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Torsion Bar HowTo

93K views 39 replies 29 participants last post by  JoeIsuzu 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
To lift the front of your IFS (Independent Front Suspension) Isuzu, you will be "Cranking up" your torsion bars. Joe wrote a short set of instructions to get you on the right track. Please take a look at them.

My general rule of thumb is that 4 turns = 1 inch. This does vary. Be sure to measure as you go to ensure that the result is a level truck. Also, after lifting the truck, you will need an alignment.

The writeup is at:
http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.ht ... Adjustment

-Tad
 
#4 ·
This is just for the front but it will affect the rear. Check your rear springs, you may have a broken spring in your leaf pack.
 
#6 ·
It should be the same. You can get about three inches out of the front. It's a good idea to flip the ball joint from the top of the a-arm to the bottom to fix alignment issues. There is also a ball joint spacer available.

For the rear an extended shackle and add-a-leaf should get you three inches.

Joe
 
#7 ·
How will this affect my front axles on my 4x4. I drive my truck alot and in real bad rain storms (I live in Houston - its a swamp) I will use 4 wheel high all the way to the office. I have never had a problem but am worried about what this will due to the axles. Should I consider a body lift instead?
 
#8 ·
You can do a body lift, but it will take a lot longer to install if you are going to do the install yourself. If it were me I'd do the suspension lift first and then if you wanted more do a body lift.

As far as the front cv's yes if you lift it a full three inches you will wear your cv's and cv boots more. But you can install manual hubs to where you are not turning the cv's other than when you are in 4wd.

But, yours should have the auto hubs which would do that anyway. The 98 and up Zu's have the drive flanges that keep your front axles turning all the time, 2wd or 4wd.

In your case if you use 4wd high a lot, then maybe a body lift is in order. What size tire are you trying to fit?

Joe
 
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#9 ·
I am trying to fit 32 11.50 tires and am worried about the cv's. What type of life are we talking. My truck has at least five year old axles and I use 4 wheel high at least 3 to 4 times a month with zero problems. If I just have to replace them once every year or two then I am not as worried. I am worried about changing them 2, 3 or 4 times a year. That is just too much money and work.
 
#11 ·
yes......this is what an alignment does. It corrects the off camber adjustment from this /--\ to this l--l
It also will correct caster and toe.


Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the front tires as viewed from the front. Inward tilt is negative, outward tilt is positive. Camber is used to distribute load across the entire tread. Improper camber makes the tire wear on one edge, and causes the vehicle to pull to the side that has the most positive camber
Caster is the fore or aft slope of the steering axis. The steering axis is a line drawn through the upper and lower ball joints of the knuckle. Positive caster is when the bottom of the steering axis line is in front of the tire's contact patch. Zero caster is when the steering axis is at 0o. Positive (shown) caster ensures good stability, helps maintain straight-ahead direction and promotes steering wheel self-centering. Too much positive caster causes hard steering, excessive road shock and shimmy.
Toe is the side-to-side difference in distance between the front and rear of the front tires. If the distance is closer at the front, it's called toe-in. If the difference is closer at the rear, it's called toe-out.
 
#12 ·
My cv axles are toast so i am going to replace them but i am worried that with my 33's and the torsion bar lift it my be to much on the axles. so i am going to lower the front differential here soon to help correct the cv axle does any one with the torsion bar lift have 32's or bigger and 4x4 how has your axles held up?
 
#13 ·
I'm running 34s now. No wheeling on them yet, but I've had 33s for a few years now on 1st and 2nd gen axles and haven't broken a CV yet.

If you are careful, you'll be fine or unlucky. The boots on the other hand are another story. 150k mile old boots that are then lifted will often tear. Replacement isn't "hard" all thing considered, but I'd rather not do that job ever again. It's messy and awkward.

-Tad
 
#15 ·
Hey guys, Im looking into 1998 and newer rodeo's and passports. :D I would like to run 31's with some room to flex, do the newer rodeos and passports have torsion bars up front? :? i have seen that one guy at least was running 31's with a bit of trimming on a newer passport, but he didnt mention torquing up his bars. Also, what does anyone know about the OME springs for a couple of inches of lift? ive seen a few numbers thrown out there but dont know which is which... I look forward to lots more posting here in the next month or so once i can get my new toy! Thanks for any help out there... :wink: -- Dan
 
#16 ·
Tad said:
To lift the front of your IFS (independent Front Suspension) Isuzu, you will be "Cranking up" your torsion bars. Joe wrote a short set of instructions to get you on the right track. Please take a look at them.

My general rule of thumb is that 4 turns = 1 inch. This does vary. Be sure to measure as you go to ensure that the result is a level truck. Also, after lifting the truck, you will need an alignment.

The writeup is at:
http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.ht ... Adjustment

-Tad
Cranking up the torsion bars...Will it effect how the truck rides? Meaning is it a stiffer set up?
 
#17 ·
Yes, it will ride more like a truck. It feels better to me. So long as you don't adjust them too far. The newer trucks 98 and newer, can be adjusted further than the older ones with less ill effects. This is all due to the longer a-arms on the newer models.

Joe
 
#22 ·
Regarding adjusting your torsion bars to raise your vehicle.....

1) If you're doing this to raise your vehicle purely to make it look "better" or for pure ground clearance then read no further.

2) If you're doing this to improve your vehicles off road ability then here's an aspect that I haven't seen mentioned yet. I once purchased an Isuzu Mu (Amigo, in the USA) that had been jacked up in the front. While it looked good I was never happy with its performance compared to my other Mu's (I have 3). What I found was that it had been raised so far that it was actually detrimental to articulation. It had virtually no downward travel left before it hit the "extension" bump stops and was incapable of being compressed into its "compression" bump stops, thereby reducing front wheel travel from what is available from standard. I improved its articulation by lowering it a bit. I'm of the opinion that articulation is just as important, maybe more important, than ground clearance, in a lot of situations. Just my 2c worth.
 
#24 ·
I just eyeball it. Try to get too precise and you'll drive yourself nuts. The exact height will vary some each time you stop depending on how the suspension settles out.

If you must measure, use a fixed reference point like the frame.
 
#26 ·
When finances allow I plan on building my own design front and rear bumper and rock sliders. I will be using brushed stainless, light gauge and gusseted for strength. I will utilize the Tig welding process. I will format the front bumper to accept a winch and know that I'll have to upgrade with HD torsion bars. Question: Do the HD torsion bars attach using the stock application at the torsion bar ends? I don't see anything in the upgrade kits that resemble the contact points on the (stock) vehicle application.

Sandhog
 
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