Sok66 / Jerry McGeorge - Eddie is a Dick and I Have PROUDLY BEEN SELF Banned Again

SoK66

Self-Banned
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

The Original Smartass
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

Administrator
Staff member
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...

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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

Administrator
Staff member
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

Self-Banned
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...

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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.
 

SoK66

Self-Banned
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

Guy with a Red 2-Door
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

Resident Smartass
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.

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wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
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.

LOL!! Spoken like a true TeraFlex fanboy. Obviously, you can tell all that from looking at this photo. And, let's assume for just a moment that you're right, that he followed TeraFlex's stupid instructions and that's why it BROKE, how exactly that would have been his fault is beyond me. But, I digress. Fact of the matter is, I installed my old Full Traction lift on his jeep and just used a Teraflex track bar. I was also one of the first person to recognize that TeraFlex's instructions were terrible and gave bad measurements. In fact, if you read my write-up for their lift, you will see that I give measurements that are far from what they instruct.

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.

LOL!! How precise is the centering if your axle when your gas tank is topped off, rig filled with gear and carrying a full load of people?

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.

You'll forgive me if I'm not impressed.

As you know Eddie, set a rig up right and things work as intended.

Funny, I have seen plenty of rigs set up right with Teraflex lifts and have all kinds of problems including the one I ran. But hey, that's just me.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
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.

Guess I'm not running big enough tires.
 

bkac

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



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

Maybe he's talking about tires bigger then 40's and someone that wheels harder, Lol. Idk... :confused:

Sent from my VS980 4G using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
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.

How many have you seen bend or break?
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
Thats pretty nasty right there Eddy looks like Moby made it though :thumb:

You do know Evo 1 races KOH and vegas to reno with a factory trackbar and every wheeling trip in between.

Perhaps we should call Mel and tell him the dangers...
 

dcbjk

Caught the Bug
You do know Evo 1 races KOH and vegas to reno with a factory trackbar and every wheeling trip in between.

Perhaps we should call Mel and tell him the dangers...

I do know that I saw when Eddy posted all the updates on this years run it was awesome and I'm in support of Eddy and this whole community everybody has great advice and all of these haters have no reason to be bashing Eddy like I have been seeing. Eddy keep right on being the person you are and doing what you do because you got support here in NC :rock:
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
I do know that I saw when Eddy posted all the updates on this years run it was awesome and I'm in support of Eddy and this whole community everybody has great advice and all of these haters have no reason to be bashing Eddy like I have been seeing. Eddy keep right on being the person you are and doing what you do because you got support here in NC :rock:

I wasn't calling you out. :) Putting it out there for anyone else that didn't know.
 

dcbjk

Caught the Bug
I wasn't calling you out. :) Putting it out there for anyone else that didn't know.

I gotcha :thumb:
Nah I knew you weren't calling me out just responding haha it was awesome following along with it seeing the pics and updates though :thumb:
 
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