Adjusting the torsion bars or ford keys

n8huntsman · July 11, 2003

Some people have been asking why tightening there torsion bars or using ford keys makes the ride stiff. I finished a page explaining whats going on. Check it out.

Why so stiff? Look here!

Another thing that it could be is that your hitting your bumpstops at that height. I had to remove mine. Check those for clearance and maybe get some low profile ones. Also check to see if you shocks are long enough by unbolting the bottom bolt and making sure that when the truck is jacked up the shock still reaches. It could be bottoming out in which case you would only need longer shocks. Also you may want to check your tie rod ends in the same fashion. Jack it up and unbolt them to make sure they reach. The ball joints on those tie rod to centerlink joint only go so far. They may be at there limit which is really dangerous. They could snap and you wouldnt be able to steer.

NoWake200 · October 29, 2003

n8scstm,

I just read your post and link....very good info. Yesturday I leveled "if you will" my 04 2500HD Sierra and lost that Cadilac ride and made it more like my old F250 with leaf springs. You talked about tie rods end and shocks, do you think that leveling the truck just 2" would have an effect or are they more effected by the big lifts 4"-6"? I can see my bumpstops now and I will look at them again...what size bump stops would you recomend for my application?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, I am looking foward to getting at least half my ride back again.

Rick

info...they gave me 6 turns that lifted me 2" they said that 8 turns is too much for the '04s and it would really take away my ride....8 turns was what they gave my friends '01...he has a nicer ride than I do.

NoWake200 · October 30, 2003

I looked at the bump stop...now I really do not get it. On my '04 there is a yellow rubber block that looks like a bump stop. Anyway there is 1.5" or so between the A arm(?) after the level, so I thought I was hitting it. Went to the dealer and looked under a '04 on the lot and the A arm and yellow block were touching on the factory one.

moregrip · October 30, 2003

check this out:

These torsion lift re-indexing keys are designed for use on all 2wd and 4wd 1500HD and 2500HD series trucks and SUV's. This includes the 2500HD truck, 3500HD truck, and 2500 Suburban and Avalanche. These torsion lift keys will provide between 1'' and 2'' inches of additional lift (depending on setting) and do so without the chance of stripping out the stock adjusting bolt. On the Chevrolet and GMC HD vehicles the installation of these torsion lift keys will actually improve vehicle ride comfort by increasing the amount of room between the lower control arm and the compression stop. This means a smoother and more comfortable ride with the benefit of 1-2"" inches of additional lift.

A question that many 4wd owners often ask is ''won't these keys wear out my 4wd faster?'' - the answer PLC gives is not really. All of the suspension lift kits made by RCD, Rancho, and some new Fabtech kits, use a 2'' lift knuckle that increases the operating angles the same amount as these torsion keys will and all of these lift kits have proven to be extremely reliable and are popular with customers. Vehicles with nearly 100,000 miles have reported no failure due to the increase in operating angle. PLC believes that the small increase in driveline angle is not enough to cause panic among the 4wd owners, however a slight increase in CV boot wear may be noticed and should be watched.

For the 2wd owners this is an EXCELLENT no-brainer upgrade that will help to level out a stock truck or SUV and provide an additional 1-2'' inches of lift to an existing ''true'' lift kit. The benefit in ride quality is worth it alone and works very well to slightly level the HD that arrives from the factory with a slight front to rear rake.

Longer shocks are not mandatory however PerformanceLifts.com suggests the installation of a longer and more performance oriented shock absorber. The Bilstein 5100 and Rancho 9000X are both excellent shocks and are well suited for HD applications and will provide a better than stock ride. Shocks are available for purchase separately below. If you have any questions please contact [email protected] for more information.

Please Note: PerformanceLifts.com strongly recommends getting the vehicle re-aligned after installing these torsion lift keys - failure to do so may lead to premature tire wear and poor handling. The $54.95 price is for a pair of torsion keys - enough for one vehicle. These keys CANNOT be added to existing suspension lifts made by RANCHO - RCD or FABTECH!

DSZ71 · October 30, 2003

Also, adding to checking the bumpstops on the lower control arms, you need to check the your upper control arms are not resting or hitting the small plate just under the mounting points. This will also hinder the amount of travel you can get if they hit before the shocks or bumpstops.

NoWake200 · October 31, 2003

Thank you for the info...do you think that there was any damage done by turning the torson bars six turns? Would there be any problem with turning them back and then adding the keys? How is it that the keys give it a better ride?

I am looking for a 2" lift to level out the front end of my HD but I really do not wan to hurt any thing.

Thank you for all the help...this is very new to me...I am use to just adding a leaf and being done.

Hecktorx · November 1, 2003

I believe I read on here a while back that one turn on the t-bar was worth .25". I found out that this was true when I turned my bars 6 turns and got 1.5"s of height out of it. Looking at the cv angles and bumpstops, I could probably get another inch out of them and not be at risk. I'm still closer to the up travel stop then the down travel.

When I go 285s, I will probably go this extra inch but I will need Ford keys because I don't think i have enough room left on the adjuster bolt.

My truck is an 03 Z71. I found the ride to actually be a little better with the bars cranked. My truck from the factory riding was on the jounce bumpers.

Kenny

NoWake200 · November 2, 2003

Jounce Bumpers, those are the yellow blocks that sit on the A frame? I was also trying to figure out how the ride was so good with the bumpers siting on the A frame. Don't get me wrong the ride that my truck has is still good...but off the lot is was great for a HD truck in this class. I have read ALL the post in this site that talked about these keys...and it is amazing for the most part everyone has gottne a different effect on the ride. I guess my next step is going to install the keys and see what happenst.

One thing I did notice when they adjusted the torsion bars the truck gained 2" in the front and now it lost .5" only driving it 75 miles this past week. Also my friend who did the job said the 03 could get 8 turns but the 04 with 8 was way to rough, went with 6 turns. I can not figure out this one either.

But one thing I do know the truck looks great standing level...I just wish they came out of the factory this way...all the trucks today are looking ball-less siting on the lots. Just my two cents.