The problem with those cheap kits is that they do not tie the two sides together. You can start with one of those and then have someone weld a peice of 1/4" x 3" along the back of it. Tack it on with the shackle installed and then burn it in and paint it up.

 

I just turned mine 3 full turns today while putting on my light bar and lights, and I have to say it looks better. I have not drove it yet but now I dont look like Im about to bull doze something. Im not sure how much wear this will add to my vehicle, but it only raised the front 3/4 of an inch, so it shouldnt be to bad. I was going to order the 2" rough country lift but this thread kinda has me scared of it. It is basically a t-bar crank and shackle lift. Not sure, I will ride around a little bit with the 3/4 lift on the front and see how it goes, if I notice anything different (in a bad sense) I can always crank it back down 3 turns. Thanks guys for starting this post, it was very helpful.

One more thing just to throw it out there. My firend has a Dakota that he has done a 2 inch shackle lift on it, with the t-bars a little more than .5 way up, and a 3 in body lift. He has had it this way for close to a year now with no problems at all. I know taking anything out of factory specs can be bad, but there are a ton of trucks out there with t-bars cranked, that have been this way for years. I think its the people who max them out who have a bunch of problems. Im hoping I dont mess mine up but I think it will be OK.

 

Hi Guys. Sorry for the late followup but I've been deployed for the past 7 weeks.
So the answers I got concerning my T-bars vary. The original question I asked was why would one Tbar bolt be all the way up, and one look to be about 2 inches out. They do not appear to be stripped. Should I perform a measure and see if the vehicle is level, and even out the adjustment bolts, or rekey them, or attempt to lift the vehicle 1.5" anyway? (assuming that one bolt can even move in a few turns)

 

my guess would be your t-bars are getting weak, i'd try resetting it to the correct height and see if the height decreases overtime. if it doesn't i would believe it would be alright to lift it. if it sags you should replace the t-bars before you go lifting.

 

No two torsion bars have exactly the same spring constant even when new. As such, there is no set dimension (stick up) for the adjusting bolt. Even new torsion bars can have different bot stick ups so do not judge things solely based on how far in or out the bolts are set.

If one bolt is almost bottomed out at stock ride height, then you have a weak torsion bar that should be replaced. The ride height is the determining factor. That is what you set/modify with the adjusting bolts.

 

Good summary. I'll check it out soon and post results. Thanks.

 

So it seems like the method of raising the front end using a T-Bar crank or putting in a new Key works kind of, but is inherently going to damage or at least wear out the front end components much more quickly.

Is there a non-destructive way to achieve a lift? Either chassis or body lift? Can it be done with longer suspension? I know only what I've read on this website about Torsion Bars, but am I right in thinking that the only non-destructive way of raising the truck is to install new CVs, Joints, and Steering Components that are designed for operating with a lift?

Thanks.

 

5"/6" lifts drop the front axle down and relocate the control arm mount points lower to get their lift while maintaining proper angles.

No one makes longer control arms or better CV shafts for these trucks. Most of the time, people spend less money doing a solid front axle swap than they would customizing the heck out of the limited IFS setup.

 

if what you say is true about there not being any parts that are longer for this lift then why does the RC lift say it comes w/ NEW upper arms and ball joints w/ NEW length and angle for the ball joints...j/w i too was linking about getting this kit but now i am reconsidering this... is this kit a waist? should i just get cheep shackles and turn up the keys? i found for 510 u get new c arms, shocks,ball joints, bushings, keys, dust boots for shocks, shackles, and a steering stabilizer bar. i just wanna know is this kit worth my time and money?

also 1 more thing does the t-bar from A zr2 fit a non-zr2 blazer? and if so what modding is necessary to the bar?j/w... thanx

 

The longer upper control arms do not correct ball joint angles. They allow for proper alignment when lifting 2". The angles on the ball joints and CV shafts are still excessive and will result in damaged components.

Now, unless you have questions pertaining to this article or ways to make it better, please post your questions in the appropriate section. In this case, Lifting Tech is the appropriate section.