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RedRaider
06-21-2009, 06:13 PM
Here's the problem, my raider has been upgraded w/ 35s and I need some ideas/advice on how to add some lift in the front. I have a 3" body lift coming. I'm also gonna swap rear springs with a newer montero, which are the same height and diameter as mine, except they have a higher spring rate and are progressive, where mine are fixed. Should probably give me 2in lift in rear, based on others' results. I still haven't cranked the torsion bars, but with the added weight of a winch and heavier front bumper, I don't think it's gonna do much but level it to the current rear height, so I'm still gonna need around 2 more inches in the front so it doesn't have a silly rake. I know sway-away makes torsion bars that give an extra 2in lift from stock. Do you think I could still crank the sway-aways up, do you think I would need to? Are there any other options, keeping in mind there are no lift kits for it and I would have to custom make something. What about relocating the torsion bar crossmember? Oh, and I don't want to spend much money

Fourx4sr4me
06-21-2009, 06:42 PM
Not sure what kind of shape the body is in, but have you considered cutout flares. This way you can run the bigger tires and still keep a low c.o.g.

88wd21
06-21-2009, 08:25 PM
Re-index the torsion bars to get more crank out of them and maby someone makes a UCA with correct ball joint angles?

RedRaider
06-21-2009, 09:10 PM
I need more ground clearance under the front, so cutout flares won't help, not to mention nobody makes them for raider/montero.

Is reindexing a torsion bar really a good idea? won't that put too much extra stress on the bars. I don't think the axle shafts will handle the additional drive angle and 35s, but maybe I'm wrong, it is an open diff. hmmm

tjblair
06-21-2009, 09:13 PM
Re indexing the keys will put less force on the than just cranking the adjusters in.

tjblair
06-21-2009, 09:15 PM
Reindex the keys not the bar.

Sycotik Skier
06-21-2009, 09:27 PM
wouldn't you have the same clearance up there front diff with 35's regardless of whether you lift or cut?

tjblair
06-21-2009, 09:33 PM
What would relocating the crossmember acomplish?

Sycotik Skier
06-21-2009, 09:39 PM
the only thing I think a lift really helps with is your break over angle. I have 2.5" of lift on my heep and I'm running 35's. I'd rather have a lower cog hence why mine is low. That and cutting is cheaper than lifting.

RedRaider
06-21-2009, 10:36 PM
Reindex the keys not the bar.
You mean reindex the bar at the key as opposed to at the control arm?


What would relocating the crossmember acomplish?

I was thinking if I could somehow drop the crossmember and the control arm, it would gain lift. But i thought about it and it won't work cause of the knuckle


wouldn't you have the same clearance up there front diff with 35's regardless of whether you lift or cut?

the diff is mounted to the frame, so no


the only thing I think a lift really helps with is your break over angle. I have 2.5" of lift on my heep and I'm running 35's. I'd rather have a lower cog hence why mine is low. That and cutting is cheaper than lifting.

I want to keep the cog low but I want to level it out and I really need the frame clearance, and I already plan on trimmin

village_idiot
06-22-2009, 12:29 AM
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2673685
best one i could find

Fourx4sr4me
06-22-2009, 03:00 AM
The more you crank things tighter, the harsher the ride.

RedRaider
06-22-2009, 09:09 AM
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2673685
best one i could find

If that guy fit 34s w/ a 2in body lift and 1" torsion bar crank, I should be fine on clearance with 35s and a 3in body lift and torsion crank/reindex.

I think I'm gonna end up reindexing the bars.
Will I need any special tools to do this? I've heard of people breaking c-clamps when removing torsion bars.

tjblair
06-22-2009, 07:23 PM
Buy or rent a torsion bar tool. Don't use a c clamp unless you don't like your fingers, or you enjoy flying metal parts. Torsion bars have some crazy force on them. I had an actual torsion bar tool break on me, it sounded like a bomb going off and nearly imbeded a rather large piece of metal in my head. Be safe and good luck!

tjblair
06-22-2009, 08:14 PM
And I still say you need to find an indexable key, or re index the key on the bar if possible. I don't think just turning the bar will net you any more lift.

Sycotik Skier
06-22-2009, 10:14 PM
he'll get some lift but it will ride like a brick.

Most IFS lifts also lower the diff. CV shafts do not like working at angles that the factory did not engineer it for.

village_idiot
06-22-2009, 10:22 PM
And I still say you need to find an indexable key, or re index the key on the bar if possible. I don't think just turning the bar will net you any more lift.
It will, about 1 inch. I cranked my mums on her blazer to level it out, work ok, it winds the springs to higher rate. Ride is allot rougher and you lose flex.

RedRaider
06-22-2009, 10:48 PM
It will, about 1 inch. I cranked my mums on her blazer to level it out, work ok, it winds the springs to higher rate. Ride is allot rougher and you lose flex.

Fortunately the ride is currently very soft, so stiffening it up will probably make it ride a little better than now, I'll lose some downtravel but gain some uptravel, I'll just deal with it. I also got a spare set of cv shafts if these break

Leady
06-23-2009, 02:16 AM
What I'm thinking is this; I lowered the front of my hardbody probably 4 inches by turning the torsion bars out and I never replaced the front ball joints in the 4 years that I drove it like that. Mind you its a 2wd truck that I drove hard but never wheeled it. So no axle shafts but my ball joints held up fine. It rode pretty stiff but its hard to tell what it was because the back had blocks.

Just my 2 cents

tjblair
06-23-2009, 03:26 AM
It will, about 1 inch. I cranked my mums on her blazer to level it out, work ok, it winds the springs to higher rate. Ride is allot rougher and you lose flex.
No shit! What I meant by rolling the t bar was unloading it and turning it and then reloading it will probably not get you any more lift. I have installed hundreds of leveling kits such as, max cam, or ready lift. Kits like these reindex the key on the bar so that you don't have to overcrank the t bar. And yes just cranking the t bar is a good way to make a vehicle ride like crap, or even snap a torsion bar. If there are not any companies out there that make such a kit for your vehicle, have someone make you some out of some 3/4 or 1in plate and just have them turn the hex hole in the key a little in the right direction.

RedRaider
06-23-2009, 11:32 AM
I'm just gonna crank em. I got a spare set of torsion bars, ball joints, cv shafts, and just about every front suspension component, so I'm not worried if they break. Nobody makes a reindexing key and I don't think it would be cheap for someone to make a pair of keys, especially since mine are splined

NeonRyder
06-23-2009, 12:46 PM
I'm just gonna crank em. I got a spare set of torsion bars, ball joints, cv shafts, and just about every front suspension component, so I'm not worried if they break. Nobody makes a reindexing key and I don't think it would be cheap for someone to make a pair of keys, especially since mine are splined

Since they are splined won't that amke it easier to reindex them? Unless its a keyed spline setup. All of the torsion bars I've seen on TV have hex on the end, so if you try to reindex them it moves them too much.

RedRaider
06-23-2009, 05:06 PM
Both ends of the torsion bar are splined, so I should be able to remove the bar and turn the key a couple of splines.

tjblair
06-23-2009, 05:52 PM
Yes, but would you have to even remove the bar.

RedRaider
06-23-2009, 08:02 PM
Not completely, just the end where the key is, the other end can stay in the control arm. I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to put back together.