torsion bar lift

i have a 95 jimmy. i've got the 3" shackles for the back. i wanted to know how much can i crank the torsion bars with out any problems. i'm getting a front end alignment any way so i know about that. the plan is to crank them to about 2" and ride with that with 31x10.50r15s on it. will it work or what?

Adjusting torsion bars higher than the factory recommended front ride height specification is not recommended at all for several reasons:

1) Excess stress on the torsion bars WILL cause them to break.
2) The increased angle of the CV joints will cause them to wear
rapidly and they WILL break.
3) The increased angle of the outer tie rod ends will cause
rapid wear and they WILL break.
4) The increased angle of the upper and lower ball joints
will cause them to wear rapidly, and eventually they too will break.

Now, how far did you want to raise the front end? Or would you like the specifications and procedure to check and adjust them properly?

You may be better off going with a lift kit. That way everything stays in alignment and things wear at a regular pace, usually. Remember bigger tires mean less gas mileage and more strain on the drivetrain and brakes. Let us know what you do!

I agree 100%, a body lift is completely different. If you want clearance for whatever reason, a body lift is the way to do it. Chassis ride height measurements are taken from two different points: one is on the steering knuckle and the other is taken from the center of the lower control arm pivot bolt. Correct chassis ride height assures that all suspension components, CV joints, and universal joints, (pinion angle) are operating within the range that they were designed to operate in.

and if you put a lift kit on remeber that you're going to raise the center of gravity and have a higher likely hood of a rollover, the Bravada is already top heavy when compared to a car. you might want to put in a roll bar and some other saftey features in first.

Dangerous and sometimes fatal rollover accidents are becoming more frequent each year as both commercial and recreational traffic increases on American roads. Rollovers accounted for more than 10,000 fatalities and tens of thousands of serious injuries in the United States in 1999, more than side and rear crashes combined. Unlike an average automobile accident or trucking collision, accidents in which a vehicle rolls over are often more violent and subject the driver and passengers to serious injury, the possibility of being ejected, and in the worst cases, death.

Because they sit higher off the road (high center of gravity) than cars, Sport Utility Vehicles in particular are prone to these kinds of accidents. Tragically, the estimated risk of rollover in an SUV like the Oldsmobile Bravada is 30 percent compared to only 16 percent risk of rollover in a regular car. In addition, repeated government tests have shown that even the most stable SUV is more likely to roll than the least stable car. These rollovers often occur when a driver swerves to avoid hitting something or momentarily drifts partially off the roadway, gets back on the road and then tries to straighten the vehicle - and the result can be fatal.