I can't remember where mine are at, but I went up about an inch and I'm not anywhere close to 15 inches. I think it is more like 10-1/2 inches or something like that with 31" tires. With the SLR shackles the front end should be significantly lower than the back (probably about 3 or 4 inches), even with a torsion bar adjustment, unless your truck is like mine and has sagging springs, in which case the rear will only be about 2 inches higher. If you have good rear springs your truck will actually look really funny even if you give the front over an inch of lift. Schlud has his set about an inch higher in front and with his good springs and shackles in the back his truck is very backend high. At 15 inches without a lift kit, your camber will be way, way off...not to mention the stress on the CV joints and such up front from having to hang down so far.
For comparison purposes, Ian's truck with the 3 inch lift is only marginally higher in the back than a truck equipped with the SLR shackles. So, if you raised the front so it was even with the back, then you essentially adjusted the front end up atleast 3 inches (taking into account that stock it rides front end low), which is about the same as the lift kit, but your A-Arms and other components aren't designed for it. I'd hate to be one of your CV joints right now without that lowered differential!
Update: I went out and measured. At the crossmember below the A-Arm pivot bolt, my truck is at 11 inches, which as about 1-1/4 inches higher than it was stock. It was 10-3/4 after adjusting the torsion bars up 3/4 inches, but hanging the KMA and tire out the back teetered it up another 1/2 inch. When measured at the flat part of the side fram rail just behind the front tire, I'm at 12 inches. Just forward of the rear spring hanger at the frame, I'm at about 15 inches, with sagging springs and 120 lbs of bumper out back.
If you tell us where exactly you're measuring, we can probably help better, but anyway you stack it, you're way too high, as there is nowhere at the front of the frame that could be that high off the ground without excessive lift.
Oh, and the real answer to your question is yes, the ride will improve when you lighten up the tension on the torsion bars.
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ChuckH
2000 SE 4x4, Aztec Red
[This message has been edited by ChuckH (edited 05-13-2001).]