I just installed the OME lift on my own but I was pressed for time and had the Full-Traction Adjustable front and rear track bars installed by an off-road shop that specializes in Jeeps. While taking off-road, after a while this squeak developed in the front end that occurs when going over bumps and can be re-created by pushing down on the front bumper. Eventually I concluded that it was coming from the bolt that attaches the trackbar to the frame and when I took it back to the off-road shop that installed it they found that's what it was. They added some sort of lubricant and tightened it up some more which has made it go away for the most part but it is still there sometimes. They told me that with the adjustable track bars there is no way to go in and put any grease on that end of it.

Has anyone else experienced this with their adjustable track bars?? Also has anyone seen a chip or dent in their front track bar that appears to be from the bolts that you use to adjust the steering?

 

This is a common problem with FT trackbars. There are alot of threads about it.

To fix it you need to grease the shit out of it with a good sticky grease, such as white lithium or green grease (thats what I used)

you can also add a zerk(grease fitting) to the frame end. That way you do not have to remove it to re grease it. I did this too.

You might also have to over tighten it to get the frame mount to squeeze against it more. I know one guy went to 175 to get it to stop. I actually had to pry my mount apart to get mine in, so 125 worked fine for me.

I do not have any noises or squeaks after 3K and 2 off road trips.

 

The track bar bushing needs to be lubed up with a high grade white lithium grease when being assembled. If it's not, it will end up making noise. I have had my FT track bar on for over a year now and with over 30,000 miles on it and it's still quiet. During that time, I took the bushings apart at 15,000 and re-lubed it as a preventative measure but that's about it.

 

my trackbars made noise from day 1. Yes that was with lube and then grease fittings, then more lube, then more grease, then...well you know the rest. I am now in the process of replacing the rear with the new teraflex bracket and putting the stock trackbar back in place.

 

WayOfLife helped me take mine apart and lube it with white lithium back in October and it hasn't made a sound since.

 

How hard is that to do?? Looks like you might need someone else to hold one end with a crescent wrench while the other one torques it 175lbs!

BTW where can I find the lithium grease??

 

kUm, I think one of the guys need to respond if they can do it by themselves I'm a girl (ok, woman actually) - I was under the jeep more to learn than to do the hard work j/k...sometimes I feel like I'm just getting in the way. I'm pretty sure I remember that one person had to stabilize the track bar while the other torqued it. We had to drop the entire track bar, remove the bushings (which seemed to be the hardest part), grease everything up, put it back together and back on my jeep. It was worth the trouble.

We just picked up the white lithium at the parts store (prob. Kragen or Autozone), and I think you can find it at most hardware stores, but if you can't find it locally I'm pretty sure that David at Northridge carries the high end stuff.

 

Mine is making noise as well. And I did put alot of grease on there during install.......... was quite at first(i think, but might not have been paying enough attention) .......... 500 miles on the new track bar and its making noise for sure

I am going to take it off next week and put a zerk fitting in there so I wont have to take off ever again to regrease.

Is this noise indication that something is going to be damaged, or is the noise just going to sound like shit and no damage?


As for the marks on your track bar.......I dont have any problems with the steering adjustment thing I AM have problems with the Superlift Steering Stablizer making contact, basically with the bolt that you install it will is making marks on my Track bar during flex, not much but enough to scrap.........which I am in the process of trying to come up with a solution to where I can keep it in there.........but may have to go back to stock on that too.


As you already know probably I also have the bowed springs.......... I must say...... lifting my jeep wasnt the greatest experience, and it doesnt seem to be getting better. Maybe its suppost to be like that, I dunno........... It wasnt with my Toyota though.....I did an OME lift on it and there was no problems, noise etc...........so i dunno maybe the jk is so new there is still alot of shit to get out of the system in order to make everything right

 

I know what you mean about the noise etc. But it is a Jeep. It was built with one thing in mind and one thing only: to be THE HANDSDOWN BEST off road vehicle on the planet! And if you just take one trip in a modified and hard driven TJ, the JK will seem like you're riding in a Cadillac!

 

totally 140 % agree with you on the ride of the JK vs TJ

My JK does indeed feel like a caddy compared to my freinds TJ

BTW the OME and 33s yeilded the same as his 4.5 and 33s ......as in they look comparable .......... when he rode in my JK the first time, he was kind of pissed about how good it rode, he asked: are you sure this is a jeep? lmao

Im not complainin bout the ride, but if i can get the noise outta the bar ill do it, and the binding with the bolts and the track bar isnt a good thing either, i think by using a shorter bolt my stabilizer will clear it fine