Adjust the Torsion Bar+spring spacers

[divadzx]

hello to all the members - I am new to the Forum and also a new owner of a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser series 100 - I would like to lift my 98 LC a little bit with a very low budget - Would it be possible to Adjust the Torsion Bar and use spring spacers for the back? is this a good way to get at least 2 or 3 inch - anybody happened to have some instructions on how to Adjust the Torsion Bar? Thanks for the help in advance

 

[OregonLC]

You won't get 2"-3" of lift with just a rear spacer, but you probably don't want/need that on a tight budget anyway. IIRC there are 30mm spacers available for the rear which would work nicely with torquing the front up 1" or so. Just keep the front about 1" lower than the rear for proper handing. And at 1" you won't have to worry about CV angles either.

(And if it's not too much trouble, can't you switch back to a more readable font? )

 

[hoser]

Add a 1" body lift and you're there!

 

[1loudLX]

YAY another member joins and fails to search even the slightest to find the information they need!

https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/491948-those-torsion-bar-questions.html

Yes you can adjust bars + spacers to gain some lift, it's not the full 2-3" you'd like(well you can do it up front) but the spacers in the back will need to be swapped with springs for 3".

Yes, do a bodylift to gain that extra appearance of more lift. Unless you plan on running 35s which is NOT a modification I'd recommend on a budget, you don't want a bodylift.

 

[farinvail]

divadxz- welcome to the forum. How about a pic of your truck. We are visual people.

I'm assuming with diva in your name you are not a dude. 1LoudLX is available- just saying

 

[1loudLX]

Stalking my facebook Far? I actually need to adjust my Tbars and I've been thinking about adding a spacer too, seems like I carry more junk in my drawers than I used to.

 

[brevitything]

Wierd.

Anyways yeah, you can crank or reindex the torsion bars, and add spring spacers. That will work.

The spacers I've found seemed pricey compared to other vehicles. TJM has rear coils for $165 pair at around 2" of lift.

I'm not sure how much droop I have available in my shocks though, I am planning on trying cranking the torsion bars.

 

[Bloomer]

Thinking about adding a front bumper (no winch right now) without a lift. From my search and discussions it sounds like turning the factory t-bars will compensate for the extra weight on the front end from the bumpers. It also sounds like this may slightly affect the ride quality, which I am ok with. Is realignment or any other adjustments necessary when turning the t-bars?

I'm planning on attending the Ouray trip in August and trying to prioritize what I plan on doing before the trip. With the time I have left, I'm not sure I can order/receive the bumper, install, and get other adjustments made if its more than just turning the t-bars and alignment. Don't want to start any projects I can't finish before the trip.

Thanks!

 

[OregonLC]

It won't affect the ride quality as you're not changing the spring rate, only the neutral point. However, the heavier load will cause greater defection for a given bump. For example, if you normally get 1" of travel over a speed bump you may now get 1-1/4".

In theory no alignment is needed since you're not changing the neutral position of the front suspension, however the bushings are all rubber and as you increase load they could deflect. And alignment is measured in fractions of degrees. Around here, alignment is only $56, so it's a cheap solution to the question.

 

[brevitything]

It won't affect the ride quality as you're not changing the spring rate, only the neutral point. However, the heavier load will cause greater defection for a given bump. For example, if you normally get 1" of travel over a speed bump you may now get 1-1/4".

In theory no alignment is needed since you're not changing the neutral position of the front suspension, however the bushings are all rubber and as you increase load they could deflect. And alignment is measured in fractions of degrees. Around here, alignment is only $56, so it's a cheap solution to the question.

You are making sense. I used to think that you did not need to get an alignment, but in my case I was wrong I had a Chevy Avalanche back when they were torsion bar IFS, and when I reindexed the torsion bars (using different bar keys), the alignment was off. It felt okay but it had too much toe-out and started to wear my tires, so I got it realigned. It drove wonderfully after that.

I think the tires move so much throughout the travel range on an IFS, that you kind of want the alignment tweaked toward the new range of motion after you do a lift or lowering. Like you said, fractions of degrees. Geometry on the Toyota could be very different from the Chevy though.

So yeah, I would get an alignment. The vehicle won't explode or burst into flames if you don't, but the tires and steering will be happier.