Some time ago, I bent my RE front track bar after a wheeling trip.
While wheeling I noticed my steering wheel went off-center. I checked everything out and could not find anything wrong, so I just adjusted the drag link to fix it. All was fine until the next weekend when we went wheeling again, and the same thing happened again. So I adjusted the drag link to fix it.

Later in the week I just happen to notice that the driver side front tire was sticking past the flare much further compared to the passenger side.
So then I knew to check the track bar to see if it came loose or something, but everything was still tight. Thats when I noticed it appeared to be bent.
So I got home and checked some old pics I took from the install, and sure enough it was indeed bent now.

The only thing I can of is that the bar is hitting on the diff when flexing, but there are no marks on either to prove it.
Both times the steering wheel when off center, was just after some wheeling that evolved some serious flexing though.

Anyway, I called Jason at Redrock4x4 were I bought the RE kit, and he jumped on the problem right away. He just asked for some pics that he could send to RE to show them the problem. 5 days later I had a new track bar on my doorstep, free of charge to me. RE sent me a UPS call tag 5 days later for me to ship the bent one back, again free of charge to me

So...I took some pics for all to see, of before and after, and all three bars (stock, new RE, bent RE) sitting on my bench.
Im wondering if the RE design is flawed. When compared to the stock bar, the RE bends up and over the diff, were the stock bar bends out/up and over the diff.....which appears to clear the diff better when flexing the driver side tire into the wheel well.

Question is, has anyone else with the RE track bar had this problem?
Does anyone with the Full Traction track bar have pics of it installed, or can show how the angle of the bar is.
Im worried the same problem is going to happen again next time I take it wheeling, being nothing has changed with the Jeep or the track bar.

Anyway....here are some pics....
Before..........

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After...

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Before...

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After...

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All three bars...the bent RE bar was a full 1" shorter then the new RE bar

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Here you can see the different angle the stock bar takes vs the RE bar (look at the axle end)


Im still happy with my RE kit and the service from them and Jason at Redrock was great! ..........
but Im kind of worried its going to happen again next time out wheeling :sad:

 

What the hell?!! I'm sorry but I have a hard time believing that the bend I see would have been caused by making contact with the diff alone. At least, it would have to of been quite a hit or multiple heavy hits to cause that. Is there clear evidence of the two making contact? Also, looking at this pic....



am I really seeing only one bend in the track bar? Because, if you look at the factory track bar, there is no less than 4 bends in it to help keep the track bar up and away from the diff. I don't know, maybe it doesn't make a difference but it seems like it was important enough for DC to include them and looking at the aftermarket track bar I have, it has multiple bends in it as well to keep it up and out of the way from the diff as well. The other thing I was wondering about is that that rod end looks like it attaches to the frame and the poly bushing end to the axle. In my experience, most aftermarket track bars have the rod ends attached to the axle as it is what's moving around the most. Need I say, I wonder if this had anything to do with the problem you are having. Whatever the case might be, please keep us up to date as to how things go for you in the future. I really am interested to know what caused your track bar to bend like this.

EDIT:

I will try to take a pic of mine and post it here for you to see.

 

Did you mention to RE that you have an aftermarket diff cover? It might be making contact that would not be experienced by the stock cover. I can totally see the bar bending over the top of the diff. I bet that it would take less than the full weight of the Jeep on that bar just once to bend it like that.

Later-

 

Yeah, I can see how it would bend too, going directly up and over the diff doesn't seem like a good idea, unlike the stock one.
The new diff cover doesn't stick out much further, but still....RE of all companies should have thought of that one, it shouldn't be that close when flexing IMO.
It seems they took the easy way out and just put one bend in the bar, unlike the stock one that has 3, plus the twist to push it out and around the diff also.

Im not sure about other aftermarket bars, but the RE is hollow and it just doesnt seem very heavy duty to me.
Another thing I just noticed is how small the bushing is in the axle end, not much surface area for the bolt to clamp on....like the Terra bars that are having problems. :sad:

I have the FT rear track bar and it seems nicer, heavier, and better bushing size.
I may just have to pony up and buy the FT front bar too, especially if the design is better.

 

If there are no paint marks on the axle or trackbar I wonder if it wasn't bent strictly from the stress of wheeling. Any time a link is bent it creates a weak spot in that link. Unfortunately with the JK it is also a necessity for the trackbars. But if they weren't built heavy enough to withstand the pressure put on both mounting points, it would bend farther at that weak point effectively shortening the track bar. I wonder if RE used the same thickness for the JK track bar as they have for the TJ track bar. The TJ doesn't have any severe bends, and would withstand the abuse more with a lighter bar.

 

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but I just dug through some of my old photos and found this shot of the Full Traction front track bar next to the factory one....



As you can see, it has 3 bends in it and as soon as I can show you an installed shot of it, you will see that it sits up and out from the diff like the factory one does so there's no way the two would make contact.

Well, IMHO, there is nothing wrong with a hollow bar in a lot of ways, I think hollow is more ridgid/less likely to bend. The question that needs to be asked is how think is the DOM of tube.

Yeah, that TeraFlex thread did get me thinking about this one as well but in all honesty, if your track bar is torqued to the appropriate setting (125 ft. lbs.), I still find it hard to imagine how it could move around. But hey, that's just me.

Well, I can tell you that the front is pretty much the same thing as the rear only with different bends in it.

 

Thats what Im thinking... is that it was from stress while flexed and turning the wheels, the bar just bent even more at the week point.
IMO the bar is pretty light duty considering it already has a bend in it and its hollow.
I bet with the weight of the vehicle leaning on one tire, flexed out and then turning the steering wheel, would bend it pretty easy at that week point.

 

Thanks for the pics of the FT bar....

It does look like a better design having more, but less drastic bends in it.
Unlike the RE bar that has one big bend in the middle that IMO would just fold under pressure.

I bet if you could take both bars and put them in a huge vise and squeeze them, the FT bar would take alot more pressure before bending.

 

Eddie, is that pic of the FT track bar showing us the max angle of the bend or is it looking down on it some? I think that the reason that the RE bent may be because it has a much sharper angle than the FT does.

 

WOW, I wish I saw this earlier. You bushing tube at the axle is welded on 90degrees the wrong way. I cant believe your retailer nor RE didnt see it. The photo is off mine. The curve should be on a horizontal plane. The bushing at the axle should also be horizontal.