Truckers

What Is Torsion Key Lift And Pros And Cons When Using

Mike Cross
Updated Oct 18, 2020
Tortion key lift

If you are a truck owner, aficionado, or hope to be a truck owner someday, you probably have put some thought in to what kind of truck you would like to have. Any you have probably given some thought to the options available to you.

Tortion key lift
Tortion key lift

If you are planning on using your truck for hauling heavy loads, that’s another set of options to think about. Are you a contractor who regularly carries a load? Or maybe just occasionally you have to tow or pull a large load? Either way you need to think about options for your truck that might help you in your day to day life.

One option for truck owners is the use of a torsion key lift.

Using a torsion key lift is an interesting option with some trucks. With a torsion key, you can basically adjust the height of your front suspension. Some truck owners like to raise the front of their truck, so that it matched the rear in height. Sometimes trucks come slightly higher in the back. This is to allow for the truck to settle down as it carries heavy loads over time. You can use a torsion key to level your truck so that both the front and the back are the same height. If you do not intend to carry heavy loads, this might be something you wish to do with your truck.

Torsion keys are usually purchased as an aftermarket item to add to your truck. These aftermarket keys, are a slightly different shape than leveling keys which are probably on the suspension system. This different shape will allow you to adjust the suspension even higher than just using the leveling keys alone.

This does allow you to raise the suspension even higher, but you have to remember a few things. Increasing the height will not affect any issues you may be having with ride quality nor it will change any problems you may have with the suspension.

When you decide to use torsion keys to change the height of your truck, you should remember a few things. You should always double check that the height is the same on both sides of your truck. And it is a good idea to have your truck aligned after adjusting it with the torsion keys.

Torsion keys to change the height of your truck
Torsion keys to change the height of your truck

Pros:

  • Aftermarket torsion key lift gives you more height than just the factory installed leveling keys
  • Torsion key lift allows you to control how high you want the front end to be
  • You can adjust the front height of the car to match with the back height

Cons:

  • Aftermarket torsion keys must be purchased separately
  • You will need to have your truck realigned after adjusting the height with the torsion keys
  • Adjusting the height will not fix issues with ride quality or suspension

Points to Remember:

Since trucks are designed to carry heavy loads in the back, factories take this in to account by making the back of the truck higher to start with. This way, over time and with heavy loads, the rear will settle down. Eventually it will even out with the front end of the truck. If you want to have the front and rear of your ruck level immediately, you need to use the torsion levels and possibly torsion keys, depending on how much height you want to add.

Most trucks will already come equipped with a torsion leveling system. These cranks can be found already in place on the truck’s torsion bars. These levels generally give you a turn or two to add a little bit of height to the front end of our truck. If you want to add more, you need to use the torsion keys to lift the front end.

The torsion keys are placed on top of the levels that are already on the torsion bars on your truck. The keys can be turned and will give you some additional height on the front end. You do need to be careful though. It is always a very good idea to have your truck’s alignment check after you use torsion keys to raise it up.

When you use the torsion keys to get that extra lift, you should know that this will add more pressure to the torsion bar. Some people feel that this added pressure to the torsion bar will make your rider rougher. And the undue stress is not always beneficial for the system as a whole. And if you plan on using your raised truck for off road driving, it can place undue stress on the joints of your truck and that can lead to them breaking.

Aftermarket torsion keys should be purchased with caution. Be sure to check that the keys you are purchasing will be compatible with the make and model of your car. And if you want extreme height, consider having the whole truck lifted so it will be less taxing and damaging to your vehicle.

Btw, if you are driving a truck, you should have the best trucker gps, it will help you find the way when drive.

Conclusion

Truck owners purchase trucks for many reasons. They are used to haul heavy loads, go off roading or just for street use. Trucks will normally have the front end be lower than the rear. This is because typically the rear carries heavy loads. Over time, the heavy loads will cause the rear to lower and eventually even out with the front end of the truck.

If you prefer that both the front end and the rear are the same height, you can raise the front end. Most trucks come equipped with leveling keys installed on the torsion bars. One or two cranks will raise the front end a bit. If you want to raise the front end even more, you will need to purchase a torsion key lift. This set of aftermarket keys are placed over the levels, and will give you a few extra turns for additional height. Care needs to be taken to make sure your truck is properly aligned and that not too much stress is placed on the torsion bars.

Being able to customize the height of their vehicle is a great pleasure for truck owners.

Mike Cross
Life is too short to drive with stock audio

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