Rockcrawler Torsion Bars

[NMuzj100]

Diesel IFS 100 series trucks use longer torsion bars.

Why - is there different front end geometry (working around the motor) or is it to handle the additional weight. If it is to help handle the weight then a diesel t-bar might be helpful for the weight of bumpers/winches ect...

Could the longer bar be fitted to gas truck or are the mounting points different ?

I need to go to school on the basics of the IFS so thanks everyone for helping me out.

 

[cjeep]

those are some nice pics

 

[Josh83]

Greg, let me help you. I get the feeling that you think the torsion bar is a traditional spring mounted just behind the tire that lenghtens when twisted like a coilover. It is not. It is a bar of spring steel that has one end mounted on the upper a-arm and the other end runs straight back and mounts on the frame somewhere under the doors. If you changed the length then the only thing that would change would be the location of the back mount(you would have to cut off the stock mount and re-weld). Both ends of the bar are splined. The end in the a-arm is held solid in its mount, but the other end is adjustable. The "cup" that the torsion bar splines set in is adjustable. As you tighten or loosen the adjuster bolts it puts more or less twist on the t-bar, resluting in more or less height. Torsion bar IFS is the most heavy duty but, unfortunately, (danger, personal oppinion comming) it is the most antique, outdated design on the planet. It is the hardest to lift and offers the least performance.

 

[Jukelemon]

Torsion bar IFS is the most heavy duty but, unfortunately, (danger, personal oppinion comming) it is the most antique, outdated design on the planet. It is the hardest to lift and offers the least performance.

Disagree with the antiquity statement. SFA is actually the most antiquated system on the planet going back to horse drawn buggies. IFS is the most expensive to lift, not hardest, and offers the greatest amount of compromise between on road stability and off road prowess. There will come a time, sooner than later, when IFS will have the proper, cost effective modifications that will allow it to do anything, minus maybe haul 40 tons of product, that a SFA will do/can do/could do.

 

[Josh83]

I was speaking only in terms of IFS. In that respect, torsion bars are antique. Lifted torsion bar IFS has almost zero flex(unless you use drop brackets, which are not available for the 100 in the US), whereas coil sprung IFS is much easier to get flex out of when lifted without drop brackets. Here is why. When you want to lift a torsion bar setup(again, without drop brackets) there is no way to generate lift without somehow increasing spring rate. That equates to crappy flex. However, when lifting coil sprung IFS you can use a longer coil of the same spring rate and not lose any flex unless limited by the bump stops. I love my 100, but the IFS is not really designed to accept lift very well.

 

[calamaridog]

I agree with Josh, but the 100 was so nice I bought it in spite of the torsion bar IFS. I much preferred the IFS in the Tacoma...

 

[dclee]

So when's the first coil spring conversion coming???

 

[calamaridog]

So when's the first coil spring conversion coming???

Well, if I had some money I'd have it done already. I've got it all planned out...

 

[Greg B]

Greg, let me help you.

Josh,
Thanks for the heads up. I think I understand this a little better now. I don't think I'll completely understand until I pull my suspension out and install an OME suspension. As my wife likes to frequently point out, I'm kind of thick-headed and sometimes I just need to see it to understand it. Thanks again for the explanation.

 

[calamaridog]

Ok, couple more t-bar questions...

The Sway Away bars are 31mm, are the OME bars 31mm also?

Schotts (or Slee if you see this), you refer to 32mm bars. Were these the SLEE bars which are no longer available?

Thanks!

 

[Greg B]

Greg, here is a pic to help you understand T-bars. The torsion bar provides it's spring, purely by twisting, it is (essentially) solidly mounted on both ends.

If you preload it with some twist, it will provide "lift". Hope this helps.

Ben,
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks for the picture, I was visuallizing it completely wrong. I thought the t-bar was mounted in a vertical position like a coil spring. I now see that it is in a more horizontal position and I can visualize how it works by twisting. Thanks a bunch!

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Ok, couple more t-bar questions...

The Sway Away bars are 31mm, are the OME bars 31mm also?

Schotts (or Slee if you see this), you refer to 32mm bars. Were these the SLEE bars which are no longer available?

Thanks!

SAW bars are 31mm. Must have been a typo or a brain fart. (Probably the gas)

 

[calamaridog]

TKS for the clarification Shotts.