Aftermarket Torsion Keys on Coilover Conversion Suspension

[yeet99]

Hi all,

I recently got an 01 EB that has been converted from air suspension to coilovers up front and springs in the rear. I'm looking for about 2 inches of lift and 34 or 35 inch tires mostly for looks, with some occasional offroading and towing. The rear is easy - I plan on installing coil spring spacers. The front is a little more tricky and where I need some help.

My coilovers are due for replacement, based on how low the front sits and how bouncy the ride is over bumps. I plan on replacing these once I figure out what I want to do (unless I end up swapping torsion bars and removing coilovers entirely).

I cranked down the OEM torsion keys but that only got me about an inch of lift, still with some forward rake. I learned that the cars equipped with air suspension came with weaker torsion bars. I am looking into sourcing a set of the stronger torsion bars from a non-air equipped car to swap to an OEM-style, non-air front suspension set up.

I am considering alternative solutions, including aftermarket torsion keys. Are aftermarket torsion keys compatible with my front coilover conversion + weaker torsion bars?

This would be a lot easier than finding and swapping torsion bars, but I'm unsure if the weaker torsion bars + coilovers will allow me to achieve what I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance for any input you all might have.

 

[yeet99]

Just updating for anyone that might come across this in the future - I've decided to swap to non-air ride torsion bars w/ KYB shocks up front + spring spacer in the rear. Acquired the TBs from a local junkyard and will be acquiring the shocks and spring spacers soon.

 

[AWAR]

Thanks for coming back with an update! I remember an old Chrysler ad from the seventies. Torsion barbers for the superspension!

 

[yeet99]

Of course....further update is that I have completed the install of the following:
- non-air ride torsion bars
- KYB Monomax 565088 front shocks
- rear coil spring spacers
- 315/70/17 BFG T/A KO2s on stock 17in wheels

The front end feels quite stiff. Not sure how much is due to the KYB shocks vs the torsion twist I did to level the front w/ the rear height (with coil spring spacer). I will probably drive it for a few hundred miles to see if the shocks settle a bit before trying any changes.

 

[yeet99]

Latest update - I've driven about 1,000 miles since the install, mostly highway towing miles. Not much has changed as far as how the ride feels. The stiff front end isn't too bad for on-road comfort. I have 0 miles off-road since the install, but I imagine it is not great for articulation. I still have a tiny bit of rake that bothers me so I might go to a shorter rear coil spring spacer at some point and potentially back off the torsion keys a little bit. It would probably require more trimming of the front bumper and running boards (which I finally just got dialed in) so I am just going to drive it as it is right now.