I just installed a rubicon express radius long arm and had the alignment done. I installed track bar frame drop brackets, which is what's in question. I went on a light flex trail to test the suspension and noticed my front trackbar was rubbing the diff cover quite a bit. The rear has plenty of clearance though.
I'm wondering if I can just relocate the front trackbar back to the stock position and leave the rear in the dropped position? I'm just not sure how the suspension will handle with the trackbars being in different mounting points.

Thanks

 

You can if you go back to the stock pitman arm. I am not a fan of drop brackets as they lower your roll center. A better option if you have 3.5"+ of lift is a drag link flip up front and raise the rear axle side bracket. You will have better stability.

 

I'd just clarify to the OP, the front and rear TB's are independent of each other. What really matters is that the front TB and DL remain parallel. That said, your best course of action is to do what Dirtman is suggesting above (both in the front and rear), which is going to cost a couple hundred more bucks. Chalk that up as the cost of knowledge and lesson learned the hard way.

Unfortunately the reason you've ended up in this trap is a the same reason a lot of people do. People buy a kit and assume that kit addresses everything that needs to be addressed. Often times a kit is either incomplete, or addresses something in a less than optimal manner. If owners take the time to understand what components are necessary, and really look at what is coming in the kit, it's likely they would spot things like this. In this case, and in the case of many Rough Country lifts, people should be asking why the kits are coming with drop brackets and drop pitman arms when every other kit out there is using raised brackets on the axle instead.

 

Haha just who I was hoping to hear from. I didn't want to buy another bracket if I didn't need to. I have a stock pitman arm now, also I flipped the drag link. I'm not too obsessed with having a perfect steering. I just want to make sure if I put the track bar back to the stock location in the front that I can leave the rear alone on the drop bracket.
I wasn't too clear in understanding are you saying to use the axle side bracket for the front or the rear track bar? Or both? I should have explained that I have the jeep at 4.5" lift. Both front and rear track bar brackets are dropped, less the front being in the stock location again.

 

Actually resharp I did a lot of research on my kit and I didn't use a full kit from rubicon express. I frankinsteined out all the components I wanted. I built it myself. I'm actually redoing my alignment from the shop I had do it as they did an unsatisfactory job. I'm just not well versed in whether the track bars work together or independently. I appreciate you for making that clear

 

Why did you end up going with drop brackets for the track bars? Did you read something specifically somewhere that lead you down that path? I'm not trying to be a jerk, just asking, cuz almost any conversation out there should be steering you away from using drop brackets.

 

I totally understand. I myself haven't heard anything steering me away from drop brackets. I have heard stories of the axle mounted track bar brackets failing. The drop bracket is a solid mounting location, doesn't interfere with any steering components or anything during compression of the suspension. I didn't realize how far down it brings the track bar though. Also didn't think it would interfere with the differential cover.

 

As Dirtman mentioned, drop brackets reduce your roll center; this is unfavorable. Axle mounted brackets allow you to raise your track bar, in turn raising your roll center. The difference in handling is night and day, especially around corners. Sometimes the bolt-on brackets can rip off if you're wheeling really hard, which is why it's always best to go with a nice quality weld-on. This is what I use: https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/t...r-bracket-rear

 

Thanks borabora. I appreciate the advice. I just ordered the axle mounted brackets. While I wait I'm going to see how it drives. I always read through dirtmans recommendations, he's a pretty knowledgable dude. I'm interested to see how it drives with the brackets I have now. With them being in different mounting locations I'm curious to see the difference. Sounds lame but I've been planning a long arm for a long time and I finally sprung up and bought the RE radius with various other parts. Now I get to be the guy looking for solutions on the forum. Usually I'm just reading what everyone else is up to.

Thanks guys for the input

 

You've got good first hand experience now to explain precisely why someone shouldn't use that drop bracket, and you'll have a good comparison in how the drop pitman feels compared to the DL flip. You'll have some good color/advice for the next person questioning the feeling of their ride while using a drop pitman arm.