How much Torsion Twist?

[Dreman]

Finally got around to lower ball joints this weekend. Had a lot of fun getting the right one out. The remover/installer tool I got from AutoZone wouldn't budge it and started to bend, so I got mad with a 2 lb sledge hammer and it popped right out! Going in was a lot easier. But lining up the stud with the hole in the spindle was hard to get done! I finally wound up releasing all the tension in the torsion bar that I could without actually removing the bolt, and I finally got it in place. Then my wife asked me to take her to work. When I got home I put on new brake pads and put everything back together, but forgot about the torsion bar! It looked ok just sitting there, but it drove a little funny. Then I remembered the torsion bar, and decided to level it out instead of just tightening the bolt back to where it originally was. It didn't take much, just a few turns off the stop. Now it's level, with the right bolt almost all the way out and the left bolt almost all the way in! I can't do a torsion twist because one side is already there! Why is it so far off?



And I still have to do the left one!

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

Not sure why it's so far off, all trucks are different. Todd Z sells longer torsion bar bolts. I bought a set from him a while back but haven't gotten around to installing them yet, I need to though because like yours mine are all the way in now and for the alignment shop to do there job I need to put these in so they can make the neccessary adjustments.

 

[Dreman]

Well, if both were all the way in I could understand it. But only one is all the way in. The other one is almost all the way OUT.



Do I need to switch the bars left for right? CAN they be switched left for right? Does 250k miles with my 250 lb self in the left seat mean the left bar is worn out, but the right bar is ok?

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

The Ford Rangers, and ST's both have what's caled the Ranger lean. It's because the drivers side has the fuel tank and usually only a driver in it most times so most of the weight is put on the drivers side torsion bar. 250k is pretty good for a factory torsion bar to last, you may want to look into a newer set if the bolts are that far off when sitting even and level. I know my drivers side torsion bar bolt is in further then the right side, I was just gonna keep them on there until I do the SAS frontend and then scrap them or make them into something. Look around for some new/newer torsion bars.

:banana: