Just wondering if anyone has had a problem with there front trackbar. It seems as though no matter how tight I tighten the jam nut there is still a little play in the threads. I am pretty sure this is the clunk in my front end I have been looking for

Anyone else experience this?

 

Ok so Ipulled the trackbar out yesterday to see what is moving. What I found is that the ball in the heim joint has a bit of play in the socket.

Do I have to replace it or is there a way to fix it?

 

Yes I had the same problem (front TB) and this grind a little bit of metal out of the frame bracket. So what I did, I ask a friend of mine to weld 2 nuts (each side), which I drill to perfectly match the bolt size , obviously it wallow the holes...

On top of it my TB is about 0.4--0.5'''' too long to centre perfectly my front axle, so I ended up by ordering a Currie TB (should receive it next week).

 

I dont know what you are saying other than you are getting a new one

 

hahahahahaha. Classic response. Sorry, I have no experience with a trackbar in general, yet. I have no idea what he's saying either except that he got fed up and decided to just order a new one from a different manufacturer. Look into JKS if you can't fix this problem.

One thing you can do is look into thread locking adhesives if you continue to have play with the trackbar nut. Once you get the length you want, apply some adhesive to the outside of the nut where it contacts the thread. Or, if you can entirely remove the nut, see if you can replace it with a locking nut.

Good luck!

 

the heim joint itself seems to have the play,

 

you mean this http://www.wooders.com.au/images/QA1EXML12.jpg the joint that connects the trackbar to the frame of the Jeep?

 

As long as that pivotal piece is not popping then I would not worry. You want that piece to have play because when you flex while offroading, you want the trackbar to move with the flex.

What you can do is buy two flat washers ( http://www.cnhuaqi.com.cn/pic/200773153616813.jpg ). Put one between the bolt head and the frame, and put one between the heim joint and the nut. That will ensure that ball does not pop out of the trackbar. Make sense?

 

yeah that... the ball inside moves a bit in the socket, I am not worried about the ball falling out but the clunk feeling I get when turning and hitting a bump. you can get under the jeep and push and pull on the track bar and feel the play, at first I thought it was comming from the threads so i thought the jam nut loosend off but now that I took it out and really looked at it there seems to be play in the heim. I put grease in it all over and that calmed the clunk down for a bit but it is slowly comming back.

 

Hmm

I don't know what else to tell you. For the ball itself to be "clunking" around the joint does sound a bit discomforting.

Last question, sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here, but none of the "clunking" is coming from perhaps the factory nut that keeps in place the trackbar to the frame being too thin, is it? That perhaps the aftermarket trackbar opening is wider than the OEM factory trackbar joint opening, which means the factory nut is too thin for the full traction trackbars joint.

Becuase if so, getting a thicker nut, even if you have to mallet hammer the thing in + a little grease would keep that clunking from happening -- some drilling may be required to open the Jeep frame hole though.