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  #16  
Old 08-27-2010, 05:44 AM
xPlover24x xPlover24x is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

you can just crank the stock keys with a socket wrench
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  #17  
Old 12-09-2010, 03:52 PM
rembone46 rembone46 is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fx4wannabe01 View Post
That's the thing though....torsion keys do the EXACT same thing but to a much greater extent. They reindex where the bar mounts in the key...move that and it's doing the same as cranking the bars.

Downsides to cranking bars in general: increased wear on the bars, increased wear on lower balljoints, less down travel, harsher/stiffer ride. On stock keys, all these are minimal....but with torsion keys, all the downsides are multiplied a good amount.

You can still crank the bars/keys a huge deal which will result in way out of spec balljoint angles which cause severe wear on them. CV shaft bindage. Almost no downtravel whatsoever. And alot of wear on the bars. The bad part is that they allow you to crank too much which causes this severe wear. There's a guy over at TRS or RPS that reported he needed new bj's after only a year of running the keys. Other guys who ran the torsion keys converted to RCD or DBR long travel kits before they could see the wear effects on the parts. You have plenty of adjustment already with stock torsion keys without getting in trouble with severly wearing out parts.....being the truck in question is a '99, I'm leaning torwards worn out/dead torsion bars. Replace those with upgraded #1 bars from a low mile Ranger or Sport Trac and it'll keep the 'lift' you gained by cranking some.

Torsion keys work great on other rides(silverados, f150s) but not on Rangers. I vote Superlift or Bodylift. Steer the hell clear of 'leveling kits'(torsion lift keys) on a Ranger. Yeah, they're cheap, do their job, but at what cost? $500 a year in maintainence? No keys please.
Not what i wanted to hear.
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  #18  
Old 04-03-2011, 06:30 PM
Big Blue Evv Big Blue Evv is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

Ok well i had aftermarket keys put in about a year ago and i have not had any probs. I had it lifted about 2.5 inches in the front and a 4inch block for the rear. Ya it rides stiffer and yes i had to put longer shocks on it, but i wanted a suspention lift and not a 3 inch body. I did not want to spend 1500 for a superlift so that was all that was left. Im going to do a 1 inch body lift this summer. iv prob got about 10,000 miles on it since. NO issues yet and no indication of futer prob yet. They were truxxx keys too.
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  #19  
Old 04-27-2011, 07:44 AM
duckhunterranger31 duckhunterranger31 is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

i have torsion lift keys on mine and i did the cheapest thing i went to my local tractor store (john deer place) and bout some john deere bolts for $1.00 a piece take the old bolts out put the new ones in but make sure u turn them both the same amount of times but don't just go all out and start turnin cause youll bust the heads off the bolts but the worst parts about it is youll have to align the truck back up and when you hit a bump or hole the ride is a whole lot rougher hope it works
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  #20  
Old 12-23-2011, 04:36 PM
cstishenko cstishenko is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

keys do the same thing as turning your bars up.

poor ride quality is from not matching your shock length to the added ride height.

shock spacers come in the key kits.

install shock spacers after turning up your torsion bars and your ride will be as good as stock.
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  #21  
Old 12-24-2011, 02:34 PM
cstishenko cstishenko is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

I cannot even begin to explain how horrible the ride was without the shock spacers!

Offroad it felt like our teeth were coming out of our heads, speedbumps felt like the front end was going to fall off the truck. It was brutal.

With the tires on the ground, I un-did the lower shock mounts... And the front end gained ride height. The torsion bars were pulling the shocks fully extended at ALL times. I installed half inch spacers in the bottom, half an inch in the top.. SOOO much better.

I also trimmed down my bumpstops... Again, a world of difference. A little redneck engineering turned the truck into the most capable factory suspension truck on the trails in our area! And no need for limiting straps... the stock A-arms will stop before a cv shaft comes apart.
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07 FX4 L2
Maxed Tbars, Bilsteins, Shock Spacers, Belltech 6400's, rear shock spacers, 33x12.5 Duratracs, 2" wheel spacers, 3" PA Body lift, Phillips HID high/low and fog.

I've got leather bitch.
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  #22  
Old 01-07-2012, 11:04 AM
cstishenko cstishenko is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

Mods: Can you please sticky this, or add it to the 98+ lift FAQ's thread?


