I thought you guys may find this valuable....a review I wrote on the Realift Relocators
The Realift Torsion Bar Relocators are designed for lifted trucks with Torsion Bar, Independent Front Suspensions (IFS). Most IFS suspension lifts require the torsion bars to be relocated under the truck’s frame so they are aligned with the new position of the lower control arm.
Unfortunately, relocating your torsion bars to below the frame dramatically reduces ground clearance and your break-over angle, especially on trucks with long wheel bases. This exposes a vital suspension component, particularly the lowered cross member which will eventually become damaged as it hangs up on ground objects.
In comes Realift’s solution to this problem with their Relocators. Going to their website and speaking with the owner, they have been designing these for 12 years and this current design is their 3rd generation. Doing research across the net, I was unable to find a single review describing a broken Relocator or problem working with this company...good news so far. Also, if it does break, it's covered by a Lifetime Warranty on the product...tough to beat that.
Out of the box, I was blown away by the overall build quality. The welding was spot on and it appears they used a precision water jet to cut the hex opening. With the robustness of these Relocators, this is not a component I foresee failing.
Fast forward to the install and on a four door Tahoe, you will need a Pickup or Suburban torsion bar cross member. You can NOT use the 4dr Tahoe cross member due to a lack of clearance near the gas tank. With that said, you will have to drill the frame for the new cross member and (this is just for 4dr Tahoe) you will have to remove the cross bracing in front of the gas tank. I HIGHLY recommend you fabricate a new cross brace as Chevy/GMC put that in for a reason!!
As I installed the Relocators into the lower control arms, I found their fit was perfect. Liberally greased up and with a mallet, they slide in with a few solid strikes. I run a custom set of splined torsion bars so aligning everything took me a bit of time, but those running OEM torsion bars will be able to fly through setting everything up.
After double checking everything and adjusting for ride height (torsion bar adjustment bolt), I headed over for an alignment. As of writing this, I have about 500miles on the Relocators and there is no change in ride quality, which is exactly what I was hoping for…yet now my ground clearance and departure angle is dramatically improved.
In my opinion, this solution is perfect for guys that want to invest in their IFS and a solid axle swap is either far down the line or not in your truck’s future. They are built in the USA and like any low production, high quality part, expect to spend a few bucks on these…but my initial impression is that they are well worth it.
Stay tuned for updates on how these survived through a summer of wheeling various terrain and check out the How-To install video.
EDIT: Here's the How-To Video:
http://www.gmc4x4.com/topic/1258-realift-relocator-installation-comprehensive/
Before:
Installed:
After:
The Realift Torsion Bar Relocators are designed for lifted trucks with Torsion Bar, Independent Front Suspensions (IFS). Most IFS suspension lifts require the torsion bars to be relocated under the truck’s frame so they are aligned with the new position of the lower control arm.
Unfortunately, relocating your torsion bars to below the frame dramatically reduces ground clearance and your break-over angle, especially on trucks with long wheel bases. This exposes a vital suspension component, particularly the lowered cross member which will eventually become damaged as it hangs up on ground objects.
In comes Realift’s solution to this problem with their Relocators. Going to their website and speaking with the owner, they have been designing these for 12 years and this current design is their 3rd generation. Doing research across the net, I was unable to find a single review describing a broken Relocator or problem working with this company...good news so far. Also, if it does break, it's covered by a Lifetime Warranty on the product...tough to beat that.
Out of the box, I was blown away by the overall build quality. The welding was spot on and it appears they used a precision water jet to cut the hex opening. With the robustness of these Relocators, this is not a component I foresee failing.
Fast forward to the install and on a four door Tahoe, you will need a Pickup or Suburban torsion bar cross member. You can NOT use the 4dr Tahoe cross member due to a lack of clearance near the gas tank. With that said, you will have to drill the frame for the new cross member and (this is just for 4dr Tahoe) you will have to remove the cross bracing in front of the gas tank. I HIGHLY recommend you fabricate a new cross brace as Chevy/GMC put that in for a reason!!
As I installed the Relocators into the lower control arms, I found their fit was perfect. Liberally greased up and with a mallet, they slide in with a few solid strikes. I run a custom set of splined torsion bars so aligning everything took me a bit of time, but those running OEM torsion bars will be able to fly through setting everything up.
After double checking everything and adjusting for ride height (torsion bar adjustment bolt), I headed over for an alignment. As of writing this, I have about 500miles on the Relocators and there is no change in ride quality, which is exactly what I was hoping for…yet now my ground clearance and departure angle is dramatically improved.
In my opinion, this solution is perfect for guys that want to invest in their IFS and a solid axle swap is either far down the line or not in your truck’s future. They are built in the USA and like any low production, high quality part, expect to spend a few bucks on these…but my initial impression is that they are well worth it.
Stay tuned for updates on how these survived through a summer of wheeling various terrain and check out the How-To install video.
EDIT: Here's the How-To Video:
http://www.gmc4x4.com/topic/1258-realift-relocator-installation-comprehensive/
Before:
Installed:
After:
will be ordering on Monday. Can wait!!!
