torsion bar adjustement

[Ernie Italy]

Is possible that someone have make the hand on torsion bar exagon and placed in another position??

[Ernie Italy]

From dot to ground... and I have 35 installed. But take a look on the side of the tires. The last terminal of lower arm look to the high.. I think that normal are parallel to ground. Ouch why I dont have studied english in my past!!!!!

[HGW]

Looks like a lot of positve caster on your set up--could be the angle of the shot?

Who did the front end alignment? Three degrees is plenty in most cases. You may have to much caster?

If you have a lot, your tie rods could touch your sway bars links. Less caster will move the tie rods out from the sway bars--hard to tell from the photo.

[Ernie Italy]

the alignement was made by one of the best tire shop here... We have analized all changes we made...and the problem of the tie rods that touch the sway bar appear after I have crank the torsion bar. But it was necessary because the yellow bumper was completely pressed. Normally the yellow bumper are with a little (a paper) air. The edelbrock front shock have an increased extension that stock shock. Now.. some increase here..and some increase there...and the tie rods beefier (but it's good) and cannot move as the stock (the stock have a sphere joint and RD con move only in one direction. Now we have a longer sway connector and solve the problem.
Thanks to all...

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PhilD:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ernie Italy:
But it was necessary because the yellow bumper was completely pressed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>HGW, what size gap should the bump stop have at the front? Reason I ask is that with the Fabtech kit I had about a 2" gap, which seemed awfully big to me, so I put in some thicker bump stops and now have about a 1/2" gap. I now have less brake dive and less sway around corners, although the ride is a little rougher on rough surfaces. The Fabtech bump stops disintergrated while wheeling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>This is something that has bothered me since day one. I have gone round and round and can't seem to find anyone that truly knows the answers to this and I have tried to get the answer from anyone short of the suspension design team.

The average consensus (which astounds me if this is true) is that they are NOT bump stops. They are an integral part of the suspension. They call them jounce bumpers or something. I went through the parking lot last year and looked at all of the new '04 H2s and roughly half were riding ON the yellow stops and half weren't.

Of course, to eyeball the trucks most had the "rake" but some were not as noticeable. So, I am told that the suspension can "ride" on the jounce bumpers as they act as "end springs" or something along those lines.

One of my yellow bumper has already collasped about 1/4 the top part of it. I now I have my bars adjusted up and I swear it rides much better in the front. (that's only been done a week now, so has nothing to do with my other front end issues).

I would like to hear the "real" answer on the torsion bars/jounce bumpers/adjustments.

[Ernie Italy]

My problem start when i come to Hummer Italy...parking my car and the people say..you make O-R with lower lift kit ? Hu? my car is lower than about 5 cm respect to the other.. crank the torsion bar and the front is aligned. After I have some problem due to other modify.
Yesterday I have a discussuion with Hummer and they go under the H2 and say me that with a new car the Yellow bumper is on the pass. side touch a little bit and driver side a 1-2mm of air. But yes..there is something strange.

[HGW]

Paragon:

Very interesting----I thought I knew it all when it comes to suspensions. Both my trucks are gone right now--when they come back, I will look and also call my suspension buddy in CA.

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HummersGoneWild:
Paragon:

Very interesting----I thought I knew it all when it comes to suspensions. Both my trucks are gone right now--when they come back, I will look and also call my suspension buddy in CA. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Well, I made one more phone call and here is how I understand it. It is actually a "supplemental spring," not "end spring" as I said earlier. It helps to make the whole front suspension more progressive but lessens the overall weight while doing so. Other technical terms are "micro cellular urethane" and "zero-weight spring." I guess, because it supposedly offers spring without the added weight from extra metal in heavier torsion bars.

Also, since the torsion bar is a "smaller" one, it offers a softer ride on the road. The torsion bars are "tuned" with the jounce bumpers to provide the smoothest ride, especially when the suspension compresses fully. Changing the bars or stops will change this "tuning" and make the ride different.

As I understand it, this is something commonly used in small cars. I don't really see how it was conceived that this was a good idea for an off-road vehicle. The physics involved with the H2's front end would seem to preclude using this design. And yes, some cars sit on the bumpers when they are at rest and some don't. Many are designed where the frame component is just barely touching the tip of the jounce bumper.

Go figure!

[HGW]

Yes to your exlplanation.

I am looking into how to properly use the stops on lifted trucks for the best handling. Hopefull I will get some answers or spend a lot of time testing my vehicles.

My Yellow Hummer rides like a Cadillac (sp?) but my Black one needs to be "tighter" up front. I may need to adjust with my bump stops to match my Yellow and I am not sure until I get them home.