adding leafs

[agcneo]

well today im goin under the truck to fix my neutral saftey switch. while im under there i figured id bring the rear end up a tad by adding some leafs. ive heard some ways bout doing this. was wondering what is the easiest, safest, and most worth while way of doing it. i have a 95 2dr im rippin the leafs out of, dont know if i should just swap the leafs, or take individual ones out and add them to my 97, and i need some very cheap way to prop the front up bout an inch or so. torsion is cranked all the way. if i put longer bolts in, will that lift it?

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by agcneo

well today im goin under the truck to fix my neutral saftey switch. while im under there i figured id bring the rear end up a tad by adding some leafs. ive heard some ways bout doing this. was wondering what is the easiest, safest, and most worth while way of doing it. i have a 95 2dr im rippin the leafs out of, dont know if i should just swap the leafs, or take individual ones out and add them to my 97, and i need some very cheap way to prop the front up bout an inch or so. torsion is cranked all the way. if i put longer bolts in, will that lift it?

Are you just wanting to raise it up or is it sagigng down more than normal?

[agcneo]

looking to raise it up so i can put 31s on it

[old_master]

Torsion bar front suspension develops lift by twisting the bar itself. They are designed to lift a given amount of weight a given distance. There is a range that they operate within when the front end jounces and rebounds. By increasing ride height, you are also increasing the load on the bars and the range that the bars operate in. This adds stress to the bars above and beyond what they are designed to handle. At best you'll shorten the life of the bars, at worst, they'll break. You're asking for trouble when you adjust ride height higher than factory specs. Not to mention all of the steering and suspension parts, (ball joints, tie rod ends, idler arm, pitman arm, etc etc) are designed to operate within a range determined by the specified front ride height.

To keep the vehicles weight distribution correct, for handling, and safety reasons, both the front and the rear ride height need to be correct. Like front ride height, there is also a rear ride height specification. Over time, not miles, leaf springs sag which causes weight to shift from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Check rear ride height, if it’s low, tell a spring shop what you want to do and let them do it. If the front ride height needs to be increased after the rear springs are replaced, stronger bars such as those used on a ZR2, would be a safer way to increase front ride height. When all of the spring work is done, and front and rear ride height is correct, align the front end.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by agcneo

looking to raise it up so i can put 31s on it

As Old Master posted.
Not a good idea to raise it with torsion bars an spring leafs.
But I think they make block or raising kits to raise body up higher.
Fire up the search engine and see if anything pops up.
Good luck
MT

[riptide44]

i would think the 31's would fit wouldn't they ? there only 2 inches taller , the only problem you might encounter is rubbing the inside on really tight turns without the right wheel offset . and if have a good paintjob and want to keep it that way - look into some fender flares - i have 235/75/15 michellin ltx a/t's and they stick out just enough to throw rocks along the doors - when it gets repainted i will be getting flares .

if you really want the lift though go with a boy lift vs. what you were going to do - the extra leafs will kill the ride especially off road -

[agcneo]

well the 31's do fit. they rub a tiny tiny bit in the front, but i had the torsion cranked a little bit, not all the way, in fear of bustin the bars. the rear is sagging though, quite noticeably. thats another reason i wanted to add the leafs, bring the rear up to reg hight, and the 31's would fit better in there. i cant do the block lift, cuz the axel is under my leafs, want to get a welder and set them up above it so i can lift the shit outta it.

[riptide44]

you'd be better off replacing the whole leaf assembly rather than adding good leafs to already sagging ones plus that will restore the ride height - you can try for yourself but i dont think your going to like the feel of more leafs in the back - even new stock ones are a bit rough off road - by the way what size tires do have - i'm thinking when mine eventually wear out i might go to 31's .

[thadrawr]

get some ford torsion bar keys online somewhere to fix the new height in the rear with the leaf springs

[agcneo]

the tires are 31x9.5?xr15 maybe 31x10. to cold outside to go look. i cant belive i barely have any rubbing! ford torsion keys? ill have to look that up, sounds good to me. now bout the new leafs, aftermarket? or just blazer leafs from a junkyard? and has anyone shimed the rear axle to below the leafs? or am i the only one who wants to attempt this, and weld the leaf brackets to the new position?

[riptide44]

definitely go aftermarket and better yet if you have a spring shop where you live go there - they will get you what you want - i should say - you watch the occasional aftermarket spring at a cheap price as they will be made from cheaper steel and not last as long .

and yeah usually on most suv's / trucks the tire rub isn't that big of a deal as long as aren't cranking the steering all the way - i got the life out of a set of 31x10x15 on a pick up where the rubbing had no affect.