| Before
Lifting or lowering a truck can sometimes take all day, get pretty costly, and require help from friends. For all of you truck owners with torsion-bar front ends on '88-'08 Chevy/GMC, '02-'05 Dodge Rams, and '97-'03 Ford F-150 trucks, there is a quick and easy way to lift your rig up to 3 inches or lower it down 2-1/2 inches. Suspension Maxx has released a special torsion key with an adjustable cam inside the key for rotating the torsion bar and altering the suspension height.
The added benefit of the Suspension Maxx design is the factory-like ride quality, strength from the 4140 heat-treated alloy keys, and seven selectable ride height options. Marked with indicators inside the key, the cam can be placed in different locations to adjust the ride height.
| After
For this story, we tracked down an '04 Chevy Silverado 4WD and added 3 inches of ride height to the truck. Out back, a small-block kit leveled the truck out. Check out the images for a detailed depiction of the install.
| To level the truck off, a small 2-inch block kit was inserted in between the rear leaf spring pack and the axle. This gave the Silverado a whole new look.
From The Driver SeatAll that was needed was the torsion key tool and basic handtools. The install went quickly once we got going. To be able to clear 33s without cutting the bumper for under $450 is a great deal. The cam design is pretty trick and the instructions made sure we used the proper measurements. Ride quality was very similar to stock and we were impressed with the lack of bump steer. We ordered a new set of 20-inch wheels, which were mounted inside 33-inch tires; but they weren't delivered in time to meet this deadline. With the availability for all fullsize trucks, we expect the kits to be a valuable resource for years to come- whether lifting or lowering trucks.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Time Spent Working: 3-1/2 hours
Degree of Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools Needed: 18mm socket, 22mm wrench, 1/2-inch drive ratchet and extension, impact gun, and Suspension Maxx T-Maxx torsion bar tool
PARTS USED: Suspension Maxx Maxx Cam 2 SMX-MC2 torsion key $249.95 Suspension Maxx T-Maxx SMX-MT torsion bar tool $169.95 Parts store bought 2-inch block kit and U-bolt kit $29.95
Total cost: $449.85
