Torsion Bar Indexing Keys

[ChaseDale3and8]

Have any of you had any experience with these indexing keys that are supposed to lift the front end of the late models 2 1/2 inches? I am considering buying a set of these for my 2003 Silverado Z71 ext cab. If any of you have, would you please post up some pics. The only pics on the Ready Lift website are of 20s with who knows what tire size. I currently have 16x8 Weld Renegade wheels on 265-75-16 tires.

http://www.readylift.com/products/sfID1/6

I want to run a 305-70 16 tire which I believe is right around 33 inches. This torsion bar index lift is supposed to accomodate a 33 inch tire and not affect the stock ride or steering geometry. Do any of you know if these claims are true?

If anybody can tell me whether these are worth the effort and money I'd sure appreciate it. I'm thinking that if I do the front with one of these torsion bar key sets that I can bring the rear up to match with an add a leaf kit to get the overall lift that I want on this truck. It is a pavement pounder that doesn't see any hard off road use so tire clearance shouldn't be much of a problem....at least I wouldn't think so.

If any of you have used these torsion bar keys would you please post up some pics. I'd like to see what one of these 99 and up trucks look like set up like this.

I know that I could run a 3 inch body lift and that a 305-70-16 tire would fit. I have seen a 2002 shortbed like mine set up this way, but I'm not really too crazy about doing a body lift because they are a lot more complicated and don't look as good in my opinion because of the gaps they leave. Thanks in advance. ...Joe

[OldCreek]

The keys actually work well to lift the front a couple of inches. Really, it gets the front end level with the rear. I don't know if you need new shocks.

If you do a little work you'll find that the keys are actually gotten from stock Ford trucks. You can buy them for $65 ..... not the $225 these sites list. I think they are the 'green' Ford keys.

[ChaseDale3and8]

Hey thanks for the response! That's interesting to know about those keys. I guess that if the (gag) Ford keys would fit and work to do the exact same thing that would definately be the way to go and I could go directly to the local Ford dealer to buy them right? Do you know what year of Ford keys that I would need?

It doesn't make sense that those keys cost so much. Even with the shock extensions they shouldn't cost more than $100 or so but I guess they think that they can get away with charging so much because people like me don't know any better. And they have a point with cost in comparison to a 4-6 inch lift kit. This is their strongest selling point for me. Even if I need to buy longer shocks it would still be a lot cheaper to put those Ford keys in the front and add a leafs in the rear rather than buying those Ready Lift keys.

This is my first I.F.S. Chevy. I'm one of the die hard straight axle or nothing boys. I went so far as to buy a brand new 98 Dodge back in the fall of 97 simply because I hated the fact that Chevys since 88 all had I.F.S. and were so expensive and complicated to lift. Plus I feel that the I.F.S. isn't as strong as a straight axle.

The Chevy that I traded was my 82 K20 that had a 4 inch Rancho lift with 33 inch tires that I had driven for more than a decade. Since I have always been a die hard Chevy or nothing guy it was a pretty hard decision for me to make, but I just absolutely hated the I.F.S..

Now all 3 manufacturers have gone I.F.S. so I went back to Chevy when I traded up in 2003 after my wife and I had our second child.The Dodge that I had was a standard cab shortbed. I ran 32-11.50-15 tires on it with 15x8 rims with no lift at all and could have run 33s easily. I even saw a few around here with 33s and no lift before I bought mine and that was one of the selling points Dodge had for me at the time.

A guy down at one of our local tire shops has an 03 K20 extended cab like mine and is running the 305-70-16 combo with the same Weld Renegade 16x8 wheels as I have. He told me that the combo fit his with some cranking of the torsion bars, and that he had to trim the plastic valance under the front bumper a little bit to make them fit his, but of course it's a K20 and they sit higher than my K10 does at stock height. I figure that the K20s sit about 2-2 1/2 inches higher than a K10 in stock configuration so if I can get mine to look like his I will be happy. ...Joe