck.





The proper placement and raising of the truck is the most important part of this operation.. this is a very simple task, and provides you with the maximum amount of protection, BE SAFE! Never stick any tools, arms, legs, or anything breakable/hurtable under a tire or any spot you may risk getting hurt if, for some reason, the vehicle decides it doesnt like to stay lifted. I don't want to ever hear about anyone breaking a limb or back from squatting wierd under the truck.. dont do it, just do it like everyone else, lay on yoru back, wear a good pair of Carharts//Overalls to keep yourself warm, dry, and give some protection value. The following 2 pictures are how you lift the front end, and place the jacks.







The next step is to mark the stock location of the bolt. You should clean off the surrounding area of the bolt and scuff it a slight bit if you decide to apply a paint to it to mark the location. For myself, I prefer to use a Dremel with a cutting bit attached to mark the location, the following is how I marked it.. this is to show you exactly how many rotations of the TB you are doing, and provides a good place to tweak each side to the exact amount every time. The picture is slightly fuzzy.. as holding a camera eight inches away doesnt allow it to focus just right, I sharpened it up a bit and tweaked it so you can see the marks on both the nut, and on the outer housing of the TB.





Fasten a 1/2" socket to the bolt, stick your breaker bar on the end of the socket wrench.. and begin to tighten it (Righty tighty, lefty loosey) (Or Clockwise for Tightening, Counter for Loosening). A good sized breaker bar will give you PLENTY of leverage, I was able to do this with 1 arm on the breaker, and my other hand holding the socket in place and found it very easy to tighten the bolt. Adjust both sides EXACTLY the same, and a small amount at a time.. I went roughly 1/2 a turn on each side, then got up and measured the gap in the tire to the wheel well every time, I pre-determined I wanted to give myself 1 1/2" lift to give me a good balance with the front and rear, but not a prerunner look. You NEED to measure BOTH sides at the same time, as it is very critical to make sure both are measuring the same when the truck is lowered. Keep tightening the bolt until you feel you have what you need.. then lower the truck, and take it out for a spin on some un-even terrain to settle the suspension back into place.


This is a before/after picture of my work, this is a VERY easy task to do.. and makes a big improvement. This allowed my 265/75/16 Toyo's to stop rubbing when I cranked the wheel.. and makes it look an awful lot better as well.

Do you need to re aline the front end after doing this?
 
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Old Jan 22, 2024
  #114  
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From: Everett, WA
Originally Posted by Tobey
Do you need to re aline the front end after doing this?
Yes you will need an alignment.
 
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