Looking for some advice on some raised track bar mounts, both front and rear. I can weld so totally open to suggestions. Its kind of a odd build with 3.5 inch terraflex lift on a 08 rubicon JK but stock wheels and tires. Anyone have something that's work for them or something to keep away from?
Thanks
Dave

 

Are you flipping the draglink? I went with Synergy brackets front and rear, work fine for me. Artec is popular also.

 

Cannot flip due to the backspacing on the stock rims. i have the Currie drag link and tie rod and the ends are monsters, pretty tight fit as it is. I will flip them at a later date but my build wish has a RIPP super charger before bigger tires and new rims. she a bit of a dog now so i dont want to add 35s and total shag the performance as its a daily driver. I looked at the synergy brackets and have a bunch of their stuff on the TJ (i like it) but did not know if would work without the flip. my bump steer is not bad but i'd love to get rid of it all together.

 

Are you sure it is bumpsteer you are feeling?

You wouldn't happen to have a pic of the front end? (from an angle that shows both ends of the trackbar and draglink in the same pic). Generally, when you raise the trackbar, you also need to raise the draglink (flip it) to keep them parallel and prevent bumpsteer. So I am curious how raising the trackbar and leaving the draglink would improve the handling.

 

Hummm now you have me thinking. I think its bump steer, hit a bump and jeep wants to change direction. dont have anything like death wobble. everything feels pretty tight..
The jeep was pretty badly beat up when i got it and i have been going though it bit by bit. i had a bent tie rod and the ends were shot so this week replaced that with the currie set up incluing the drag link. i picked then as it was an upgraded set up that would run with the stock rims backspacing. it does have a drop pitman arm on it but even with that the drang link and track bar are at pretty different angles , so its a assumption on my part that its bump steer from that. i'll take some photos or even a little video of the front end and post it. I'd love to get some input as to what you guys think it could be. On a side note monday it gets a new power steering pump, box, upper and lower ball joints thanks to the extended warantee i purchased when i got it 2nd hand. fighting with them was another story all together but as it got stock tires on it they agreed in the end to cover them.

thanks for the input, its got me thinking now..
Dave

 

The other option is to raise the trackbar mount and install a drop pitman arm to keep the TB and DL parallel. But it's not favorable due to putting extra load on the sector shaft.

 

There's your answer.

A drop pitman works in conjunction with a bracket on the frame that lowers the trackbar. (like a flipped draglink works with a bracket that raises the trackbar on the axle). If you don't have the drop bracket, then those bars are not parallel, and you induce bumpsteer. So just go back to a stock pitman and you should be all set. (Assuming you have verified that there is no drop trackbar bracket?)

 

First i'd like to say thanks for the input. its made me think about stuff that would never have crossed my mind.
Just as the sun was coming up i took some photos that i'll post below. I think, again i say think, it has a drop track bar bracket on the frame side. it was clearly the first day someone had ever used a welder too. I've posted a bunch of photos to try give you an idea of what i am dealing with. Again she was a bit of a basket case when i got her so bare with me.

it looks and again that just my uneducated opinion that the drop Pittman arm is causing some issue making the angel too steep and replacing it with a stock one would improve things?

Frame track bar mount.








Current angles








Drop Pitman Arm






No room to flip the drag link with the stock rims


so what would be my best plan here? i'm game to do anything that will be a long term solution and resigned myself not to nickel and dime steering and suspension so am really looking for best solution.
Thanks
Dave

 

Dude; you need to invest in aftermarket rims with proper offset. You then need to flip your draglink with a welded Artec or bolted on Synergy bracket. Get rid of tue drop down bracket in the frame side and put the regular pitman arm on. That would be your best case solution.

 

Is that a trackbar drop bracket, or they re-welded a failed stock bracket? (like they had a drop pitman + drop trackbar bracket. The extra leverage from the bracket tore the stock mount off the frame. They removed the bracket and welded the stock mount back on. Then stock mount + drop pitman = bumpsteer?)

I can't actually tell the angles from those pics. If you can see where the bolt holes are, open it in paint, and draw straight lines from hole to hole on each bar. The bars are bent, so using the straight lines will give a great indication of their actual relation to each other.

But as noted, drop pitmans don't get very favorable reviews. You have an adj trackbar for axle centering, so I would suggest going back to a stock pitman (and if that is a drop bracket, get rid of it as well). Then if/when you add wheel spacers or new rims with less backspace, you can look at flips. (if you decide to flip it. Not mandatory, but can improve the ride)