2002 dodge ram 1500 4x4 4.7 5spd. When I got the truck he had the tourtion bars turned up to make it look level.

Problem: the front end feels like a sleed. No give or response and if u hit a speed bump the front end bounces about 5 times.

What I would like to know is will letting them back down and putting the leveling kit on the tourtion bars solve this.

Thanks for any help u all can give me

 

Yes , and no ... The issue is a leveling kit will do the exact same thing to the torsion bars . You have to lower the front of the truck some to get the spring rate back . Right now the torsion bars are basically fully bottomed out .. your truck doesn't have enough weight to twist the bars . If you put a leveling kit on it , it basically does the same thing " it re-clocks the torsion key on the bar" . I had to lower the front of my truck about 1/2 in to get some of the "spring" back into my suspension after replacing the keys with a leveling kit ..

 

Basically, leveling keys are re-indexed such that their initial position puts the bars closer to where they would be if you just cranked them. The main benefit really is that you may be able to crank them up further than you would be able to to with stock keys. Rule of thumb - the more you crank, the rougher the ride, regardless of the keys. However, you'd probably find some improvement with longer than stock shocks in the front, to account for the increased travel from the level. When I had my truck leveled, it was time for new shocks anyway, so I got a kit that included re-indexed keys and shocks that were sized for a leveled RAM. The ride is certainly different than before, but I'm very happy with it and wish I would have done it sooner.

 

So buying a level kit when the only thing u plan to do is level the vehical is basically a wast of money were u can just turn the bars up and get the same effect all the way around. Thank for the info. I've never messed with any thin like this because I haul horses all the time but a buddy has some air lift helper bags and compressor he is going to give me so I won't have to worry about my front end walking with me. Thanks again

 

By installing torsion keys, it's not torquing the bars as much, so the spring rate is still there..

04Hemi already said that...

 

The same visual effect, yes. But that is not what you were complaining about - it's the ride. If you want to improve the ride and keep the level, put longer shocks in the front. Mine are nitrogen rough countries and they sell a shock kit specifically for a leveled Ram. If your truck was leveled with the original shocks, which is a common thing to do when just cranking the bars, the ride will not be as good and it will put more wear and stress on the shocks.

I didn't level my truck for a long time because I was afraid the ride would be as you described yours is, according to posts on this forum I had read. If you go back and look at my post history, you'd probably see me talking about leveling here and there for a couple of years before I actually did it. You don't have to get a kit to level the truck, and the ride you are left with is what it is. I chose the kit and am perfectly satisfied with the ride. It's way better than this stock height Chevy I just bought from my Dad.

 

Is there anything else I can do without loosing as much spring rate?

 

I understand I will need longer shocks anyway I go about it. And sorry for the confusion on my posts were I'm doing this on my phone your posts are comeing in as I type then I submit and your post is there.

 

you can buy shock extender thingies... they simply shackle up between the mount and the shock.. I wouldn't trust them, though.. imHo, it is a stress point that is better suited for hardened (and evaluated) metals..

I hated my ride with the keys turned up, AND, it didn't last too long anyway because I topped out the shocks one too many times within the first couple of weeks of turn-loading them..

04Hemi has already nailed it down, and better than I could have- but I'll add: if you're reaching for height, level keys are a bad idea.. they make the rig sit higher than OE keys do at the same torsion.. If, for instance, you torqued the OE key all the way up, and did the same to the level keys, you'll be a little higher.. the torsion on the bars is what is going to cause your ride to suffer, not the height per say.. what raising it as high as you can raise it with the level keys does is jacks your geometry all the crap..

jacked geometry not only places bookoo stress on intermediate (CV) shafts, it also jacks with arm swing radius, which gives you a mighty stress point on initial travel of the arms.. AND.. it allows you to top out way too easily...

I ended up lifting with an entry level RCX.. 4~5" kit.. I also went with Billy5200's, which were less than easy to find considering the shock configuration for the torsion bar front end and the extra travel.. I share this with you to say: After jacking with torsion bars, the ride never was right again until I lifted that rig properly..

 

As with many things, there are cheap ways to do things, good ways to do things, and expensive ways to do things. What you get in return is typically what you put into it. The cheapest way to level the truck is crank the bars. Not many people will argue that the ride quality is sacrificed when you do it this way. And, if you are going to do heavy off-roading, which puts extra stress on the suspension anyway, you may very well cause parts to fail prematurely. The "good" way to do it, is to level it with key cranking (stock or aftermarket), and install longer shocks (I would lump the shock mount extenders into the cheap way category). This method should give you a better ride but the same appearance. Should be fine for doing most things you would do with a stock height truck - ride on the beach sand, head down a dirt road, etc. If you are into more significant off-roading and playing around off the pavement, a proper lift kit is the better way to go. But it is significantly more expensive and, in my opinion, overkill if you don't have a need for it.

I just bought a new to me chevy truck. The factory rake on a chevy is much worse in appearance, to me, than a Dodge, and I can't live with it. I want to lift it a little and level it, and if I were going to off-road it, I would invest in a kit that would cost me at least $1200, not including installation, new rims, big tires. But it will be a street driver 99% of the time and I just want a different look. So, I'm installing 2" blocks in the rear, new leveling keys that will be cranked to level or damn close, and 4 new pro comp shocks that are specifically paired with the kit I'm buying - in other words, the front shocks are longer than the stock ones. I need to go down dirt paths now and then to get to a deer stand or a duck hole, and expect to be able to do that with ease. If I were going to really put it through it's paces, I'd probably go with a true lift kit. What I'm doing is 1/3 the price of a decent lift kit.