advice/input on aftermarket Torsion bars w/stock suspension components (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

cc93cruiser

CRUZAHEAD
Joined
Feb 2, 2004
Threads
292
Messages
2,711
Location
Hayward, Ca.
Ok, I searched........Still not sure what route I wanna go... I really don't care for a lift on my 1999 100 series. But I am starting to think that after some weight added to the front, I need stiffer springs and don't want to mess with cranking the oem bars.. I have a arb front bumper and I want to install the a warn 10k winch.. I know this is too much weight for the oem bars and I wanted to upgrade to perhaps some ome heavies.. I also have a 4x4 labs rear bumper w/ dual swingouts.. The rear doesn't sag as bad as the front, so not too worried about the rear.. Just want to focus on front for now since I will be adding the winch.. What do ya'll think? My thoughts since I don't care for a full blown lift, is to use the stock oem shocks front and rear (new btw), oem rear springs and upfront aftermarket stiffer torsion bar springs... Any problems forseen with this set up?
 
The torsion bar is a spring. It just doesn't happen to be in a coil shape.

To the OP, cranking the torsion bars a few turns is a 5 minute job that even a novice can do. Why don't you give that a try first, then spend money if that isn't adequate?
 
The torsion bar is a spring. It just doesn't happen to be in a coil shape.

To the OP, cranking the torsion bars a few turns is a 5 minute job that even a novice can do. Why don't you give that a try first, then spend money if that isn't adequate?
I don't think I have ever seen a torsion bar broken due to overload (not saying it hasen't happend), but don't you think that the oem TB's will be stressed to the max with ARB and winch up front cranked up? Or can the oem bars handle the added wait as long as you crank the bars?
 
I am not an expert. My opinion is worth less than most.

My impression is that most people think a bumper plus winch is too much for the stocks bars. However, most of them are trying to lift the truck too. You are just trying to compensate for the extra weight. My point is that cranking your bars is super easy, and free, so might as well give it a shot. You will certainly be able to tell if your bars are overwhelmed, if so, you can upgrade then.
 
Nice! Just found this on tube:
 
Make sure you use chassis stands!!

And to measure droop I would jack the truck up until the wheels are clear of the ground, measure, then drop to ground and measure again. No need to be judging if wheels are almost off the ground like this guy in the vid did - just pump up so they are clear off the ground and start measuring.

Wheel alignment needed of course after ramping up the bars. ;)
 
If you are happy with the stock height and alignment, you don't have to mess with measuring droop. Just measure height before your bumper goes on, then after the bumper is installed, crank the bars until you regain your stock height.
 
I agree with the option of adjust the torsion bars you have first to see if they can do what you need.

I don't think I have ever seen a torsion bar broken due to overload (not saying it hasen't happend), but don't you think that the oem TB's will be stressed to the max with ARB and winch up front cranked up? Or can the oem bars handle the added wait as long as you crank the bars?
I've seen photos I think of 4 sets of torsion bars in all my years destroyed, and they were "twisted off", and from what we could gather, they were cranked to the max and then just beat to hell, and it was from old customers throughout Latin America. They were OE and also OME, but any product could break or get damaged if not set properly. It's definitely important to get the height setting right and leave some good down travel for the system to operate properly.

The torsion bars we sell are recommended for people with a heavy load front end, otherwise they're not really necessary.
 
Whilst on TBs, do they sag over time? My truck is 13 years old or so, and my front end is prob an inch below "normal" height so hardly an issue, but just wondering if they are like springs in so much that age will weary them and make them sag a bit (happens to the best of us!)?
 
Whilst on TBs, do they sag over time? My truck is 13 years old or so, and my front end is prob an inch below "normal" height so hardly an issue, but just wondering if they are like springs in so much that age will weary them and make them sag a bit (happens to the best of us!)?
All spring steel can wear over time, like coil springs and leaf springs, even sway bars. I'm not sure if sagging is the right word for torsion bars but I know what you mean. I'm not sure how to measure wear on a torsion bar, but I'd say they definitely do "wear down" over time.
 
Yeah sag isn't the word - torsional rigidity perhaps?

Am going to tighten them a touch to gain that dropped inch if I can and see how it goes.
 
Careful. That's the dude that put a breather extension on his AC drip line, ensuring his passengers feet get wet even when not crossing rivers:



He did post a follow up video saying he was mistaken and showed how to do it correctly. The torsion bar video is pretty good though.
 
So in the spring/torsion bar world, spring rate is everything. The stock torsion bars obviously have a lower spring rate than aftermarket bars built for extra weight. I would bet that your current torsion bars spring rate is even lower than stock due to the wear over time. When carrying extra weight, you always want to increase your spring rate. This increased spring rate manages the extra weight a lot better, and makes the shocks work less.

Believe it or not, but aftermarket torsion bars aren't really built for lift at all. But just like any torsion bar vehicle, there is a certain amount of lift you can achieve by cranking the keys. The aftermarket bars are built for people in your exact situation. People who have added extra weight on the front. Ride quality is mostly about shock choice, though spring rate does play a role. In your situation I would get a set of ironman/OME/tough dog torsion bars and pair them with OEM shocks. You will maintain a stock height, comfortable ride, while maintaining your extra weight better.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom