torsion bar adjustment

[yoshie]

To be fair here, When a garage says they will put something on a ramp, to do a job like this, they dont mean ramps as the DIY home mech uses to get the truck higher they likely mean it will be on a 2 or 4 post lift,for access and comfort and Im reasonably certain they would then jack up the front end and do the job.
Hes called dim if he tries to DIY, and hes called dim by giving it to a garage and leaving them to it. I can,t read Apaches mind but theres good chance he was thinking home mechanic ramp when he said that.
Garages put cars on so called ramps all the time to do work, but if that work involves jobs which mean front wheels off, ( strut replacement for example) They still jack the vehicle up as appropriate
To continue in the being fair mode, you and I have hovered around this place long enough to guess that Apache may know a bit about Surfs, but the OP is pretty new and for all he knows we are all Wikiboy bluffers.

Correct on both counts. Luke I apologise.

[lukenemma]

no worry's

[Apache]

Without lifting the front wheels that bolt is under enormous tension, when it snapped he couldn't find one end, until he opened his truck and found a hole in the floor and the end of said bolt embedded in the underside of the seat!!

Alan

Wow! Really? Thats pretty spectacular.

[Calos]

I've done the torsion bars on my truck and much over 2" will make the wishbones sit on the top-stoppers and give a terrible ride, I counted quarter turns, dropped the truck back down and bounced it then measured wheel rim to arch on both sides and repeated a few times till it sat right... then drove it a few miles and re-did it again.

I jacked it up on the centre cross member, on perfectly flat concrete when I did this, slanted drive... not good.

peace
cal

[yoshie]

The 1.5" ball joint spacers let you keep the height and wind the bars back to normal setting. Makes the ride and movement off and on road so much better.

Well worth fitting.

[Rustinho]

I'm pleased to see you're taking the truck to a pro get it sorted. Don't lift the front by more than 2" over standard or you'll go through CV boots/joints faster than you can get it booked in for repairs!

Free-wheeling hubs are a good idea to reduce CV wear. Simply disengage them for normal road use around town, etc and engage them when you're off-roading.

I bought and fitted these ones (it's an absolute doddle and shouldn't take your garage mechanic more than half an hour or so to fit) from Roughtrax:

http://www.roughtrax4x4.com/?doc=16&cid=146&vid=1139

If you want to go more than 2" to level up the 3" at the rear (which, if I remember correctly, is what you have done with Land Cruiser springs...) you would probably be best advised to get a diff drop kit fitted like this:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/DiffDrop.shtml

Do a bit of searching around the site and you should get all of the information you need to pass on to your mechanic.

(Note: I am no expert but this is the info I have gathered from doing various searches on this and other sites myself over the last year or two)

[Rustinho]

The 1.5" ball joint spacers let you keep the height and wind the bars back to normal setting. Makes the ride and movement off and on road so much better.

Well worth fitting.

I have a set of these to fit at some point but I reckon it'll be easter before I get chance...

[yoshie]

The diff drop kit is pointless for off road. The main reason for lifting an off road truck is to fit larger tyres so you get the diff up. IMO.

[yoshie]

I have a set of these to fit at some point but I reckon it'll be easter before I get chance...

One afternoon will see you done easily mate.

[lukenemma]

The 1.5" ball joint spacers let you keep the height and wind the bars back to normal setting. Makes the ride and movement off and on road so much better.

Well worth fitting.

how much and where from ?

[yoshie]

how much and where from ?

About £80, Tony sometimes has them or you can orer from Crawler I think.

[lukenemma]

sound and i got free wheel hub's to go on thats my next job. Can't believe i got my surf 6 moth's ago just to sell on and make some money on. fell in love with it within a week and now dont think i will ever sell her.

[VidaMusic]

The 1.5" ball joint spacers let you keep the height and wind the bars back to normal setting. Makes the ride and movement off and on road so much better.

Well worth fitting.

Yoshie, I'm doing all 4 bj's and cv boots in the next couple days so it'd prob be a good idea to put these on at the same time? If I can't get any in time is it easy enough to do as a separate job later?

[Apache]

Yes, if you're changing balljoints, its a good time to do the spacers.

As Yoshie said, they give you the OEM ride quality and the height increase. Whereas winding up the bars just gives you height and ruins the flex / ride quality.

Deffo recommend them. I think Surfenstein manufactures them too.

[slobodan]

Yes, if you're changing balljoints, its a good time to do the spacers.

As Yoshie said, they give you the OEM ride quality and the height increase. Whereas winding up the bars just gives you height and ruins the flex / ride quality.

Deffo recommend them. I think Surfenstein manufactures them too.

Issat true? I always thought they just corrected wheel alignment.
My missus's Pickup has the bars wound right up and the ride is terrible, I think it's on the bumpstops.
So BJ spacers will improve the ride quality as well?