Torsion twist for dummies! (pics included) | Page 10 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Torsion twist for dummies! (pics included)

Hi all,

I went for my test drive after raising the front of my explorer by 2"/5cm and went for my test drive and it lowered down to 3/4"/2cm from before I lifted it.

Do I just keep on tightening the torsion nuts until I get my 2"/5cm after test drive?

Thanks heaps,

Jake
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Do you have air ride suspension? Are you measuring to the top of the fender wells or the lower control arms?

Bolt heads moving in as you are tightening? Highly unlikely, but are the bolts reverse threaded Down Under? ;)
 












No no, ground to fender before tightening was 82cm. I then tightened and got a height of 87cm. I then went for a test drive and measured again and it read 84.5cm. Shall I thigh em again until I get 87cm after a test drive?

Cheers mate,

Jake
 






It's trial and error doing a TT. Measure again, tighten, and jounce the front by driving over speed bumps. Generally,
the heavier fuel tank/driver side will require more tightening due the so called "Ranger lean". May be too late, but
probably a good idea to mark the bolts as a reference point. Regardless, alignment should be checked any time the
bolts are tweaked. Camber kits may also be needed to get alignment within spec.
 






The left hand side torsion nut is tight as it will go as well compared to the right one that has about an inch left on it .. That was before I tightened them as well
 






The left hand side torsion nut is tight as it will go as well compared to the right one that has about an inch left on it .. That was before I tightened them as well
 






Not nuts. You mean bolt head, right? If the driver side is bottomed out, the bolts may have been tightened before.
This may be a result of weakened torsion bars. If possible, take direct front pics of the lower control arms in relation
to level ground. Stock ride height would have the lower control arms close to level with the ground.
 






Is there anyway I can level it out with the right side?
 






You need to specify which side is lower or higher. You can't lift the drivers
side any more, so all adjustments must be made on the passenger side bolt.
 






I just want a 2 inch lift at the front on both driver and passenger though I cannot do it how do I do it ?

All I need is one more inch!

Thank you so much for replying as well.

Cheers

Jake
 






Search "longer torsion bolts" (M12x1.75) on top of the page. Very good idea to round the bolt tips
so they seat in the torsion key dimples correctly. One of MANY threads linked below, see post #56 .

Bolts For Torsion Bar
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153699

BTW, stock torsion bolts are usually 60-65mm length. (M12x1.75)
 






Wouldn't the longer bolt just increase pressure of the bar itself?

Would a new too soon key help for extra lifting and less pressure of t bar?

Thanks again for your replies,

Jake
 






Longer bolts achieve the EXACT same thing as lift keys. Only difference is they are clocked differently so the stock bolts aren't tightened as much. Pre load, upper and lower control arm angles, shock travel, and CV half shaft angles are exactly the same with both methods. Lowering keys are different because removing the bolts often does not lower far enough, and many don't want to do the key flip. READ both threads below, they will give you a better understanding regarding lift keys. Again, a lot more info if you search.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388286

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209172
 






I have an 03 explorer, 2wd, is there an unsafe lowering distance? Like 2-3"?
 






Are you a mechanical dummy like me? Even if you're not, I'll help you through the "torsion twist" procedure. What is it? Well a torsion twist is basically a lifting of the front suspension via the tightening of the torsion screw.

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Here are a couple FAQs and some of the Frequently answered answers!

Q: If I crank it to high, will the CV joints to wear prematurely?
A: Yes.

Q: By completing the torsion twist, does it lift the truck or just the front?
A: Just the front.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: Free, if you have the supplies! (will be outlined in this tutorial) Also, it'd probably be good if you got the truck aligned after the procedure, if you don't do it yourself, it could cost around $40-$60

Q: How will I lift the back to make it even?
A: You can either buy an Add-A-Leaf (AAL) or Some shackles (go with part WAR #153)

Q: Does this torsion twist work on 2wd?
A: Yes, on 2wd and 4wd and AWD

Q: How many torsion screws are there?
A: 2

Q: Will first Gen Explorers (91-94) be able to do the torsion twist?
A: From what I've read, no, because they don't have torsion bars. They require coil springs.

Q: How high should I go?
A: About 2" MAX, any higher and you risk wearing out your CV joints (I got 1.75")

Q: Can I turn(loosen) the torsion bolt to lower the truck?
A: Yes, but if you lower the truck to much, it can also cause binding on the CV joints, same as if you lift it to much.

Q: Do I need longer shocks after doing the torsion twist?
A: No you don't. Since the travel of the suspension isn't changed, there is no need for longer shocks.

There are more, Just ask them!

_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

OK, first things first, lets get our supplies.

