Hello everyone. I am currently in the process of making my front suspension new again and have all the parts to replace everything. I got rid of rust on the front part of the frame and painted everything up nice. Soon I will be installing all of the new parts but my question is regarding installing the torsion bars. I have them marked for side to side, front to back and marked where they were clocked in relation to the control arm. The problem is that I believe whoever owned the truck before me may have clocked them wrong because the control arms were sitting on the stops and the adjustment bolts were barely even screwed in. So when I go to install them into the keys, what position should the control arm be in? All the way down? Slightly raised up? Level with the ground? Y’alls help would be greatly appreciated.
Re-installing torsion bars
- Thread starter crpk1500
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Technically, it's called Z height.
www.gmt400.com
Z-height (stock torsion bar setting)??!
I've searched all over the stupid internet... Does anyone have the actual factory Z-height specs for a 1993 Yukon K1500?
www.gmt400.com
So how is one supposed to perform those steps if the suspension components are not installed on the vehicle? There has to be a more simple answer to this. Maybe not because I can’t find it.Technically, it's called Z height.
Z-height (stock torsion bar setting)??!
I've searched all over the stupid internet... Does anyone have the actual factory Z-height specs for a 1993 Yukon K1500?
evilunclegrimace
Does not always play well with others
Use a floor jack to get the suspension close to "z" height.
Slide the bars into the control arms, insert pivot bolts in arms, jack up arm not quite to the point of being loaded, install the key and adjuster assembly. Bar should slide far enough forward in the arm to allow the key to come out. If the keys were clocked incorrectly or are "lift keys" then you may need to acquire some OEM keys from parts store or a yard. Trial and error on installing the keys to find the right clocking shouldn't be hard to do.
Don't torque the control arm mounting bolts, upper or lower, until you have set the z-height and vehicle is sitting on the control arms. I believe this only applies to rubber bushing and not polyurethane. Someone else may chime in on that.
Be generous with chassis grease on both ends of the bar to make future disassembly easier.
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Completely correct. OEM rubber bushings are bonded, they must not be stressed at normal ride height. The fastener cannot be torqued if the suspension is not at normal ride height. ("Z-height") Polyurethane and other non-bonded bushings can have the fastener torqued at any suspension position, the bushing and the steel sleeve twists freely within it's metal shell as the control arm moves.
Service manual also states to “set the adjustment bolt to 34 mm (1.3 in)”. Perhaps that is the key part you need to know. (See the attached "Volume 1-Pages 3-72 to 3-73")
Thank you for this info. I have new torsion bar keys going in as well with hardware. If I am going to be slightly lifting the front, will this spec matter?
That's for stock height (Z height). I can't provide any info on a lifted vehicle.
Supercharged111
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I did something simpler on my dually and just measured ride height before disassembly and set it to that after it went back together. I'm guessing that's not an option here.
