| From | Message |
Winston Smith
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/31/2005
09:18:04
|
 Subject: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Last week I had 265/75/16 BF Goodrich a/t ko's installed on my Dak. Let me just say that these tires are sweet and look absolutely menacing. The problem is they rub pretty bad on the front bumper/wheel well gaurd anytime I make a turn on uneven ground.
I've read a couple of posts which have mentioned adjusting the torsion bar to raise the truck for better tire clearence. The other alternative is to cut away the pieces of the bumper and wheel well which are obstructing the tires.
I am not a huge fan of cutting away on my truck but I do not know anything about adjusting the torsion bar. What do you guys suggest?
|
dakotasport
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/31/2005
11:26:18
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Crank them torsion bars, but make sure you get an alignment after you do it. And cranking them too much can cause the horrid balljoints to premature failure.
|
Winston Smith
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/31/2005
12:28:13
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
I've never messed around with torsion bar suspension before, so is there anything special I have to do to raise it up? or do I just turn the bolt, nut or whatever?
Thanks!
|
Kowalski
GenIII
8/31/2005
16:18:26
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
That's about it; it'll turn easier if you jack the front end up to take some weight off. Jacked mine up about 2" years ago, all suspension parts still fine. Alignment afterwards is a good suggestion. You could probably just have the alignment guy set the new height while he's got the truck up doing the alignment anyways; check first.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
MacsDak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/31/2005
19:35:52
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
thinkin about doin this myself. Do you have to do anything with the rear end?
|
Kowalski
GenIII
9/01/2005
15:29:52
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Most of our trucks are a bit higher in the rear so this brings it closer to level. Some also raise the rear with blocks, some with adding a leaf; I raised the rear of mine with Roadmaster Active Suspension.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
Ken
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/01/2005
23:44:18
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
I've been wanting to raise my front end a little, and I never knew it was that easy. I'm with ya Winston, I have no idea what to do with torsion bars either.
Ok Kowalski, so what you're saying is that you lifted the front end up 2" by just simply messing with the torsion bar? Now let me get this straight, the torsion bar is the shock looking thing right inside of the tire? And that's what I adjust?
If you can't tell, I'm new at this.
|
Picture
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/02/2005
00:06:01
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
This might help. It's a snapshot from my Factory Service Manual CD.
|
Winston Smith
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/02/2005
07:10:57
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Thanks for the diagram. I took a peek underneath my truck yesterday and kind of found myself wondering exactly which bolt I was suppose to adjust. This helps quite a bit.
To actually raise the truck, you would just want to crank the bolt counter clockwise right?
On a side note, you know those little shocks between the control arms, have any of you guys had to ever replace those (?) or when do you have to replace them? (as you can probably tell, I have never had torsion bar suspension!).
Thanks for all the help!
|
Super-bee
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/02/2005
12:05:18
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
counter clockwide will lower the truck, clockwise will raise it
righty tighty lefty loosey
and i had to replace one of those shocks, but i was 17 and my dad helped me do it, so i dont really remember, that was over 5 years ago
if you jump on the front end to rock the truck, if it keeps bouncing they need to be replaced
if the trucks settles after one or two bounces they are good to go
|
Winston Smith
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/02/2005
12:55:45
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Thanks for all the help.
|
Kowalski
GenIII
9/02/2005
17:29:48
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
These guys have pretty much explained it - all set now Ken ? That's all there is to it with a torsion bar suspension. The shock looking thing is just the shock.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
Ken
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/02/2005
19:19:12
|  RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
How much can you lift the front without damaging anything in the long run?
|
Kowalski
GenIII
9/03/2005
09:43:33
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
I'd say about 2". This can be a tough call - if you raise it up and then go beating around on offroad trails and break something, will you blame it on lift, or driving habits ? Like I said before, mine's been lifted that much with no problems.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
Ken
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
9/05/2005
22:28:38
| RE: BF goodrich a/t ko's
IP: Logged
Message:
Thanks for the advice Kowalski.
|
| | P 1 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
