New here, just got my first Dakota! 2002 Sport 4x4 4.7 quad cab, love it! Got into doing lower control arms, ball joints, shocks and now have worse problem. Front end sits low, when re-installing the torsion bars, the key has not tension/resistance, I can swing it right up and bolt to the cross member. This can't be right, what am I doing wrong?

 

Did you remove the torsion bars when you did the lower control arms?

Welcome to DF! Moving this to 2nd Gen Dak section for ya.

 

Yeah, was the only way I could get the control arms removed.

 

Do you just need to re-index the keys??

 

What do you mean by re-index?

 

There is a hex on the end of the shaft, that inserts into the keys, just rotate the key on face of the hex. See if that doesn't improve its attitude.

 

OK, I thought about doing that but because it's a hex, makes a 60 degree difference, worried it's too far and will damage bars or control arm. Go Nike and Just Do It?

 

Give it a shot.

That line caused me to do a nasal flush with my morning coffee........

 

When installing the bars, did you install them on the same side, and the same way front to back? And, did you install them suspension hanging or on jack stands? Should be with the frame on jack stands, not under the A-arms. All this makes a difference. You may also need to spin the bar in the A-arm, I'm pretty sure the hex heads are not ground the same on both sides. And, are you putting the keys on flat side down or the side with the bolt-sized ground out nub side down? It's probably been 20 years since I messed with torsion bars but having all the parts back in exactly as they were matters, and the parts can go in wrong but look more right than the right way if I remember correctly.

 

Hmmm... may bite the bullet on this one and have them installed. Just got the truck and don't want to screw it up, still saved a bunch of $$ by doing arms, ball joints, tie rods and shocks myself. Have to get alignment anyway so will take to a place that will do the bars at the same time.

Not confident I will be able to get the right face in the right place, everything I'm finding online is about upgraded keys or guys who took them off like me but don't show pics or vids of the reinstall, just of them tightening the bolt, no indication of the starting point.

Thanks for the help/info.