Torsion Bar Issue

[Matt Bachand]

Matt, the adjuster will turn much easier if the a arms hang. You should be fine as long as the end of the adjusting bolt is in the key and the threaded piece between is captured between the frame piece.

Ok. I'll look at it more to be certain later and maybe try to fix it.

It must be in the key, otherwise the t-bar wouldn't be holding weight I would think. I couln't see it well yesterday, but the pb blaster cleared parts up. It all had the classic 'one piece' rust look before, but the blaster is distinguishing things.

I have no choice but to drive it right now, so...........

Like I said, I barely applied tension to it, so if I broke it by doing that I find it hard to believe.

 

[625fireman]

The bolts are designed to "swing" back and forth with adjustment. The Bar the thread thru is not bolted or wleded to anything it just kind of wedges between the bottom of the crossmember and the key. Yours are just fine. IMHO.

 

[Matt Bachand]

The bolts are designed to "swing" back and forth with adjustment. The Bar the thread thru is not bolted or wleded to anything it just kind of wedges between the bottom of the crossmember and the key. Yours are just fine. IMHO.

Attaboy. That's the answer I was waiting to hear!!

Thank you. Now that I can clearly see whats going on in there since PB Blaster did its job and defined all components, That was the assumption I came to also.

I think I'm going to give them 2 completel turns a piece and go with that.

Been soaking overnight in PB, and I hit them again so hopefully they'll turn easily.

I've been scared of these things since I've owned the truck.......

IF ITS NOT BROKE, DON't FIX IT!!!!!

Argh............ Temptation!

 

[625fireman]

How far down is the front sitting??
When i turned mine I went 1/2 turns, then drove it around a little bit to settle them in and checked again. If it needed more went another 1/2 turn. They trun hard either way so I didn't want to get the front higher than the back. I used a 6' level across and length wise on the frame, BUT make sure you are on level ground if you use a level. The other "trick" is if you normally drive solo try and put your weight in the drivers seat when using the level too. Good alignment shops do the same on alignments. I have mine dead nuts flat with 200# in drivers seat. Then with 9' plow it drops little more than 1.5 " On the list is Timbrens or something to help out. Just watch you don't go far enough to put the bump stop against the upper arm. Wierd things happen when you crank em that far.

 

[Matt Bachand]

How far down is the front sitting??
When i turned mine I went 1/2 turns, then drove it around a little bit to settle them in and checked again. If it needed more went another 1/2 turn. They trun hard either way so I didn't want to get the front higher than the back. I used a 6' level across and length wise on the frame, BUT make sure you are on level ground if you use a level. The other "trick" is if you normally drive solo try and put your weight in the drivers seat when using the level too. Good alignment shops do the same on alignments. I have mine dead nuts flat with 200# in drivers seat. Then with 9' plow it drops little more than 1.5 " On the list is Timbrens or something to help out. Just watch you don't go far enough to put the bump stop against the upper arm. Wierd things happen when you crank em that far.

Just preparing for winter... my 9' plows been welded and weighs over 1000lbs........ New Monomax's on the way now, but it does sit level now it seems................ Perhaps I just leave em alone.

 

[625fireman]

Yep I am trying to get ready too but my list is toooooo big.
9 footer looks like swiss cheese
lift arm on truck needs attension
truck needs new shoes
truck needs new fuel tank

2nd truck
brake line fixed
spreader checked out
strobe lights
cb
lisence
interior
and I am sure I forgot something

 

[Matt Bachand]

Yep I am trying to get ready too but my list is toooooo big.
9 footer looks like swiss cheese
lift arm on truck needs attension
truck needs new shoes
truck needs new fuel tank

2nd truck
brake line fixed
spreader checked out
strobe lights
cb
lisence
interior
and I am sure I forgot something

Plows lift arm needs rework
Installed rear FSU in rear tank today
Need to replace a few fuel lines for said FSU tomorrow
Removed grille friday cleaned raidiator
Fixed Horn Sunday
Dropped Starter fixed lead yesterday


New shocks Coming end of week
Need to fix High idle now

Fuel guage still doesn't work with both FSU being new. Now I have to dig apart wire harnesses between front fsu and rear and hope for a find.

Bringing my plow to the house next week to paint that and go through that.....................

Thanks DTR! Couldn't do it without ya!

 

[HighSierra86]

.


Mine look the same as yours, off to an angle, i wouldnt be worried about it at all.

IF ITS NOT BROKE, DON't FIX IT!!!!!

Argh............ Temptation!

the front end of my truck has been sagging for a while because of the plow, so i decided to take the advice of everyone else and just crank up the torsion bars.

Now i have bad wheel bearings....well im sure they were on their way, but it just made it worse.

Looks like ill be looking into new shocks to bring the truck back to level

 

[625fireman]

.


Mine look the same as yours, off to an angle, i wouldnt be worried about it at all.




the front end of my truck has been sagging for a while because of the plow, so i decided to take the advice of everyone else and just crank up the torsion bars.

Now i have bad wheel bearings....well im sure they were on their way, but it just made it worse.

