I was told if I was ever going for a lift 2.5" or higher, i would need a track bar. Thoughts?

- i'm looking at getting a 2.5" lift kit Teraflex

 

You will more than likely need an adjustable track bar.

 

How is driving without a new one?

 

When you lift your Jeep the axles are going to shift, one driver the other passenger, because the trackbars (there are two) are attached to the frame at one end and the axle at the other. If you look carefully at a lifted vehicle without corrective action, you'll see this as the front tires not following behind the rears--the Jeep drives down the road in a slight crab.

There are a couple corrective measures, including a fixed bracket to reposition an axle. Many kits come with these. I think TF provides one for the rear. In the past there have been problems with these brackets breaking, but I think that's been fixed. Two adjustable trackbars will allow you to square up the Jeep's tracking properly.

Will driving with tracking off from 2.5" lift be noticeable? I suspect in a high performance car hitting curves hard a skilled driver would feel a difference between left and right turns. But in a Jeep? No, I don't think so. You should be okay until you decide you want to fix it. If ever. Especially since you should have a bracket to fix the rear axle.

 

Thanks!

 

I am running 2.5" Rk springs with an adjustable track bar in the front, and factory in the rear. I can tell for sure that the rear end is not straight when I take a turn, if you look at the jeep its not to bad but I can feel it a lot when I am turning left it feels like the rear end is going to slide out. I would recommend an adjustable track bar for sure, I have one on order, which reminds me I need to see if it is here yet.

 

I just recently installed a JKS adjustable track bar (lift is just a 2 inch BB) and it really improved handling. The stouter material seems to suck up bumps that had given me a little bump steer before.

Based on my experience they are an economical way to tighten up handling. A centered axle is nice too, though I didn't notice any difference besides tighter handling and laughing off bumps that had me all over the road before.

Edit: it wasn't quite "all over the road" before, but it sure as hell was tighter and less influenced by bumps after. 👍

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Like everything else involved with modifying a jeep, this boils down to nothing more than personal preference. The kit you are looking at is sold without front axle centering, and many, many people have installed it and are driving it with no issues. Others have decided to add an adjustable trackbar later. It is completely up to you, the deciding factor will be your opinion of the handling and the visuals of seeing the axle offcenter. (My guess, you won't notice a thing where driveability is concerned, but you will always notice that one tire sticking out too far, and come to hate it...)

Personally, I would be more likely to add some form of caster correction before I centered the front axle.

 

Just install the kit you want and see for yourself. I did a 2.5 spring kit added 3/4" front spacer and 1/2" rear spacer. Ended up with over 3" of lift. It came with a rear tb bracket and nothing for the front. The rear is dead on the front is off less than 1/2". It drives just like it did stock. I do use geometry correction brackets, which only help with driveability, and do nothing for centering the front axle. There is no "crabbing" .

You can always add more parts later if you feel they are necessary. I too almost originally ordered a front tb. For me it would have been a waste of money. No one will ever know your front axle is off except you and ultra critical people. And you will never be able to tell from the driver's seat.

 

I installed Teraflex's 2.5in spring lift. It came with the rear track bar bracket but nothing for the front.

I can notice a very slight front axle's off-center by looking at the front wheels and the fenders. It's really small, 1/4in or less.

I asked Teraflex about getting an adjustable front track bar to fix that and they insist it's not needed.

I really do not feel any difference on the driving/steering behavior.