Bumpy ride after track bar install
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
Track bar install issues - help!
Had a front adjustable track bar installed on my 08 JK Unlimited this morning, and now the jeep sits up taller in the front and the ride in the front end seems to be very bumpy/bouncy. Any ideas to what could be causing this? I currently have a 2" Rubicon Express lift and 305 60 18's. A new steering stabilizer was also installed, but I doubt that has anything to do with the bumpy ride.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
Last edited by wolfpack2012; Jan 17, 2013 at 09:46 AM. Reason: N/A
Forum Tech Advisor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 11
From: Billings, MT
Loosen the trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the suspension to unbind the bushings, then retorque the bolts to 125 ft lbs.
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
Loosen the trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the suspension to unbind the bushings, then retorque the bolts to 125 ft lbs.
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
Loosen the trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the suspension to unbind the bushings, then retorque the bolts to 125 ft lbs.
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
Your installer is poorly trained if what you explained is accurate.
What he did was torque the bolts with the jeep on a car lift, and the trackbar bushings are pre-loaded/binding/twisted to the wrong ride height.
If the same person installed your lift, you need to loosen all control arm and trackbar bolts, vigorously rock the vehicle, and retorque the bolts with the bushings pinched between the brackets at actual ride height (in a neutral position).
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Forum Tech Advisor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,208
Likes: 11
From: Billings, MT
If you continue to drive it that way you would eventually damage the bushings.
On a JK, the track bar and the drag link must be parallel to avoid bumpsteer.
If a drop pitman arm is installed, the trackbar must be correspondingly relocated.
Steering correction is not needed on a JK until about 4" of lift. Even then, a drag link flip kit is preferable to a drop pitman arm. Either way, an axle side trackbar relocation bracket is used to keep things parallel.
Also, for a jeep that is offroaded, a drop pitman arm is an extremely inferior approach to steering correction. The leverage of the drop pitman arm on the steering box and sector shaft drastically increases the likelihood of failure.
With that said, for a 2" lift, a drop pitman arm would only cause problems.
On a JK, the track bar and the drag link must be parallel to avoid bumpsteer.
If a drop pitman arm is installed, the trackbar must be correspondingly relocated.
Steering correction is not needed on a JK until about 4" of lift. Even then, a drag link flip kit is preferable to a drop pitman arm. Either way, an axle side trackbar relocation bracket is used to keep things parallel.
Also, for a jeep that is offroaded, a drop pitman arm is an extremely inferior approach to steering correction. The leverage of the drop pitman arm on the steering box and sector shaft drastically increases the likelihood of failure.
With that said, for a 2" lift, a drop pitman arm would only cause problems.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: Carmel
If you continue to drive it that way you would eventually damage the bushings.
On a JK, the track bar and the drag link must be parallel to avoid bumpsteer.
If a drop pitman arm is installed, the trackbar must be correspondingly relocated.
Steering correction is not needed on a JK until about 4" of lift. Even then, a drag link flip kit is preferable to a drop pitman arm. Either way, an axle side trackbar relocation bracket is used to keep things parallel.
Also, for a jeep that is offroaded, a drop pitman arm is an extremely inferior approach to steering correction. The leverage of the drop pitman arm on the steering box and sector shaft drastically increases the likelihood of failure.
With that said, for a 2" lift, a drop pitman arm would only cause problems.
On a JK, the track bar and the drag link must be parallel to avoid bumpsteer.
If a drop pitman arm is installed, the trackbar must be correspondingly relocated.
Steering correction is not needed on a JK until about 4" of lift. Even then, a drag link flip kit is preferable to a drop pitman arm. Either way, an axle side trackbar relocation bracket is used to keep things parallel.
Also, for a jeep that is offroaded, a drop pitman arm is an extremely inferior approach to steering correction. The leverage of the drop pitman arm on the steering box and sector shaft drastically increases the likelihood of failure.
With that said, for a 2" lift, a drop pitman arm would only cause problems.