Looks like ill be looking into new shocks to bring the truck back to level

Are you sure it is bearing noise?? It could be tire noise if it happened right after you leveled the truck. Turning up the bars changes front geometry a little. Your tires could be running on a different spot know than what they were. Will be even worse noise if you have M/T's. Just my .02

 

[Detroit Dan]

I need to get ready for snow too, have to weld a crack in right front framerail, replace pivot bolt and possibly sleeve it on the plow, also want to weld on a couple big nuts as stops so I can stop blowing angle cylinders apart when they overextend. Stupid design flaw from Blizzard. I did Monomax shocks up front last year, rears are junk but my airbags seem to do a fine job, so I'm starting to think I'm not going to worry about changing the rear shocks.

Great point someone made about those bolts being able to float, I didn't think of that. I'm pretty sure you'll be all set as far as that's concerned. I'd certainly go more than two turns, that's probably barely enough to make a difference. I did five and with no alignment never got any uneven wear. I've heard of guys going ten and that's just way excessive.

Have you had to do front wheelbearings, Matt? I know my truck eats them, and it has to be due to the heavy plow in addition to the heavy engine. maybe you're truck is heavier in the back than mine is and unloads the front suspension more. I usually have a lot of ballast, but not always, whereas your truck must always be heavy to the rear.
Looked at a new Boss poly V-plow at the fair last weekend, sucker was 1150 lbs!

 

[Detroit Dan]

Are you sure it is bearing noise?? It could be tire noise if it happened right after you leveled the truck. Turning up the bars changes front geometry a little. Your tires could be running on a different spot know than what they were. Will be even worse noise if you have M/T's. Just my .02

Another good point

 

[ghitch75]

Tough thing to take a picture of if its not on a lift (which it isn't )



The last one is the the one I didn't touch. Notice how the T is verticle and horizontal. The other side is shifted off to the side.

Things look better now that PB blaster sat on it for hours

Can I just put a wrench on it and force it back verticle?

why so wet?......you have bad oil leak?

 

[vail426]

He soaked it with PB Blaster.

 

[HighSierra86]

Are you sure it is bearing noise?? It could be tire noise if it happened right after you leveled the truck. Turning up the bars changes front geometry a little. Your tires could be running on a different spot know than what they were. Will be even worse noise if you have M/T's. Just my .02

Exactally what i thought when it started. It sounded EXACTLY like tire whine on an agressive tread tire. But I soon noticed that i had the same noise while on dirt or gravel. So i jacked it up and spun the tires by hand, LH was deff bad and the RH is on its way. You can really hear/feel how bad the bearing is now that I have it all apart.

 

[Matt Bachand]

I need to get ready for snow too, have to weld a crack in right front framerail, replace pivot bolt and possibly sleeve it on the plow, also want to weld on a couple big nuts as stops so I can stop blowing angle cylinders apart when they overextend. Stupid design flaw from Blizzard. I did Monomax shocks up front last year, rears are junk but my airbags seem to do a fine job, so I'm starting to think I'm not going to worry about changing the rear shocks.

Great point someone made about those bolts being able to float, I didn't think of that. I'm pretty sure you'll be all set as far as that's concerned. I'd certainly go more than two turns, that's probably barely enough to make a difference. I did five and with no alignment never got any uneven wear. I've heard of guys going ten and that's just way excessive.

Have you had to do front wheelbearings, Matt? I know my truck eats them, and it has to be due to the heavy plow in addition to the heavy engine. maybe you're truck is heavier in the back than mine is and unloads the front suspension more. I usually have a lot of ballast, but not always, whereas your truck must always be heavy to the rear.
Looked at a new Boss poly V-plow at the fair last weekend, sucker was 1150 lbs!

Truck always rear heavy. Doesn't squat or feel it driving, but compared to a standard pickup...I weight a minimum of 9200lbs. Max without plow 10k, Plow is another 1k plus, but I won't drive far or highway with it on. Cuz I overheat. ... maybe a good thing, saved my wheel bearings.

Now I adjusted my fan clutch 1/8th inch so I'm looking forward to getting the plow next week with the new monomax's, tire upsize, and new fan clutch mod. Gonna dial that thing right in so it never runs hot doing 30-40 around town to and from.


I did my first wheel bearing at around 125k... drivers side. Still havn't done passenger side yet................. I've bought so much garbage lately that I wont replace things as PM until they fail.... Especially something this expensive...... will I regret it? Probably....... If it makes it till next spring i'll change it out and probably do rotors as well.

 

[Matt Bachand]

Exactally what i thought when it started. It sounded EXACTLY like tire whine on an agressive tread tire. But I soon noticed that i had the same noise while on dirt or gravel. So i jacked it up and spun the tires by hand, LH was deff bad and the RH is on its way. You can really hear/feel how bad the bearing is now that I have it all apart.

My hub fell apart, not sure if it was bearing failure or complete hub failure. i even posted not even a month before when greasing how tight my front end is. i routinely check these things... grease every month or every other...

Then out of no where, truck was all wobbly, hub snapped, snapped the bolt right off my axle....... tire being held on by the caliper on the rotor. Thats it.

Towed home. Even i'm not that stupid.

 

[Matt Bachand]

why so wet?......you have bad oil leak?

Yep pb blaster, doesn't leak a drop of oil.

I went underneath with 5 15oz cans of gloss black paint. Didn't come out until they were empty... Give it a nice shine to help repell the salt!

Winter's coming boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!