06 Fx4 Off Road
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Hillsboro, MO
06 Fx4 Off Road
OK, I want to keep my stock 16" rims and change out the tires. It has 255/70/16. I am thinking of going up another 2 inches with cranking the bars and new shackles in the rear. I am looking to get a more aggressive look, by going with a wider and taller tire. If I don't lift do you think 265/75's? I dont want to go up to much because my wife is only 5' 3" and with the factory lift she already has to use the running board and help handles. If I do lift where should I go? 4.0 liter with 4.10's
Post Fiend
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I cranked my t-bars to level the truck and I'm running 265/75-16's BFG AT KO'S. You don't even have to crank the bars, it just looks better, you don't have to do anything to the rear at all. There's guy's running 33x12.50's on a t-bar crank. The 265's are close to 32" and about 10 1/2" wide, I think they look awesome and don't hurt the mpg much. I would still sugest cranking the bars to give that little extra clearance in the front and a level truck looks better, your wife should still be able to get in ok, use the grab handle and give a hop hee hee.
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Hillsboro, MO
that's what I was leaning toward, my offroading is mostling mudding and nothing to extreme so i don't need major lift. when i get done I will post some pics. I am also adding a roll bar and lighting when i can find one for a decent price.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Detroit 'burbs
Hey Wendell, Im just wondering, in a lot of your posts you mention cranking up the t-bars to level the truck out more. However, everyone Ive talked to about cranking the t-bars says thats a really a bad idea because your truck will take a beating when it comes to absorbing bumps, potholes, etc... So where does the truth lie? The people who've told me this range from certified to home garage mechanics.
Freshman User
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From: Grand Junction,CO
Yes it will be stiffer
my 03 rides hard after turning up the bars! You are increasing the preload on the spring!(torsion bar) Suspension lift or use softer bars or ? Change to coilover kit if they make. Who has fixed this properly?
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Elder User
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From: Denver
Originally Posted by Level II 03
my 03 rides hard after turning up the bars! You are increasing the preload on the spring!(torsion bar) Suspension lift or use softer bars or ? Change to coilover kit if they make. Who has fixed this properly?
The truth of the matter is that cranking the torsion bar DOES NOT increase the preload. The only way to change the preload is to change the weight of the vehicle. Cranking the torsion bar changes the orientation of the fixed end of the bar. The bar still twists the same number of degrees due to the vehicle's weight and the result is that the truck sits higher.
As the truck is lifted, the suspension geometry is changed - the A-arms are angled to the ground more, and at some point that geometry change is noticable in terms of stiffness.
The other thing to keep in mind is that torsion bars have a relatively limited range of motion - when you crank the t-bars it would be good to change the rubber stop bumpers on the lower A-arm to limit the travel so the torsion bar doesn't get over stressed.
My guess is that the guys who say the truck takes more of a beating with the torsion bars cranked have actually overstressed the torsion bars because the travel stops no longer limit the travel at the correct point to keep the t-bar from being overstressed.
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From: Grand Junction,CO
Ok now we are getting somewhere. I think we should be able to figure this out. in my first draft i mentioned that the control arm angle getting steeper reduces the leverage on the bar. But then i overthought and deleted that part ,thinking the distance is fixed by the length of the lever(control arms). The fact is that the arms and hub travels in an arc.. Yes there it is.. the farther up or down past level the arms are ,the closer the hub gets to the centerline. So the effective leverage on the bar goes down . Am i correct in this thought? So therfore,the only proper fix is to lower the bar mounts and control arm mounts and keep the designed angles in place?? If you use softer bars, the rig will blow through the travel and bottom easier as the leverage goes back up?
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From: Denver
Originally Posted by Level II 03
Ok now we are getting somewhere. I think we should be able to figure this out. in my first draft i mentioned that the control arm angle getting steeper reduces the leverage on the bar. But then i overthought and deleted that part ,thinking the distance is fixed by the length of the lever(control arms). The fact is that the arms and hub travels in an arc.. Yes there it is.. the farther up or down past level the arms are ,the closer the hub gets to the centerline. So the effective leverage on the bar goes down . Am i correct in this thought? So therfore,the only proper fix is to lower the bar mounts and control arm mounts and keep the designed angles in place?? If you use softer bars, the rig will blow through the travel and bottom easier as the leverage goes back up?
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Hillsboro, MO
one theoretical fix could be using f150 control arms, they are longer to reduce angle, but i would have to measure them to see if the mounts are the same distance apart. i think fabricating new mounts for the existing arms could be dangerous, but let me do soe homework to check out the mounts on a few aplications and see if any of them jive together. or would using different control arms just kill the ride heighth achieved by cranking the bars in the first place?
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From: Grand Junction,CO
Another thing that may also be happening is more weight is being transferred to the rear springs to carry. And the sway bar angle and all other angles are changing,adding more resistance by binding, Etc. There is a lot of design work going out the window if we adjust a system out of design range. So if the preload is not changing, the effective spring rate or felt stiffness is giong up. It rides very much like my 88 GT did with Racecraft springs and urethane bushings. I get the same jolts when hitting sharp edged holes like manholes. But it also handles better, less roll, steering rack feels faster. Very fun to drive on road.
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Grand Junction,CO
Suspension lifts get around this by brackets. They are more expensive(for bar rigs) for good reason. We had to replace a frame on a newer Chevy and it had a nightmare of extra brackets to move mounts. Lucky i did not do,but had to help align and decide which of those got bent,too.
Post Fiend
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"Well boy's", I'll put it this way, I wasn't going to pay 1,500.00 for a lift kit, all I wanted was leveled. I've had my t-bars cranked for allmost 2 years. It rides as rough has it ever has, no worse than when new, or no better. Ranger 4x4's ride stiff and rough from the factory, thier all truck. In the same token, it doesn't ride any rougher with the t-bars cranked that I can tell. I had it in the shop a couple of weeks ago to have the allignment checked, they said everything looks good including the allignment. So far there's been no adverse effects from having the t-bars cranked and I still saved 1,500.00$. I am a hair short of being totally level and I'm out of adjustment, so I'm going to buy a set of torsion bar keys from total performance to give me that last little bit. Most trucks have more than enough adjustment, but mine was just a hair short, seems no 2 trucks are a like in the t-bar area.