95 Safari AWD Torsion bar replacement

[Centex]

I am going to replace my torsion bars, new bars shorter. How is the 6 or 7 inch difference taken up? Is there something else I have to buy?

[doyoulikeithere]

The keys for the old style bars were long and different, accounting for the long overhang out the back.
If you get new shorter bars they should come with new style keys.
If they do not, you will need new keys for the new style bars...

[Centex]

So the adapters the dealer trying to sel me are not needed?

[doyoulikeithere]

A chevy dealer? The stealership ?? Thieves! Watch Out for your wallet buddy !!

I have no idea what he is trying to sell you.
I got a kit of new shorter bars & keys for my 95 from OLV.COM for about 300 bucks, but he does not sell them nowadays.
It was a helluva long time ago but I do recall that I got just keys, no adapters.
That said, the vans up to 95 had a bigger hex hole in the key - 2.125, while the vans from 96 onwards have a smaller hole - 1.5"
The old style keys with the bigger hole look totally different than the new ones.
They are kinda long, and are what you can see protruding out of the back of the xmember. The longer bars are inside it.
Sounds like he wants to just sell you an adapter to reach forward to the new shorter bar, plus, step down the size of the 2.125 hole to 1.5, rather than toss out those old long keys and put in the proper ones.
The stealership price on that job should be pretty funny. Care to share the punchline?

This info can be found at http://www.overlandvans.com/0104_suspension.html near the bottom where it says "Look under your van"
Read that, then You decide.

[Centex]

I ordered replacement bars and keys from Rock Auto. Busted bar came out too easy. Less than 3 minutes. new bar went, everything stopped. The bottom of the hole in the key is at the level of the bottom of the hole in the crossmember. Double checked everything, bar has an R - passenger side. The keys are the same for both left and right. When keeper is installed front fender is 4" above tire. Key does not line up in any other position.

Any ideas?

[doyoulikeithere]

A bit hard to determine what exactly you have done with such incomplete short broken descriptions.
did the keys you got copy the 'stock' keys, or the 're-indexed' keys?
"4 inches above the tire"
are you saying that the weight of the van is on the tires, and the t-bars have been adjusted to be as low as they can be?
or are you saying that the bar is installed , but the wheels are still in the air, and no adjusting has been done.....

[Centex]

Passenger (R) bar installed, adjuster bolt - not installed, weight on tires, 4" between top of tire and bottom of fender. Replacement keys are the same - came with new bars. With the tool there is not enough room to install adjuster bolt, but van is jacked up without bolt installed. Dorman said keys are the same. I have triple check side.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Is it possible the bar is in backwards? I don't know if there is a difference or not.

[Centex]

No, only 1 way to install, ends are diferent sizes

[doyoulikeithere]

maybe try putting it into the other side.....
RH LH could be relative to which end of the van you look at it from.... ??
grasping at straws here... should be pretty straightforward.
That being said, when I put in new bars, my van rode pretty high for a year or so before it settled.
But, I had a 2" Body lift in it as well, so......

[Centex]

Thanks, I'm beginning to think it's just the new shorter bar.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Any way you can post up some pics? We could get a better idea with pics.