Ford Keys or Torsion bar crank?

[Ryanj33]

Are Ford Keys or cranking the torsion bars better?

[jeverett]

Either way, your cranking the torsion bars a little. The ford keys have a slightly different index where the bar goes into the key..which turns the bar more...
I dunno why, but on my truck, the driver side bar is cranked all the way, and the passenger side, you can see half of the bolt. I'm getting some Ford keys to level mine out. At like $40, you cant loose ( I don't think).

[Phix_06]

I'll be scanning pictures of my truck this weekend, I have the ford keys in and it raised the front end up 3inches and like J said they were only $52

[Ryanj33]

Will the keys take more pressure off the truck then just cranking the bars?

[jeverett]

They are supposeed to keep the suspension pretty close to the factory operating range, so I assume that it will take some pressure off of it.

[Faze2183]

that answers my questions about those ford keys, what are the part#s

when u put them in is it a weekend job or a couple hrs or????

[Ryanj33]

So you think the Ford keys would be better then just cranking the torsion bars?

[jeverett]

The Ford part number is .... XL3Z5B328CA. You can get them at any dealer, or at http://www.fordpartsonline.com . I have found one of the most complete forum threads concering this install. According to that thread, it only takes a couple of hours. The link to that thread is http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/s...threadid=65871 (Dialup usere beware..this is a very long load with hi-res pictures.) Maybe this will answer any of your questions that I'm too stupid to answer

[TXAGG05]

...as Jeverett said, the ford keys just have a different index. With the ford keys cranked until your truck sits the same as your factory keys cranked all the way, you will still have as much pressure on your torsion bars as if your factory keys were cranked all the way. The difference is, because they are indexed, you can crank them further than the factory keys. So basically for the same amount of height, you get the same amount of tension on the bars. The IFS front end relies on the twist of the torsion bars, so the higher you go, the more twist you're putting on the bars.
Jeb

[AlaskanZ71]

Yea ok so I went ahead and gave the bolts some twists and I agree with some others with the same deal about my drivers side being higher then my passengers side with less bolt remaining. O well I am too waiting on my local Fairbanks Alaska Dealer to get my Keys in and i will be turning mine up even more. But i have been warned that others with the same setup have experienced the bars exploding while offroading or in heavy Alaskan snow!!! The local shop i go to said that the keys are an easy way but there has been one case he knows of were the guys passenger bar just destroyed itself and the whole side of the truck just slammed down into the mudd?? O well, so anyway worth the chance!

[jeverett]

I'm willing to take that chance myself...I'm tired of looking like my front end is scraping the ground.

[Faze2183]

i just want the freakin ford keys