# Factory bump stop question



## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

Mines a 2005 2500hd 6.0 with plow prep. my factory bump stops(load boosters) are making contact with the lower control arm as it is set up, when the plow is lifted it only drops about 1/2", my question is. is it a common thing for the factory bump stops to be sitting against the lower control arm when there is no added weight on the front? Im not too concerned about it mainly just curious.Thank You


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## gwhalen3 (Jan 15, 2010)

Yes this is normal. I just replaced mine with the timbrens bump stops. It actually improved the ride unweighted too. The OEM bump stops were junk I thought. Super soft.


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

Timbrens DO NOT improve the ride... How could they? they're like hockey pucks, not your riding on that... For a real smooth ride turn up the torsion bars about 4-6 turns!


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

Triple L;1369880 said:


> Timbrens DO NOT improve the ride... How could they? they're like hockey pucks, not your riding on that... For a real smooth ride turn up the torsion bars about 4-6 turns!


whats the best way to turn up the torsion bars and will it hurt anything if i do this? This is the first Chevrolet i have ever owned and like it way more than any others i have had. Thank You


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

Crawl under by the door handle of the truck, you'll see the cross member with 2 bolts, jack the front of the truck up and put an 18mm socket on and turn them both exactly the desired amount you want... Try 4 turns... They say you should get a allignment done but I never have and my tires wear perfect... First hand experience I found timbrens make the truck ride like a lumber wagon... Guess to some people that's "better"


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## PowersTree (Jan 9, 2006)

Triple L;1369897 said:


> Crawl under by the door handle of the truck, you'll see the cross member with 2 bolts, jack the front of the truck up and put an 18mm socket on and turn them both exactly the desired amount you want... Try 4 turns... They say you should get a allignment done but I never have and my tires wear perfect... First hand experience I found timbrens make the truck ride like a lumber wagon... Guess to some people that's "better"


This is correct. I would get it aligned. Every time I've not aligned afterwards, they wear the outside edges badly. But I usually crank em almost all the way in.


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

Thank You and stay Safe this year. Mike


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## Plowtoy (Dec 15, 2001)

Triple L;1369880 said:


> Timbrens DO NOT improve the ride... How could they? they're like hockey pucks, not your riding on that... For a real smooth ride turn up the torsion bars about 4-6 turns!


I will agree with the timbrens do not improve the ride, but I will disagree that cranking up you torsion bars will give you a real smooth ride. You are adding additional spring tension when you turn up the torsion bar bolts, thus causing a harsher ride, not to mention that you will most likely be riding up hill with out the plow on. I personally like the timbrens better than putting additional tension on my springs, I am willing to give up a little bit of ride for a better way of carrying a load


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

When you crank up the torsion bars your giving extra room for the lower control arm to move before it hits the bump stop... The torsion bars are made to do what they do, I'm not the least bit concered about adding stress to them... GM's have a slant tobegin with, it basically levels the truck out when the blade isn't on... I don't care what anyone does, I'm just saying you can get a better ride empty and loaded for free and make the truck look and sit better by cranking them up... Until you do it you'll never know so I'm not gonna argu...

I'll agree to disagree


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## PowersTree (Jan 9, 2006)

I've only ever owned GMs. Every one of them got the bars cranked. They DO NOT ride better. They ride stiff after you crank em, but they carry weight much better.


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

Just bumped up my front tire pressure from 60 psi to 70 psi. Tomorrow going to crank up the torsion bars. One side is already 1" higher from the factory. I think they must have put a rush on the order and skipped some kind of final inspection. If I put timbren on I'd like it to be similar to the rear timbren that have give and balloon out.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

PowersTree;1370066 said:


> I've only ever owned GMs. Every one of them got the bars cranked. They DO NOT ride better. They ride stiff after you crank em, but they carry weight much better.


Totally agree and I actually like my improved ''great GM feeling.''


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## JimACM (Nov 14, 2011)

When you guys adjust the t bars do you just count turns and adjust both exactly the same amount or should you measure frame or top of wheel well to ground and make the truck level. If I want to raise aprox 1" is that aprox 3 turns ?
Also after the snow season I don't see any reason to not take the 5 min and back them off the same number of turns so the ride is like it was 
Thanks for any advice
Jim


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## gwhalen3 (Jan 15, 2010)

I tightened them fully up then backed off two revolutions.( so i have even tension). Seems great to me. I also have the timbrens bump stops. Rides like a dream with the plow on and seems damn good with it off too. I certainly don't mind.


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## PowersTree (Jan 9, 2006)

JimACM;1372915 said:


> When you guys adjust the t bars do you just count turns and adjust both exactly the same amount or should you measure frame or top of wheel well to ground and make the truck level. If I want to raise aprox 1" is that aprox 3 turns ?
> Also after the snow season I don't see any reason to not take the 5 min and back them off the same number of turns so the ride is like it was
> Thanks for any advice
> Jim


I count the turns, and take them in about 3/4 of the way. I then measure the frame rails, to make sure both sides are even, adjust as needed. Send it in for an alignment.

I personally am just used to the stiff ride, and kind of like it. I just leave mine alone after its aligned. I just drop the tire pressure in the front come spring.

