I just got done doing alittle height adjustment on my 97 F150 4x4 Rcab LB using the front torsion bars and adding a 3 inch block kit in the rear ( removing the factory blocks completely) I really just wanted an extra inch in the rear,so this worked out great.I run a 265 70 16 " tire, before I did the adjustment my measurments from the edge of the wheel well to the floor (centered on the wheel) was 37 3/4" At the rear and 37 1/4" in the front. Which in my opinion sucked because if I put anything in the rear it looked like I was sagging (long bed I might add).So Now my truck sits at 39" in the rear and I cranked up the torsions a bit and the front and is just under 38". ANYWAY,After settling the suspension after being jacked up I have a slight front tire sound like a tennis shoe skiding across wet floor. I actually pushed the truck in the garage and can hear this from the front now. It didn't make a noise before,and my tires wore fine. Am I in for a rude awaking now ? should I realign?

 

Yes you should have an alignment. Anytime you mess with a height adjustment, you should have an alignment done.

 

I was afraid of that answer, I thought I could get away with a little adjustment up front with just a couple of turns of the adjustment bolts. $35 block kit and a inch just cost me now about 135.00..

 

My toe was out. Alignments are only $40 in my area.

 

I'm just guessing on about 99.00 for a 4X4,Would this require a 4wheel alignment or just a front? I've always had FWD cars done and cost me 69.00 a pop for a front wheel alignment.
Do they shim the front or adjust it in other ways to get it right? OR will they mess with the torsion bars to get it to set right again? (I want to maintain the height) If they do ,I can take it back where it was set before ,I marked the bolts before I started....

 

There is no 4 wheel alignment on these. Should really not be any more expensive. No the would not touch the torsion bars.

 

Thanks Guys for all your input, And sorry if my questions were newbish ,never really had to work on a 4x4 and I just didn't want to get taken by my local shop when I ask stupid questions to them.I would be having rear alignment done and beliving them...

 

You might have to put in a camber adjustment kit depending on how much the torsion bars have been torqued. Just to let you know so there's not any surprise when you get to the alignment shop.

 

When I leveled mine, I took it in to have it aligned, and it was dead-on. They didn't have to touch a thing.

 

I'd say just show up and tell them you only want your toe adjusted. I'm pretty sure that with the SLA suspension that we have when the tire moves up and down, it pretty much stays straight -- unlike those TTB or the almost-straight axle suspensions they used to use where when your truck went up, the wheels would bow out. They should give you a discount if you ask nicely and they know you're going to make it easy on the mechanic and not sweat a half degree of camber on both sides as long as they're even side to side.

But anyway, you definately want to have your toe set because any time you lift your truck away from the front axle, you're lifting the steering rack away from the steering knuckles, which increases the angle that the tie-rods are at and because of that, technically, your tie-rods become shortened.

 

hey itsaford, where did you get your block kit?