Ride height?

[cseger1]

Is there an adjustment for the front end ride height? And I am feeling totally ignorant, but what acts as the "spring" on the front end? I jacked up my rig today and could not determine the means by which it is suspended. TIA.

Christian

[philip]

Slow down. These trucks us torsion bars ... which is a type of spring which has not been coiled.

There are a few things you need to be aware of first.

The upper and lower control arms are

(A)not equal length and

(B)not parallel to each other ... by design.

With the "ride height" and camber set stock, camber changes significantly from the base settings on these trucks as the suspension operates. Were you to raise the ride height an inch (as measured in the 1st diagram), camber goes negative over 1 degree from where it had been. This is sufficient to produce significant inboard tread wear.

Next ... these 2wd trucks use the shock absorber to limit extension travel, not any rubber bumpers. That has proven to be a good way to sell shocks. Buy Monroes and keep the receipt. They are guaranteed forever by Monroe so long as you have the receipt.

Camber: As viewed from the front of the vehicle, the amount the top of the tire leans from true verticle.

[cseger1]

Slow down? Wait til you see what I have for you tomorrow. J/K. Phillip I owe you dinner. I read a lot about the suspension tonight on the msn720 site. My front end is really sagging, I am hpoing to raise it to level, not "lift" it. I'll be really conscious of the impact this adjustment has on the other geometries. Thanks for all the great info.

[philip]

SNIP- I read a lot about the suspension tonight on the msn720 site. My front end is really sagging, I am hoping to raise it to level, not "lift" it. -SNIP

Suspension info

Be sure to review the "Suspension Tale" link.

The guys on the MSN forum experiment mostly on the 4x4, 2nd Generation suspension (1983-1/2 and later). You will find many references to upper ball joint spacers (I've tried these), different upper control arms, urethane bushings (I've tried only on tension rods), longer shocks, drop spindles, etc. Not all of these things are available nor desireable on the 2wd trucks, lifted or not.

Suspension matters that concern me are steering effort, tire wear, shock absorber longevity, tracking, shimmies, etc

[cseger1]

I got the torsion bars screwed down a little and the front end is nearly level with the rear. Still a little slope but not as bad as before. Steering effort is much easier.

The wheels and tires I bought are too big. I told the dude stock sizes but thats not what I ended up with. Its too cold to go get the measurements off the tire and post them right now but I'll do it later.

[philip]

SNIP- The wheels and tires I bought are too big. I told the dude stock sizes but thats not what I ended up with.

Stock sizes makes for civilized arm-strong steering. Larger wheels/tires look cool but will have you wishing for hydraulic a$$istance.

[cseger1]

SNIP- The wheels and tires I bought are too big. I told the dude stock sizes but thats not what I ended up with.

Stock sizes makes for civilized arm-strong steering. Larger wheels/tires look cool but will have you wishing for hydraulic a$$istance.

They're 15s straight from the A-Team. Nothing cool about them but the price.

[philip]

They're 15s straight from the A-Team. Nothing cool about them but the price.

And what sizes are quoted on the spec sticker in the driver's door jamb?

[cseger1]

The doorjamb wants 14s.

[philip]

The doorjamb wants 14s.

And ... 185/75 tires. How much larger did you install?

[cseger1]

215/75. Rubs a little bit.

[philip]

215/75. Rubs a little bit.

Oooof. Poor man's upper body workout machine.

[asavage]

215/75. Rubs a little bit.

Yow!

Look no further for the cause of your high steering effort. 1" larger dia + 1.2" wider tire..

[cseger1]

The steering effort problem got solved with proper inflation. The large tires are definitley harder to turn than stock but nothing is as bad as the first trip home with the 10 lbs I bought it with.

Thanks for all your help gentlemen, assistance like this is rare and precious.

[asavage]

The front tires are supposed to be quite low pressure: 24 - 26 PSI (2WD), even fully loaded. Excessive crown wear will only be exacerbated with a wider tire and pressure higher than spec'd.