Testing how much lift torsion will allow
 

Hey guys, quick question. Ive got shackles on the way that are supposed to allow between 1.5-2" of rear lift depending on the condition of my leafs which i believe arent too shabby.

What i want to know BEFORE i take the time to put them on is, will my stock torsion keys allow up to 2". I know a lot of people do 1.5 but how about 2 on stock keys?

I dont want to get the shackles on and get 2" in the rear only to find out up front I can only get 1" without new keys

So im wondering, If i crank my torsion bars up ALL THE WAY just to see what my max lift is and I keep track of the exact amount of turns I did for each side, Can i lower them back down to the same spot without messing my alignment up?

There is an inverse relationship of how far out of design you take your lift project. The higher you go the more problems you will generally have. There are no set points. Many variables. Keys or crank is basically to the same end.

Keys dont really matter, what matters is the stress on your Ball joints , hubs , and axles.

Seems to me that reading the lift topics over the years is "you can crank your torsion bars and then pay for suspension parts, or you can buy a lift kit and be done." Pay now or pay later.

I already know about the negatives of the torsion lift. But since I own a shop and get parts at cost, most with good warranties, im not worried about added wear.

I just want to be able to see how much lift i can get with my stock keys before i take the time to put the shackles on. So ill know ahead of time if I can lift enough to match the shackles.

I assume as long as i lower them back down exactly where they were that the alignment would still be fine. Especially since it would only be for 24 hours since my shackles will be here tomorrow

The general consensus is that you can get 1.5" through the torsion bars lift with stock keys safely on a stock truck. If your torsion bars are not really saggy you could probably get upwards of 2.5" total by maxing out the screws, but your CV axles will be binding and you will break stuff very quickly. Personally I think aftermarket torsion keys are a waste of money since most people can already go over the max safe range with the stock torsion bar keys.