Trackbars: OEM, TF Bushing replacement, JKS, something else? Unicorns?

[silversurfer575]

Yes, front and rear factory track bars. I am running ProRocks with EVO track bar relocation brackets and with the 3.5" of lift I have, the axles are relatively centered.

OK, cool. thx! Im going to do same... Wanted to make sure I was at the relatively same lift height. Amazon has the rear TB at about $59. Its the Crown one.

 

[LoPo]

So long as the Crown one comes with clevite bushings on both ends, I personally wouldn't hesitate to run one. You could save quite a bit going that route. Of course, if you really want a JKS, I probably have one in my garage along with a host of other track bars I no longer use.

Cool thanks! I'm not really looking for a JKS, just saw in my searching that it was the generally recommended TB. Even though I have a gen2 TF TB now, the whatif keeps creeping into my head about it breaking like gen1. If the OEM works just fine and based on you and EVO1 running it, I think it should be sufficient for me and save me some $$. MTG gave me the measurements yesterday and I compared to mine and it's < .5" difference so I should be fine.

I'm 99% sure the crowns have factory clevites and not the newer ball design.

http://www.crownautomotive.net/product/JK-Suspension-Parts/52059982AD.html

$67 shipped on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008VQ28BY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1412355066&sr=8-1

Cool that makes me feel better about ordering one up. I was trying to zoom in on various sites to see if I could tell, but it's difficult on some and then you question if they have the right marketing artwork for the product advertised.

 

[silversurfer575]

I ordered the front and rear. Once I get them, I'll give you the specs and will send you some decent pictures.

 

[LoPo]

Order the product Chris linked and it does indeed have the clevite bushing on both ends for $67. :thumb:



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[piginajeep]

Order the product Chris linked and it does indeed have the clevite bushing on both ends for $67. :thumb:

View attachment 104671

Sent from my SM-N900V using WAYALIFE mobile app

No idea how they sell them that cheap. But good deal!

 

[olram30]

not a bad price. :thumb:

 

[silversurfer575]

I just got my front one today. Measures 32 1/4 inches center to center. Again, this is part number 52059982AD which is for 2007-2010 JK front trackbar.

Odd thing tho. The side that bolts to the frame on the driver side...The bushing isn't centered. It's centered on the axle end. Do I need to press the bushing in to be centered on the tb?






Must be right (not centered bushing) as I just googled an image of this trackbar and Crown shows it as follows:

 

[piginajeep]

I just got my front one today. Measures 32 1/4 inches center to center. Again, this is part number 52059982AD which is for 2007-2010 JK front trackbar.

Odd thing tho. The side that bolts to the frame on the driver side...The bushing isn't centered. It's centered on the axle end. Do I need to press the bushing in to be centered on the tb?






Must be right (not centered bushing) as I just googled an image of this trackbar and Crown shows it as follows:

Weird, it needs pressed in like this. Make sure you press from the flange (front) of the bushing.

 

[silversurfer575]

Interesting.

Looks like I may need to press the bushing in further then. Doesnt appear to be any stop on the bushing that it seats against to make sure its inserted appropriately.

I would be very interested in seeing how far that bushing is pressed in on Eddie's rig.

 

[piginajeep]

Interesting.

Looks like I may need to press the bushing in further then. Doesnt appear to be any stop on the bushing that it seats against to make sure its inserted appropriately.

I would be very interested in seeing how far that bushing is pressed in on Eddie's rig.

The same as I pictured, the one you received is not pressed in enough. You'll need a shop press.

 

[silversurfer575]

Great. thx. Ill try a ball joint press kit first, as I dont have a shop press.

 

[SoK66]

So I have a TF Gen 2 Front Trackbar. Seems that my frame side bushing is going out as I can get some movement in it when I turn the wheels side-to-side. TF sells a replacement bushing for $25. I've heard that pulling the installed one and installing the new one is a bitch. MTG was telling me that an OEM Trackbar can be had for ~$60. I've found the JKS one for ~$190.

My question is... is the OEM Tbar going to be fine and hold up? Is there really a benefit to the JKS? I'd spend the extra $35 to save myself the time and cussing while trying to press out the old bushing and press in the new one if I'm not gaining anything.

JMHO, of course, but based upon my experince if I were you I'd just replace the TF bushing. No more difficult than doing so on the weaker stock bar. It's pretty simple. Use a small shop press, or even a ball joint press, to push out the center sleeve, leaving only the outer sleeve and the rubber bushing. Use a hack saw or your Sawzall to cut through the rubber, then cut a groove through the outer sheet metal sleeve. Once the interference is relieved by the cut through the sleeve it'll pop right out. Press the new sleeve in, voila, done.

Based on my own 45k mile experience you can't beat the Teraflex track bars. Set 'em, forget 'em. I ran their first gen front bar for over 40k miles with no issues whatsoever. When TF's guys discovered I was still running it they sent me their new one, which is pretty much the same but moves the adjuster further towards the axle side attachment point. I was asked to send them pics of the old one cut in half at the adjuster. To do so took four Sawzall blades and a shattered cut off wheel. If people broke those first generation Teraflex Monster track bars they must have been real animals on the rocks, 'cuz mine ran every trail from Mt Blanca to Moab without a single issue.