Did you notice that after doing your torsion bar lift in the front of your Ranger than the ride became uncomfortable or brutally rough? It could be that your shocks are simply not long enough for the lift you've added to your truck.

Your stock shocks were designed to operate within the trucks stock ride height. As you turn up your torsion bars you run the risk of over extending your shocks by pulling them fully extended against their stops! This WILL result in a poor ride, and poor offroad capability. This could also result in a failure while driving causing an accident.

Here are my homemade shock spacers. With the truck on the ground at a full torsion twist, you should gain another half an inch to an inch depending on your bars once you un-do your lower shock mounts! Try this and see what happens... Worst case, you wasted some valuable beer drinking time. Best case.. You truck rides smoother and is more capable off-road.

For the Bottom Mount:

Take off the nuts holding your lower shock mount to the trucks a-arm. I took 8-10mm nuts and wound them on tight to the lower shock studs. Two nuts per stud. I re installed them in the lower mount and tightened the lower nuts under the a-arm again.



For the top Mount:

Take the upper nut off. then take both washers and both rubber bushings off. You should be able to push the shock down now. I then put on a thick 5/8 nut that would butt up against the "flat" portion of the shock shaft that the washer sits on. Re-install the lower washer and bushing. Put the shock back into it's upper mount.. Re-install the upper bushing, washer and nut. DONE.



My ride IS the same as stock and i'm up 2-2.5" over stock just by turning up my tbars in my FX4 L2



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07 FX4 L2
Maxed Tbars, Bilsteins, Shock Spacers, Belltech 6400's, rear shock spacers, 33x12.5 Duratracs, 2" wheel spacers, 3" PA Body lift, Phillips HID high/low and fog.

I've got leather bitch.

Last edited by cstishenko; 01-07-2012 at 11:24 AM.
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  #23  
Old 01-07-2012, 11:10 AM
djfllmn djfllmn is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

GTFO with your shock spacer BS!
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  #24  
Old 01-07-2012, 11:38 AM
cstishenko cstishenko is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

Do you want extra lift out of your torsion bars?

You will likely gain another half an inch in the fender well using this method.

Like I said above.... Try it before you knock it.

Whats the worst that happens? You waste an hour working on your truck?

----------

Your truck:


My truck on 31's:


Not only do I have more lift, but it rode LIKE STOCK! Smooth and comfortable.
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07 FX4 L2
Maxed Tbars, Bilsteins, Shock Spacers, Belltech 6400's, rear shock spacers, 33x12.5 Duratracs, 2" wheel spacers, 3" PA Body lift, Phillips HID high/low and fog.

I've got leather bitch.
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  #25  
Old 01-07-2012, 12:51 PM
djfllmn djfllmn is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

uh genius that pic of my truck is before i cranked the bars
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  #26  
Old 01-11-2012, 02:09 AM
hullfm hullfm is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

I added the spacers that came with the keys and gained about 1 inch of wheel drop, but what helped my ride was ditching the sway bar
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  #27  
Old 02-13-2012, 03:40 PM
Big Blue Evv Big Blue Evv is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

Bringing it back. I just checked and i have put 17k miles on since i added keys. Got about 2.5 inch's out of it. It rides rough and yes i added 3 inch longer shocks too. so ya cranking them will make it ride rough but longer shocks do help but not that much. Im cranking mine done about 1/2 inch hoping it will help a lot.
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  #28  
Old 02-27-2012, 09:39 PM
powerlifter powerlifter is offline
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Blue Evv
Bringing it back. I just checked and i have put 17k miles on since i added keys. Got about 2.5 inch's out of it. It rides rough and yes i added 3 inch longer shocks too. so ya cranking them will make it ride rough but longer shocks do help but not that much. Im cranking mine done about 1/2 inch hoping it will help a lot.
Have you had any problems yet I am going to do the keys
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  #29  
Old 02-27-2012, 09:41 PM
Eagle Eagle is offline
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Default Re: Torsion Lift Keys ???

i gained 2.5 of lift with stock components
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  #30  
Old 02-27-2012, 09:48 PM
powerlifter powerlifter is offline
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I cranked the bars but after it just fell right back at 6 1/2 my rear with an add a leaf is 9 1/2
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