You do need to align it, as you are changing the camber angle. It WILL wear the outside edge of the tire, trash ball joints and wheel bearings at an accelerated rate if you dont align it.


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

i turned mine up 4 turns, in my opinion it improved the handling and ride, handling is more responsive especially on curves and the ride is more of a solid feel and it is smooth riding not harsh or stiff atleast on my truck plus i gained a well needed inch. tomorrow morning im off the get it aligned.Thanks fellas for your help.


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

mpriester;1374291 said:


> is smooth riding not harsh or stiff atleast on my truck plus i gained a well needed inch.


but everyone says its gonna make your truck ride rougher....


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

Triple L;1374296 said:


> but everyone says its gonna make your truck ride rougher....


I know they do, i put about 20 mile on it tonight after i turned them up and its not rough riding at all, i live on back bumpy pa. roads and rides great, maybe if i had 10 ply tires with 70# of air it would ride rough but i only have 50# of air and its fine.


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## JCByrd24 (Oct 19, 2005)

Cranking the t-bars makes the suspension slightly stiffer because of the change in geometry, but only ever so slightly. Imagine if the a-arm could be cranked enough to go vertical, there is no give at that point, so you'd have no suspension, infinite spring rate. Cranking usually gets you closer to vertical, but only slightly more so, so yes it is stiffer, but only slightly. Cranking the bolts does not make the torsion bars stiffer, or preload them in any way. The ride will only really change if you need a crank to lift off the bump stops (probably a good change), or if you crank so high that you have no down travel left (a bad change). 

If you are on your bumpstops unloaded, I would guess that cranking the bars to alleviate that situation actually would make it ride better. I would recommend an alignment check of the toe and camber. Lifting the front end causes the tie rods and upper a-arms to to go more vertical as well, effectively shortening them and giving you more toe in and camber, which will wear tires.


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## JimACM (Nov 14, 2011)

Thanks for the advise


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

It seems when you crank them up , you shift some of the weight to the rear and there fore less load on the front and the front springs are less preloaded. Just did this and was smoother ride with t-bars cranked up.


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## JCByrd24 (Oct 19, 2005)

You are correct that weight shift is also happening, but the effect would be even more slight. This is proven by the fact that the rear height will not change much at all cranking the t-bars. 

Also, with less load on the front end, the ride would actually feel stiffer, which I think most people are referring to as worse, like riding around in a one ton empty compared to full. I'm guessing you took your bumpstops out of the equation for normal bumps and thus a smoother ride.

To be clear, in this case you are not lowering the preload, if anything it would be considered higher preload, but I do not consider that the case. The load when the torsion bars are against the droop stops is technically preload, but it has no effect on spring rate once the vehicle is on the ground, so I don't think it counts. Preloading a coilover shock spring actually changes the effect on the vehicle (not just ride height), so that is real preload.


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

I kind of follow what your saying but I'm not sure. Coil Springs would seem to have the best ride when they are minimally preloaded. As they are compressed they will give less for the same impact (compared to when the are at fully extended state). Torsion springs should really behave the same way, I think. How could they not. So with weight shifted toward the back the front Torsion spring will have less preload and more movement for the same impact thus providing a more cussiony ride.


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## JCByrd24 (Oct 19, 2005)

You are absolutely right about the coil springs on a coilover, the difference is that with a t-bar you don't have independent preload and ride height adjustment. So the only time you can preload the torsion bar is when you are at the droop stops. Once the vehicle weight is on t-bars, they're just loaded, and that load doesn't change (except for minor change in rake and a-arm angle). Now if you crank the bars such that when the vehicle is on the ground it's on the droop stops, continuing to crank will have the same effect as preloading a coilover, but that would be bad for a whole bunch of reasons. Think of the torsion bar adjusters as coil spring spacers (not coilover), they only change the ride height, until you're at the extreme of suspension travel at which point they will add preload.


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## jklawn&Plow (Jan 8, 2011)

Got it for the droop side but on the high side seems more than minor effect is all, might just be subjective since I know I changed something though.


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## TechGuy1234 (Dec 8, 2011)

Hey man what you need to do is either run the firestone 1003 level rite kit or the 8629 Work rite kit both work great for the front.


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

today is the first i have hooked up my plow since i turned up my torsion bars 4 turns and it does improve the front end carrying capacity and also the height of the front with the plow on which is what i was after. Thanks Fellas for your help.


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## firefighter305 (Feb 12, 2011)

I just put the Ford torsion bar keys on my truck and got another 1.25 of lift. My old ones were cranked all the way. Now it sets level and with the plow up the 315/70/17 tires I run don't rub. It was a nice addition to the 3" body lift.


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## larboc (Dec 8, 2009)

I put the buyers load boosters in my '01 6.0 and I can hardly tell a difference in ride empty. Carries the plow way better. Left t-bars alone.


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## DuraBird02 (Oct 26, 2011)

i just installed a "timbren" knock off and could not be happier. My torsion bars were already cranked but that did not eliminate "sagging" in the front end when i picked the plow up, the "timbrens" almost eliminated sagging.


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