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86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS

Torsion Bars?

Old Feb 1, 2009 | 04:31 PM
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Torsion Bars?

I was wondering if my stock torsion bars are wearing out or it they are just very soft stock and how much of a stiffer ride to high spring rate bars cause?
By the way my truck is 2wd and has about 90000 miles on it
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 04:39 PM
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Could be wearing out, Im not very edumacated on 2wd, But me/ thinks if you want a stiffer ride to tighten the bars a couple of times, Note: at the same time it will raise the front end a little bit...
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 04:54 PM
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Sin91's truck is 2wd and we have (I think) 25mm Sway-a-way bars on it (came with the Fabtech lift). They are definitely stiffer than stock but it seems everything on that kit works well together... so my opinion here may not be worth more than the cost of the pixels on your screen . Sudden jolts like railroad tracks are somewhat jarring but swooping things like 'dips' or intersection drainage channels are handled quite well. We never get more than one bounce out of the suspension. Bump, up, down, flat... or dip, down, up, flat. That's it.
My 4Runner with stock bars tends to bounce more than her 2wd with stiff bars.

Interestingly enough, the faster the truck is moving, the softer the suspension feels.
It DOES NOT ride like an F350 SuperDuty. It rides more like what you'd think a light-duty truck should- firm but not bone-jarring.

Last edited by abecedarian; Feb 1, 2009 at 04:55 PM.
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Old Feb 1, 2009 | 05:43 PM
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...Thats all I have to say...
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 09:25 AM
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i tightened them a little to level my truck out after i installed a add a leaf to help with the suspension sag on the rear axle but it did not seem to stiffen very much and they are almost cranked all the way there is a small gap in between the upper stops but i was wondering who sells the stiffest torsion bars im not really worried about how it rides on the street thats what your soft cusionany seat is for which is going to be switched out for a racing bucket seat once funds appear
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 05:48 PM
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the stiffest bars are going to be the 27.5mm sway a way 300m bars. but with a $600 price tag they are a little out of reach for some people. after that is the sway a way 25mm ones then the downey 24mm ones. stock i believe is 22mm.
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by abecedarian
<SNIP>
We never get more than one bounce out of the suspension. Bump, up, down, flat... or dip, down, up, flat. That's it.
My 4Runner with stock bars tends to bounce more than her 2wd with stiff bars.
<SNIP>
The amount of bounce is a function of the shocks, not particularly the springs, be they t-bars, leafs, or coils.




Fred
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by scuba
Could be wearing out, Im not very edumacated on 2wd, But me/ thinks if you want a stiffer ride to tighten the bars a couple of times, Note: at the same time it will raise the front end a little bit...

Adjusting the t-bars do NOT make them "stiffer".
That doesn't change the spring rate on them at all.
What it does is change the angle of the a-arms and that what makes for the stiffer ride. The steeper the arm angle the more you'll feel the road, all other things equal.




Fred
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 06:17 PM
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Thank you for clearing that up sir !
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 11:32 PM
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Originally Posted by FredTJ
Adjusting the t-bars do NOT make them "stiffer".
That doesn't change the spring rate on them at all.
What it does is change the angle of the a-arms and that what makes for the stiffer ride. The steeper the arm angle the more you'll feel the road, all other things equal.




Fred

omg ive been trying to make people understand that for years now. You're the first I've ever seen actually come out and say it like it is.

I appluad!
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Old Feb 3, 2009 | 11:34 PM
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And to reply to the thread at hand.

I don't reccomend stiffer bars, at all. Having run thicker bars for a few years and finally going back to stock ones almost 2 years ago now.


We have a 87 2wd completely stock with more than double the miles on it as yours I can say safely at 90k yours are not worn out. You however, should look into new shocks. Try Procomp ES9000's or an equivalent 'stiff shock'. I like the procomps, they're not expensive and they're good.

That softness you feel is all in the shocks.
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 10:44 AM
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the shocks are fine they are basically brand new procomps i guess im just going to have to get used to a soft ride because of the 2wd mini truck im used to riding in a 1ton dodge with a solid axle and they do not have excessive amounts of bump its like not having springs but thanks for the help and input if i ever do switch out the front end to a total chaos kit ill go with the high spring rates bars but for now i think im going to wait thanks again.
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 12:32 PM
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ive got rough country shocks and they are stiff it feels like i have leaf springs in front with out shocks
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Robert m
the stiffest bars are going to be the 27.5mm sway a way 300m bars. but with a $600 price tag they are a little out of reach for some people. after that is the sway a way 25mm ones then the downey 24mm ones. stock i believe is 22mm.
Correction, downey's t-bars are 26mm
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 01:22 PM
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Lets see this 2wd

Mine rides like a Cadillac and is as fast as a GT-R
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 01:24 PM
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Originally Posted by strykersd
Correction, downey's t-bars are 26mm
Correction, downey's t-bars are 24MM

If your looking at their site...try NOT to look in the 4wd section. It helps looking in the right section (2wds)

Good day
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 91Toyota
Correction, downey's t-bars are 24MM

If your looking at their site...try NOT to look in the 4wd section. It helps looking in the right section (2wds)

Good day
What?!?! We have 2WD trucks on this site?!?!
jk, my mistake
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 07:59 PM
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Originally Posted by strykersd
What?!?! We have 2WD trucks on this site?!?!
jk, my mistake
LOL...I'm just giving you a hard time. But you are right if we were talking about 4x4's
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Old Feb 4, 2009 | 08:04 PM
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will 4x4 bars work on 2wd?
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Old Feb 5, 2009 | 06:25 AM
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Originally Posted by "jewls"
will 4x4 bars work on 2wd?
nope.
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