bbt79
Need a Spot
Reged: 03/05/07
Posts: 4
Loc: northeast arkansas
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how do i go about adjusting the torsion bars in order to get some lift in the front end. I'm also kinda wondering whether or not they are already cranked all the way up or not? help me out please
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sparkem
Trail Leader
Reged: 12/12/00
Posts: 6883
Loc: Ponchatoula, LA
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Have you looked under the truck yet? Lay under it, set the parking brake first, dont run over yourself. Find the rear most end of the torsion bar. Get a 17mm wrench and a 17mm socket. Put wrench on nuts at top and crank head of the bolt at the bottom. Very easy. When you crank them, you might not notice a difference, you have to drive around the block to let it cycle/settle.
Why are you doing it? Bigger tires?
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I just want to tell you both good luck, and we're all counting on you.
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CapnCrunch
Trail Leader
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 5231
Loc: Crawlorado
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Before you do anything, park your rig on a level, flat surface. Don't try to do this on an inclined or uneven surface. Don't jack the vehicle.....you want to leave the suspension settled in its natural state, as it normally would be after driving it. It's okay to manipulate the torsion bars while the vehicle's weight is still being supported by them. You're not going to be removing any nuts, bolts, or any other supporting hardware.
Measure your current ride-height. Measure both left and right sides before you start. You can measure:
center of wheels to top of wheelwells
floor to undercarriage
floor to body-feature
top of tire to top of wheelwell
anything else which catches your eye
The important thing is to take numerous measurements before you start, that way you'll have a baseline for your progress. Measure, then measure again. Again, both sides.
Loosen the adjusting nut on one side. There is another nut right below it - hold it with another wrench to prevent it from spinning while loosening the adjusting nut. Once you have the adjusting nut loose, keep a wrench on the nut below it then tighten the anchor arm bolt. It'll take quite a few cranks to get some lift. You may not want to tighten it all the way because you're suspension may end up being rather stiff. Once you're done, tighten the adjusting nut back up. Repeat with other side.
You may want to trim down the rebound stoppers (bump stops) on the upper control arms so that you still retain a little articulation. There are two bump stops on each upper control arm. One forward and one aft. They can be trimmed down with a hacksaw, but take them off the rig first before trimming (it'll be a lot easier to trim if not encumbered by all the other stuff in the way).
Lastly, once you're done and have everything where you want it to be, get a front-end alignment done.
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l-----[O]≡≡≡≡[O]
()_)()_)-----)_)
Stay the Trail!
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bbt79
Need a Spot
Reged: 03/05/07
Posts: 4
Loc: northeast arkansas
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i appreciate it fellows, that helps out alot. One more question, how much should i trim the bump stops?
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CapnCrunch
Trail Leader
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 5231
Loc: Crawlorado
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I'd say trim about half off and try it from there. If you feel you must, you can trim off a little more until you are okay with the way it rides. Just don't trim it all off and don't remove them altogether. Doing so may have metal slapping on metal and it may not sound too good.
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l-----[O]≡≡≡≡[O]
()_)()_)-----)_)
Stay the Trail!
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off-roader
Mitsubishi Forum Moderator
Reged: 01/16/00
Posts: 15558
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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Capn,
You sure it has to be on the ground? I think it will be easier to torque them if you raise the front end. Just make 100% sure you turn both bolts the same number of rotations and I would assume you'd be ok... but then again, you know what they say about assuming things... 
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CapnCrunch
Trail Leader
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 5231
Loc: Crawlorado
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They're really not hard to crank even if the vehicle is resting on the ground. I've done more than one this way. You need to be able to measure your progress as you go and you won't be able to determine that accurately while there's no load on the front end.
Also, you're not necessarily going to turn them the same amount. It depends how much each t-bar is already worn. You could crank one side more than the other and end up at the same height. The best thing to do (IMHO) is to crank 'em up, get the height set where you want it, drive around a bit, and re-check on the same flat surface where you initially did the cranking.
Lastly, you probably want to give the driver's side slightly more height, since a good portion of the time you'll be riding in the vehicle by yourself. If you're a big guy like Clay (sorry Clay, couldn't resist ) putting the driver's side slightly higher will keep it more even while driving even if you have a passenger.
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_________
|_|_|\____\___
l-----[O]≡≡≡≡[O]
()_)()_)-----)_)
Stay the Trail!
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toddstidham1
Mudrunner
Reged: 02/01/07
Posts: 479
Loc: Philadelphia Area, PA
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Don't laugh but I used to work at Sears Auto Center...um...decades ago...anyway, we did a front end alignment on this Ford Futura wagon and the guy kept complaining it pulled left. When I finally saw the guy I thought OH S#@!, he must weigh 4-500 lbs.  I asked him to drive the car up onto the rack and stay in it while I set the alignment. It was all WAY off with him in it. Once set he drove around the mall a few times and said it was perfect! Another time was a dude that kept tool boxes int he trunk, same thing, we had to ask him to bring it back loaded so we could align it to how he drove it most.
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-Todd
1987 Montero 2.6l 5-speed (Sold...but I still miss her)
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4x4
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bbt79
Need a Spot
Reged: 03/05/07
Posts: 4
Loc: northeast arkansas
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thanks for the help guys. Also, if I do crank the torsion bars up a bit, will I be able to fits 33 inch tires on the rig with no problem?
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