97 Nissan pickup front drivers side sagging

[kaz1961]

I have a totally stock 97 2wd kingcab. The truck has about 125k on it and seems to be handling and driving fine but noticed today that the front drivers tire is just about level with the fender while the passengers side is a couple of inches higher. Been reading through some posts here and think maybe it has something to do with the torsion bar? With the exception of replacing shocks I have no experience with suspensions, is adjusting the torsion bar as easy as it seems? Why would the truck suddenly sag like this? Thanks

[whomadewho]

For your saftey and the saftey of your family,and other drivers I would reccomend taking the truck to a professional. The torsion bar has a lot of tension and you can cause injury to yourself. The adjustment bolt is fine threaded and most of the time with out the proper tools,the bolt will either strip or break off. When you take it in,the shop can inspect the ball joints,sway bar links, control arm bushings,front wheel bearings, rear leaf springs. Most shops can do a 4 wheel alignment, which insures maximum control,tire wear and fuel mileage. Without the proper knowledge,when you mess with the torsion bars it can actually cost you money due to excess tire wear and lower fuel mileage.

[icrf]

While I agree that an alignment is the easiest option, as a sudden change is more likely due to one of those parts, I have to say that torsion bars aren't nearly that dangerous to work with. Sure, it's a fine thread for that size bolt, but all it is is a 19mm socket and wrench. Nothing overtly dangerous or unusual there. I've had mine off half a dozen times. Setting proper tension is in the FSM and involves nothing more than a tape measure. Indexing can be a problem if you completely remove them (mark positions before removal to make life easy), and you can definitely mess up your alignment.

[whomadewho]

Thanks for your input and opinion. Torsion bars easy to adjust If you are experienced. There is a lot of tension on the bar and if your not careful injury may result. No danger removing the bolt but the bolt is fine thread and it usually take some effort to get it loose unless you have a gas wrench. Still safer to take it in for your saftey and the saftey of others.

[icrf]

There's potential danger in everything, and yes, it's always safer to only have professionals work on it. That said, cracking loose a tight bolt is pretty low on the danger list.