Tom

Dear    Tom,

Q I purchased a ‘98 F150 4WD. The torsion bars have been cranked up to

raise the front end. There is extensive side-to-side play in the front wheels,
with the center link, tie rod ends, and idler arm all moving. Do you know
where I can find the factory torsion bar settings? Also, will I have to replace
all of the mentioned parts?

Keith—Tallahassee,  Florida

Keith,

A Regarding the torsion bars, there are factory specifications for adjusting

them. It involves measuring the clearance between the lower control arm and
the jounce bumpers on the frame of the truck. There are a few different specs
depending on what suspension is in your truck as well as body length. Once
the torsion bars have been lowered to the correct height and the steering
system has been shored up, the vehicle will need an alignment because
torsion bar adjustment along with steering linkage part replacement changes
the alignment angles. When checking the steering linkage, there should be no
side-to-side movement at all. Start with the idler arm. If this component is
loose, replace it as it could cause a lot of slop in the steering linkage to begin
with. If you find loose ball and socket joints in any other steering linkage
component, replace that component too.