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

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:
 

SoK66

Self-Banned
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.

Well, yeah, I do kinda like Teraflex and their products, but I also have also installed some other guys' stuff that's out there running around that I like as well. Just hate to see incorrect accusations leveled that are unwarranted. That TF bar the guy's holding broke because of component interference, plain & simple.

As far as YOUR control arm settings go, I did indeed notice the change you made which tipped us off that TF's instructions were on the moon as far as the front control arm lengths go. On TF kit installs we use Synergy's front settings, which in most cases are a bit closer than your 23" recommendation, but within hair splitting difference. FYI, I sent Tera an e-mail noting that their specs were not only incorrect, but that the ones in the suspension kits differ from the ones that come with the control arms. Best I can tell they've never corrected either, which is a bad mark on them. We often read guys gripes online about their TF kit having bad handling, component interference, front spring bow, etc. and always try to tip them off about the issue. In every instance pulling those front arms back solves the issues.

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?

Well, buddy, I'll let you do the tape measure work and I think you'll be impressed. It's dead on the frickin' money side to side, set with my full trail load and a half tank of fuel. Centering with Teraflex's bars and 9/16" hardened bolts has been completely set & forget, they never move.

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

Gee, sorry. But now that I think on it we haven't seen you out on Blanca or down in Farmington, have we? ;-)

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.

Well, I've seen RK, Synergy, EVO and others just as screwed up and broken as Hogan's Goat, from weak links in the various manufacturers' designs and bad installations. Why, heck, we even passed you a couple years ago when you were all broken down on Golden Spike after your Synergy front bar snapped on Double Whammy. My Tearflex equipped rig walked right on over it no problem. Front bar didn't snap, either.

Lol, in the end we all have our favorites, obviously TF isn't yours. ;-)
 
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upnover

Member
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 thought he broke one on the last race?

Does anyone know how often he replaces them? I am sure he does some form of maintenance on all those items, so not sure what exactly he does to help prevent any failures.
 

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
Well, yeah, I do kinda like Teraflex and their products, but I also have also installed some other guys' stuff that's out there running around that I like as well. Just hate to see incorrect accusations leveled that are unwarranted. That TF bar the guy's holding broke because of component interference, plain & simple.

As far as YOUR control arm settings go, I did indeed notice the change you made which tipped us off that TF's instructions were on the moon as far as the front control arm lengths go. On TF kit installs we use Synergy's front settings, which in most cases are a bit closer than your 23" recommendation, but within hair splitting difference. FYI, I sent Tera an e-mail noting that their specs were not only incorrect, but that the ones in the suspension kits differ from the ones that come with the control arms. Best I can tell they've never corrected either, which is a bad mark on them. We often read guys gripes online about their TF kit having bad handling, component interference, front spring bow, etc. and always try to tip them off about the issue. In every instance pulling those front arms back solves the issues.



Well, buddy, I'll let you do the tape measure work and I think you'll be impressed. It's dead on the frickin' money side to side, set with my full trail load and a half tank of fuel. Centering with Teraflex's bars and 9/16" hardened bolts has been completely set & forget, they never move.



Gee, sorry. But now that I think on it we haven't seen you out on Blanca or down in Farmington, have we? ;-)



Well, I've seen RK, Synergy, EVO and others just as screwed up and broken as Hogan's Goat, from weak links in the various manufacturers' designs and bad installations. Why, heck, we even passed you a couple years ago when you were all broken down on Golden Spike after your Synergy front bar snapped on Double Whammy. My Tearflex equipped rig walked right on over it no problem. Front bar didn't snap, either.

Lol, in the end we all have our favorites, obviously TF isn't yours. ;-)

What company do you work for? Just curious.
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
I thought he broke one on the last race?

Does anyone know how often he replaces them? I am sure he does some form of maintenance on all those items, so not sure what exactly he does to help prevent any failures.

He did break it after who knows how many races and jkx's, ultimate adventures..They inspect, maintain etc before and after races.

The point is they are strong or he would not run it. His jk is built just like he sells/installs the kits in the shop.

To prove how strong the parts are. There is not another company that tests the products like he does.
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
Well, yeah, I do kinda like Teraflex and their products, but I also have also installed some other guys' stuff that's out there running around that I like as well. Just hate to see incorrect accusations leveled that are unwarranted. That TF bar the guy's holding broke because of component interference, plain & simple.

As far as YOUR control arm settings go, I did indeed notice the change you made which tipped us off that TF's instructions were on the moon as far as the front control arm lengths go. On TF kit installs we use Synergy's front settings, which in most cases are a bit closer than your 23" recommendation, but within hair splitting difference. FYI, I sent Tera an e-mail noting that their specs were not only incorrect, but that the ones in the suspension kits differ from the ones that come with the control arms. Best I can tell they've never corrected either, which is a bad mark on them. We often read guys gripes online about their TF kit having bad handling, component interference, front spring bow, etc. and always try to tip them off about the issue. In every instance pulling those front arms back solves the issues.



Well, buddy, I'll let you do the tape measure work and I think you'll be impressed. It's dead on the frickin' money side to side, set with my full trail load and a half tank of fuel. Centering with Teraflex's bars and 9/16" hardened bolts has been completely set & forget, they never move.



Gee, sorry. But now that I think on it we haven't seen you out on Blanca or down in Farmington, have we? ;-)



Well, I've seen RK, Synergy, EVO and others just as screwed up and broken as Hogan's Goat, from weak links in the various manufacturers' designs and bad installations. Why, heck, we even passed you a couple years ago when you were all broken down on Golden Spike after your Synergy front bar snapped on Double Whammy. My Tearflex equipped rig walked right on over it no problem. Front bar didn't snap, either.

Lol, in the end we all have our favorites, obviously TF isn't yours. ;-)

This is a ton of bullshit all wrapped in one post.


Eddie has never ever or will ever run synergy. 😂. Save your sales pitch for some other place that believes it.
 

SoK66

Self-Banned
This is a ton of bullshit all wrapped in one post.


Eddie has never ever or will ever run synergy. . Save your sales pitch for some other place that believes it.

Well, it was pretty well documented by Eddie that he broke a Synergy bar that day, which was why we saw Moby dead on Golden Spike, and that Synergy guys gave him theirs so he could get down off the trail.

BTW, who's selling anything?
 

SoK66

Self-Banned
I figured that much. You made that pretty obvious by the shit spewing from your keyboard.

I asked who you work for. Not what you do.

I work for me, pal, and last time I looked I didn't insult you. If you'd like to be sent running home screaming for your mommy, wet little underpants & all, get me started.
 
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