Bottoming out front suspension. (1 Viewer)

[aljordan]

My front suspension seems to be bottoming out. It's a two owner 2000 LC with 277k with me purchasing it at 48k miles in 2003. I've noticed this bottom out when going over bumps within the last 2 months or so. Evidence it's bottoming out is the clean spot on the lower A arm where the bump stop hits. This happens on both sides. New toyota shocks were installed a month ago, yet the truck keeps bottoming out. I've never touched a torsion bar adjustment so these are as they were from toyota. This is a stock ride height vehicle from what I can tell and I have 19.5" on the passenger side front and 20" on the driver side front (center of hub to bottom of the southeast add-on fender flare). Rears were an inch higher or so.

Torsion bar adjusters were about 9 threads on the passenger side, and 18 threads on the driver side. I would have thought they would have been the same?

I don't want to lift the vehicle as this is a mall cruiser. I think i'm due for a torsion bar replacement, but am unsure if an aftermarket bar would be doable on an otherwise stock LC. Could I increase the twist on these stock bars to increase the spring tension and eliminate the bottoming out without lifting the vehicle? Can I do an aftermarket bar at stock ride height?

Thanks for your thoughts, gang.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Torsion bars don’t necessarily wear out and go bad. They do fatigue some over time, but that’s why you have the adjuster bolts there. I’d jack up the front and give the adjuster bolts 1-2 full turns until you’re at 20 to 20.5” up front. If you don’t have a metal bumper or winch, then there’s really no need to get aftermarket torsion bars...Your money might be better spent on a set of new Timbren or Wheelers OR bumpstops.

 

[nukegoat]

for sure, crank em

 

[cjmoon]

Crank them they settle over time. The AHC systems need them adjusted to balance the system. Due to this. I leveled my 01 LC when I got it looking for about 1.5” of lift from where it had settled to after the years. I think it was almost 15 turns. Pretty much maxing one of my adjusters. No issues matching left and right but if you run out you need to index the torsion bar. Just balance the actual lift measurement. Not turns and adjustment.

 

[AlpineAccess]

19.5 - 20" center of hub to fender is the right height for stock, but you mentioned its an aftermarket fender so it's hard to say.

Can you take and post a picture of the shocks they installed?

 

[aljordan]

Toyota shocks. 100% OEM stuff. I ordered and installed them.

I will put the vehicle in the air and give the adjustment a few turns. Should I shoot for equal height between the left and right sides? I know corner weighing cars that sometimes even weight distribution doesn't mean the car is the same ride height left to right.

 

[AlpineAccess]

Toyota shocks. 100% OEM stuff. I ordered and installed them.

I will put the vehicle in the air and give the adjustment a few turns. Should I shoot for equal height between the left and right sides? I know corner weighing cars that sometimes even weight distribution doesn't mean the car is the same ride height left to right.

View attachment 2379974

wanted to confirm if a shop installed new shocks they hadn't put in an incorrectly dampened shock.

When you crank the bars, crank a few turns and then go drive it around and hit some dips to load the suspension and settle it. Then check heights again and adjust from there to make sure you level both sides.

 

[l3n0x]

Ideally the shocks shouldn't affect the spring tension & the "bumping out" thingy. That's 99% dependent on the springs (tbars in this case). Cranking them won't change their spring rate, it will just set the preload (so they won't become magically stiffer by cranking on them, it will just sit higher). Also the adjusters are not there to adjust the spring rate, they're there so you can take off the torsion bars off the vehicle (release the tension) when needed & to set the ride hight on reinstall (reapply the tension). If your truck is stock (that is no bumpers & added weight), I'd highly advise against going with non Toyota torsion bars, as they are very stiff for a stock setup.