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do torsion bars affect alignment

by Delmer Kunze Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Does cranking torsion bars mess up alignment? Yeah, the cranking will require an alignment. If the bumper shows significant sag then it may be contributing too to an alignment.

Premium Member. Yeah, the cranking will require an alignment. If the bumper shows significant sag then it may be contributing too to an alignment. It's not an immediate need but something you should not let go too long without addressing.Dec 22, 2013

Full Answer

What happens if you over adjust torsion bars?

Alignment Angles. The more tightening applied to a torsion bar’s bolt/key, the firmer the ride. Over adjustment will cause a harsh ride. Backing this bolt off will lower the suspension.

How are torsion bars attached to the frame?

One end of a torsion bar is rigidly attached to a frame cross member while the other is attached to a control arm pivot. As the control arm moves, the torsion bar’s resistance to twisting provides the springing effect. I like big trucks and I cannot lie. Can torsion bars lift?

Are the left and right sides of a torsion bar suspension interchangeable?

The left and right sides are often different and not interchangeable. There are several factors involved in adjusting the ride height of a vehicle with torsion bar suspension. The angle of the control arm and the amount of torque or twisting motion applied to the torsion bar.

Why do trucks have torsion bars?

There are several options for developing a front suspension and one such design commonly found on light and medium duty trucks involves the enigmatic torsion bars. The technology affords the comfort and control of an independent suspension while remaining robust enough for tough truck duties.

What are the disadvantages of torsion bar?

A disadvantage is that torsion bars, unlike coil springs, usually cannot provide a progressive spring rate. In most torsion bar systems, ride height (and therefore many handling features) may be changed by simply adjusting bolts that connect the torsion bars to the steering knuckles.

Is it OK to tighten torsion bars?

The torsion bars are what they are. You can't change how strong they are or how stiff they are. They're already holding up the weight of the front end of your truck as it sits right now. If you "tighten" them, as you said, all you will do is raise the height of the front end.

Do torsion bars affect ride quality?

0:568:06Cranked Torsion Bars? || That Bad?! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo it's just overall not a good situation. And we're gonna show you how it rides. All right so we'reMoreSo it's just overall not a good situation. And we're gonna show you how it rides. All right so we're driving on a fairly new concrete. Road so it's not terrible truck actually doesn't ride that bad.

What does adjusting the torsion bar do?

When adjusted, the torsion bar beneath your vehicle raises and lowers your front tires. While you can adjust this bar to create a large wheel gap between your tire and fender, you can also lower the height of your car. Before making any changes to your vehicle, measure the wheel gap on both sides of your car or truck.

How do I make my torsion bar suspension ride better?

Ride height, and the associated suspension properties, can be altered simply by turning each side's torsion-bar adjuster bolt. In Chrysler suspension systems, turning the bolt clockwise will increase ride height, while counterclockwise rotation will lower ride height.

How far can you tighten torsion bars?

You can go as high as long as you maintain at least 5/8's of a inch between the UCA and frame stop and that also includes needing to fix the OE shock due to being to short. Either a lower mount or longer shock.

How much lift can I get out of torsion bars?

About 2 to 3 inchesTorsion-bar adjustment on some applications can be attained by the turn of a wrench. About 2 to 3 inches of lift can safely be achieved by adjustment.

What happens when you crank your torsion bars?

Premium Member. The keys give the same travel with greater height, but cranking the bars reduces the extension. Bigger tires helps offroad, but there isn't much travel in the design.

Why are Aftermarket torsion keys better?

Sometimes your stock keys aren't indexed enough to give you the amount of lift you would like before you run out of adjusting bolt so an aftermarket key, which has more indexing, will get your front end higher.

How do you align torsion bars?

6:049:15HOW TO ADJUST RIDE HEIGHT WITH TORSION BARS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo now let's show you how to actually adjust it. So back down to the front of the car you can seeMoreSo now let's show you how to actually adjust it. So back down to the front of the car you can see there is a bolt that is sticking out at the bottom of the lower control arm.

Do torsion keys affect ride?

Stock and Aftermarket Torsion Keys First, it can only alter ride height within a limited range and is not designed as a substitute for a dedicated lift kit. Second, raising the factory torsion bars to the maximum height permitted by the stock torsion key will affect the vehicle's ride quality, as explained above.

When did GM stop using torsion bars?

2007(The torsion bars added to GM light-duty four-wheel drive trucks in 1988 were dropped beginning with the 2007 model year.)

News

There are several options for developing a front suspension and one such design commonly found on light and medium duty trucks involves the enigmatic torsion bars. The technology affords the comfort and control of an independent suspension while remaining robust enough for tough truck duties.

But what do torsion bars do?

Drag and zoom the diagram to see how torsion bars (magenta) sit in relation to the control arms (blue).

I like big trucks and I cannot lie. Can torsion bars lift?

Our favorite feature of torsion bars is that they are super-simple to adjust for ride height. There’s even an adjustment screw, installed at the factory, near the end attached to the frame.

This sounds complicated. Can I torsion bar at home?

The easiest way to safely lift your factory torsion bars is to upgrade the torsion keys. Torsion keys are machined steel plates that hang out on the frame ends of torsion bars and their job is to facilitate the adjustments in ride height.

That seems fairly simple. Is there anything else I should know?

As with any other time you change the ride height of your vehicle, it’s always good practice to have an alignment performed when you’re done.

What is a torsion bar?

A typical longitudinally designed torsion bar is a long steel bar fitted between the frame of the vehicle and one of the control arms. It may be the upper or lower control arm, usually the lower.

Where to place a thicker bar on a car?

Take measurements before and after adjustments are performed. A good spot would be between the lower part of the fender and the top of the wheel rim.

Do trucks have torsion bars?

Both cars and trucks have torsion bar suspensions. They provide the suspension coil springs, and leaf springs offer with the added benefit of ride height adjustability. They can be designed longitudinally of transversely. Weak torsion bars or worn anchors and bushings alter the vehicle's ride height, affecting stability and causing tire wear.

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