 

[piginajeep]

JMHO, of course, but based upon my experince if I were you I'd just replace the TF bushing. No more difficult than doing so on the weaker stock bar. It's pretty simple. Use a small shop press, or even a ball joint press, to push out the center sleeve, leaving only the outer sleeve and the rubber bushing. Use a hack saw or your Sawzall to cut through the rubber, then cut a groove through the outer sheet metal sleeve. Once the interference is relieved by the cut through the sleeve it'll pop right out. Press the new sleeve in, voila, done.

Based on my own 45k mile experience you can't beat the Teraflex track bars. Set 'em, forget 'em. I ran their first gen front bar for over 40k miles with no issues whatsoever. When TF's guys discovered I was still running it they sent me their new one, which is pretty much the same but moves the adjuster further towards the axle side attachment point. I was asked to send them pics of the old one cut in half at the adjuster. To do so took four Sawzall blades and a shattered cut off wheel. If people broke those first generation Teraflex Monster track bars they must have been real animals on the rocks, 'cuz mine ran every trail from Mt Blanca to Moab without a single issue.

That's cool but a good friend of mine snapped one in half on a shelf road in
Moab.

I'll take that factory weak trackbar any day of the week. If it's strong enough to race in koh it's strong enough for me

 

[wayoflife]

JMHO, of course, but based upon my experince if I were you I'd just replace the TF bushing. No more difficult than doing so on the weaker stock bar. It's pretty simple. Use a small shop press, or even a ball joint press, to push out the center sleeve, leaving only the outer sleeve and the rubber bushing. Use a hack saw or your Sawzall to cut through the rubber, then cut a groove through the outer sheet metal sleeve. Once the interference is relieved by the cut through the sleeve it'll pop right out. Press the new sleeve in, voila, done.

Based on my own 45k mile experience you can't beat the Teraflex track bars. Set 'em, forget 'em. I ran their first gen front bar for over 40k miles with no issues whatsoever. When TF's guys discovered I was still running it they sent me their new one, which is pretty much the same but moves the adjuster further towards the axle side attachment point. I was asked to send them pics of the old one cut in half at the adjuster. To do so took four Sawzall blades and a shattered cut off wheel. If people broke those first generation Teraflex Monster track bars they must have been real animals on the rocks, 'cuz mine ran every trail from Mt Blanca to Moab without a single issue.

45k miles? That's it? That's the extent your experience? How many of those miles were done wheeling and on what trails?

Here's a few shots of just how awesomely strong the TeraFlex track bar is...

You may call the people who owned these track bars "real animals on the rocks" and I call them people who are lucky to be alive!! :naw:

 

[wayoflife]

That's cool but a good friend of mine snapped one in half on a shelf road in
Moab.

Oh yeah, Tim. Yeah, he was being an "animal on the rocks". He's lucky to be alive.

I'll take that factory weak trackbar any day of the week. If it's strong enough to race in koh it's strong enough for me

Still running factory track bars on 2007 Moby which has 140,000 miles and on 2012 Rubicat which has 70,000 miles on it and without any problems. Of course, I'm just a mall crawler. :yup:

 

[SoK66]

45k miles? That's it? That's the extent your experience? How many of those miles were done wheeling and on what trails?

Here's a few shots of just how awesomely strong the TeraFlex track bar is...

You may call the people who owned these track bars "real animals on the rocks" and I call them people who are lucky to be alive!! :naw:

If you'll look closely at the one the gent is holding in his hands, there are obvious signs of the bar hoop hitting the front crossmember. He probably had his front arms adjusted too far out, and I'll guarantee if he followed Teraflex's control arm length recommendations he did, they're off by about 1" on the short arm kits. As mentioned, TF moved the adjustment to the axle mount sde of the bar and I've never heard of one of those, or the rear bar for that matter, breaking.

Whatever, sorry I don't have more miles on my '09, but I've had zilch issues with TF's Monster bars and I highly recommend them. BTW, as you know, they use the same, but stronger, clevite-type joints as the weaker stock bar, and of course they permit precise axle centering which the stock bars don't. I live in the Four Corners and the trails I've run my rig up and down are everything from Mt Blanca, as I mentioned, to the Farmington rocks and all of the rig busters in Moab, which we visit regularly. As you know Eddie, set a rig up right and things work as intended.

 

[piginajeep]

How many factory bars have you witnessed break?

 

[SoK66]

How many factory bars have you witnessed break?

They bend under tension like a mofo if you have big enough tires. It's one of the death wobble contributors. Watch one while somone turns wheels side to side and you'll see what I mean.

 

[cozdude]

They bend under tension like a mofo if you have big enough tires. It's one of the death wobble contributors. Watch one while somone turns wheels side to side and you'll see what I mean.

in case you missed it see wayalifes response below to you about the factory trackbars being junk

Still running factory track bars on 2007 Moby which has 140,000 miles and on 2012 Rubicat which has 70,000 miles on it and without any problems. Of course, I'm just a mall crawler. :yup:

of course he is only running his 40's and 37's over the curbs at the mall but i digress

 

[OverlanderJK]

They bend under tension like a mofo if you have big enough tires. It's one of the death wobble contributors. Watch one while somone turns wheels side to side and you'll see what I mean.

Someone should tell my friend they bend while using their 14" of travel and 40" tires.