hello i have a 82 pickup and i want to lower the front end. do i do a ball joint flip top and bottom or do i adjust the torsion bars. if there are any how to guides that would be great. i really appreciate it.

 

I'm not positive on if there are any differences between the 82 setup and mine, but I think they are similar.

Doing the ball joint flip will net you approx 1 inch. Some people see more, some see less. I did the top and the bottom, but it's mainly the bottom that will get you the drop. I did the top to keep the vertical distance between the two the same.

Loosening the torsion bars will lower the truck. It's like making the spring softer, so the weight of the truck lowers the front. A lot of people do it and don't seem to have any major complaints.

If you need some tips on exactly how to do these, there are numerous write ups floating around this site.

 

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You cannot do a bj flip on a 82. Not gunna happen w the factory lca.

I swapped in the later model suspension. Pretty much bolts right in, but needs a ton of camber shims for some reason. I also ran 84+ drop spindles and sway a way torsion bars. Static dropped it all the way down to the crossmember.

I changed it back up after I got hi centered a couple times.

 

previous owner of my 87 in my build thread actually swapped in pre 84 parts from a 1st gen to raise it a little - hence the bolt-in lowering capabilities for 84-88 parts into a 79-83 model.

 

How do you loosen the torsion bars on the hilux? im looking to lower mine a couple inches. in the front and a couple in the rear.

 

Won't lie I created this account to respond to this. I have an 83 hilux. You can just loosen up the torsion bars by two bolts, one for each side, and it'll drop it and give you a softer suspension. Or you can reindex them as well as adjust them. I have done this and it has made my suspension stock stiff if not a little stiffer. I don't think I have pictures. I'll try and post a video fairly soon. I ended up having to cut my torsion adjustor bolts out and order new ones from toyota. 13$ a piece and well worth it. It made adjusting so much easier.

 

I hit a rock in my 1980 going to go ride dirt bike and it ripped out the adjuster nut on the torsion and the torsion bar itself came out and said F it and removed both torsion bars by any means this is not the safest thing to do but hell I drive so slow in this small island of mine plus it's stock 20r top speed is like 90mph in this truck highest posted speed limit is 55mph and well it wore through the bump stops and is pretty much metal to metal on the LCA and truck sits about 1" or less above the ground by the front crossmember and have gotten the truck stuck just pulling into the bike lane 4 tires still on the paved road

 

Truck next to me is 3" drop and doesn't look that low by the wheel gab but that's cause the camber and they are 14x7 welds

 

My tacoma has a 3" lift next to my 80