Anyone cranked down the torsion bars yet to raise the front end up? I heard its hard on the CV boots in the s-10's. I want to raise my front end up an inch or two but I dont know how many turns it requires.
Leveling the disproportional ZR2 changed it by about 2". This made the front of the truck even with the back. This is what this discussion it about.
We're not talking about hillbilly jacking it up.
His stupid ZR2 needed dropped, blah.
Oh, and I can say this because I used to drive one.
The whole suspension looked !@# ugly in my opinion, and it sat too high. It looked like someone kicked it in the rearend when they designed it. This is why I didn't buy another one. I drove it for a year, and said never again, until I can get a normal looking one that sits at a good height with four-wheel drive. It was either too high or too low. This Z71 feels just right to me, but again, I wished GM would have made it level to begin with. I realize its like that because the back end squats a little with 4000lbs attached. I don't intend on bothering the torsion bars on it at all, though, because there's always that chance.
The ZR2 had a good height, but it just looked so disproportionally lifted. Not enough body on it to do that.
Well I needed a little more than 1.75" just to level the truck. And like I said earlier in this thread, I wanted to get greedy and take more, but common sense prevailed, and I'm pretty happy about that. Initially I was excited about getting as much as I could, but a few weeks later now, I'm really happy w/the way it is, and with any luck, it won't be a costly deal.
I adjusted my torsion bars last night and only wanted to pick up about 1 1/2" to allow my clearence under my front flares to equal the back . I wasn't so concerned over the leveling bit. I took it in today and the alignment adjusted the mechanic said there was very little adjustment after my torsion bar increase. Just wanted to let you all know that there is very little if any change if you only pick up about 1 1/2".
I did mine last weekend. I went 4 turns, which gave me almost exactly 1 1/2". It looks great, and really doesn't drive any different. I just stuck a piece of masking tape next to the adjuster bolt at one of the points on the hex of the bolt. I marked the bolt at that point, and marked the tape to match. That way, I could be sure to get both sides adjusted precisely 4 turns.
Just did mine last night, took about 4.5 turns, those bolts turn damn hard too LOL but man what a visual diff!!! I have my lower lip removed off the bumper too and the thing finally looks TOUGH!!
Black Z, did you do it with the weight on the suspension, or did you lift it first? I don't remember it being hard at all. I was using a long 1/2" drive ratchet, and had the truck jacked up, though.
I had the truck on the ground yet, i used a half inch ratchet with a bar on the handle with a 1" or 1-1/6" socket.. cant remember. I also parked it on the most level surface i could find and measured from the bottom of the cross member on each side that hangs down and bolts to the frame. It started out at 11-5/8" and i stopped at 12-5/8" from the center of the cross member on L&R side to the ground
As soon as you touch those t-bars you need an alignment. They affect the camber. If you go too far you will run out fo camber adjustment. This is why you see raised s-10s with the front wheels leaning.
GAZ71, are you sure that it isn't removing the front valance that caused the change in MPG??
That's my latest theory. My FIPK isn't earning me any gas mileage, and I'm wondering if taking off the front valance took away the mileage that the K&N gives me, so it stayed right where it was.
i had mine raised by the dealer about 2 weeks ago and i have noticed a 1-2 mpg drop.they also alighned it and it does drive true so the mpg drop isnt from the alighnment. could it be the the change in aero?
Interesting thread. I've thought about doing this before, back when I had a 4wd K2500, but never did. I did pull the lower air dam off of it though, and did notice a drop in MPG. The underside of a truck is pretty un-aerodynamic, and the factory puts those valances/air dams on there for a reason. I agree, they don't add to the look of the truck, but they do have a lot to do with MPG's. Raising the front end will also change the air flow under the truck, and result in lower MPG's.
One of the magazines, may have been Popular Mechanics, did a neat test a few years back on a full size GM pickup. They filled in as much of the under side of truck as they could, most notably outside the frame, from behind the front wheel to in front of the rear. They were trying to create an more aerodynamic under body. I don't remember the exact number, but there was a noticable increase in fuel economy with the smoother underside.
I do agree, the beefier stance looks good. Not sure if I will do it to mine or not. Going to test drive a Canyon at a GM show tomorrow. Supposed be quite a few GM models and the competition there for us to try out.
I had a 00 Silverado that I turned up the TB's to fit 33's and never had an axel etc. problem after 3.5 years of driving including some off road. But I HAD to have it aligned.
Now I have an 04 Colorado Z71 & want to put some aftermarket wheels on from ebay off a 04 Toyota. Yeah the center bore is larger but the wheels mount up nice, they do stick out a good 1.5" from the fender(I like that aggressive look). So I am going to try to run them with the 31x10.5 bfg AT's. So far I have taken the mud flaps off the front and the very very bottom black plastic piece off the front bumper. I turned the TB's 1.5 complete turns and I find I am still rubbing in some turns. So tonight I will give it a total of 3-5 turns and see if I can avoid trimming anything with a sharp object. If all works out I plan to have it aligned.
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