Dead Link Removed

Ok, so why am I using 2 factory jacks for this job? Simple! Because my cheap ass isn't going out and buying a $100+ jack, when I have one for free! (I borrowed my buddies jack from his jeep, which was the same exact thing)

Make sure you go out and get some liquid wrench or some penetrating solution, this stuff is NECESSARY.

I went out and bought a set of jack stands at the local parts store for about $30.

The penetration solution cost me about $6

___

Now before you do ANYTHING, measure your explorers current height and write it down. (floor to the wheel well) This will be what you'll compare your final height to at the end.

Now lets Jack up the truck.

Since I used factory jacks, I simply put a plank across the underside of the truck and placed the jack stands directly in front of it.
Dead Link Removed

I put a pointer to the torsion screw so you'll know where I put the jacks.
MAKE SURE you do this to the other side of the truck to keep the truck to keep the whole front end off the ground.

ALSO, make sure you have your EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, I almost had an accident, because my garage goes directly down a hilly driveway (check my signature link)

OK, now jack it up so BOTH front tires are off the ground. (high enough so you can spin them) This takes all of the pressure off of the suspension.

Heres another picture from the other side of the truck
Dead Link Removed

___

Next step!

This pic shows the torsion screw (already thoroughly saturated with the liquid wrench)
Dead Link Removed

This is what you're going to be tightening to create your "torsion twist." Since my '97 XLT is basically rust on the under body from driving it like a maniac, I had to use just about the whole can on the screws!

Now get your ratchet or L-wrench and lets tighten! I used a 13mm ratchet.

- Keep track of how many rotations you tighten the screw, then apply the same to the other one.

- The screw will be extremely tough to turn at first.

- If you've think you've gone to far, take the jacks off and measure to see exactly how much lift you've achieved!

- Be sure to write down the height on each trial.

- each trial includes BOTH sides of the truck!

_______________________

Remember, I wouldn't suggest going over 2"

I ended up with 1.75" which was still noticable.

Now when you're done, take your truck out for a drive to settle the suspension and then measure for a final time.
____________________________
I hope this helps somebody out! If I can do it, anyone can, TRUST ME!

I'm doing this to give back something to this forum because it has helped me tremendously with everything on my truck! thanks guys!

If anyone needs a question answered and it's answered, I'll post it on the FAQs section of this tutorial.

______________~~~~~~~~~~~~~_________~~~~~~~~~~~~~~__________~~~~~~~

INFO THAT OTHER USERS HAVE ADDED:

1) TT is free however when you do adjust your torsion bars up it will decrease the distance between your tires which will require an alignment. So you will either need to pay for an alignment or do it yourself.

2) the TT will put additional preload on the suspension which will make the ride a little more harsh. The more preload the less smooth it will be over bumps.

3) there are many threads on TT with some great information, I suggest everyone reads through them before you begin the process.

4) 2wd trucks can go higher than 2" because there are no CV joints to bind. There have been other threads about doing this, but yours has some very helpful pictures and captions. Good writeup.


Here is the tire chart on what will fit with what lift.
Dead Link Removed
Turning the torsion bar will only lift the body
NOT the suspension
& You be won't need an alignment unless you have a worn component
Did mine 6 years ago
No problems
 






Turning the torsion bar will only lift the body NOT the suspension
Eh? This is not raising the body off the frame. You're adjusting the preload on the torsion springs, raising the suspension.
 






+2. Explain how changing control arm angles does NOT affect suspension and alignment.

Body lifts are done using taller body mounts.
 






Turning the torsion bar will only lift the body
NOT the suspension
& You be won't need an alignment unless you have a worn component
Did mine 6 years ago
No problems

Do not follow this advice. Until the vehicle is placed on an alignment rack with a competent operator, "no problems" is purely an opinion.



Torsion twist lift ( adjusting ride hieght via torsion bar tension) will change the camber angle and toe in. In fact it may change the camber to the degree new camber adjusting shims will be required for additional movement.
It definitely will change the suspension geometry. The lower control arms are pushed downard with more angle which raises the frame, and the body. The ride quality is also compromised in a negative way. It is purely a suspension lift.

This is why checking and adjusting the ride height is the very first adjustment step during a good alignment, after raising and lowering the front end to settle the springs-

Put your truck on an alignment rack, and follow the steps to see for yourself.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Hi there, new here. Reading through all this I already did the torsion twist a few years back, added some longer links to the rear springs and actually replaced the single leaf OEM spring with some new ones that are triple. I can fit 31x10.50R15 currently but would like to get another 1.5 - 2" of travel and go with 32x11.50R15 tires. I've found online there are replacement Torsion bar Keys and possibly longer rear links with additional holes to raise the rear. Currently I have Procomp shock absorbers installed and would I need to get longer ones or can I still go with the ones installed currently? What TT keys and rear links does everyone suggest for a '99 Explorer Sport V6 OHV 4x4? Thanks!

RB
 






Back
Top