i am installing jks rear adj track bar this week. running 4.5 re la susp. do i need to remove the drop down bracket or leave it in with the new track bar. jks told me it did not matter either way. any opinions , advice or anyone have the same set up?

 

I dont know about with a 41/2 inch lift but i have a 3 inch short arm and my track bar works great without the bracket. Adjust it without the bracket first and see if it centers your axle while giving you room to flex. If it doesnt slap on the bracket and readjust!

 

I did not use one on mine but your has more lift but you should be OK.

 

Remove it and save the bracket for latter. It does not really matter if you have the bracket or not but the stock brackets are plenty strong.

 

6" of lift here, removed the bracket at time of JKS install and no issues....

 

I've got a Full Traction rear track bar on my TF 4". The lift yielded somewhere around 5 1/4" of lift and I'm not using the bracket on the back.

Contemplating putting it on though.

 

You have a few things to consider when making this decision. First let me state you can run it without the bracket no problem as long as it has enough adjustment. You might want to consider keeping the bracket at that lift hight though as it will keep your track bar in a closer to parralel postion with your axle, this will help reduce rear axle bump while driving (similar to bump steer, but not as severe). If you try it without the bracket and you have no issues then just save the bracket for later use, if you find you have small handeling issues then throw the bracket in, readjust and see if it fixes it.

 

I would get rid of the frame mounted drop bracket because it messes up your suspension geometry. But I wouldn't run without a bracket. I'd get a good, well braced bracket that rose from the axle. Look at Clayton, Currie or AEV. If you don't do this you will lower your roll center, increase the moment arm and your Jeep will not handle as well. A big lift without a bracket places the trackbar at too great an angle. This causes bad handling (a tendancy to roll and unload the inside tire) and when you stuff your left side it pushes your axle to the left quite a bit which can cause problems. To keep the axle centered, or close to centered when stuffed, with no bracket, you'd have to have your axle offset to the right quite a bit when sitting level. Your question is a little more complicated than it appears to be at first glance.

I'm not a suspension engineer but I damn sure spent a lot of time talking to them at EJS! Where I you I'd call AEV and talk to them about their axle mounted rear track bar bracket. When Chrysler saw what AEV had done they made RE change what they supplied Chysler in the RE/MOPAR 4.5" LA kit. When I rode in the AEV equipped Jeep I never rode in a 4dr lifted JK on 35's that handled as well, had as little tendancy to roll, unload the inside tire or was so stable in high speed manuevers on the road and off (we did both). I'm replacing my RE rear track bar bracket (axle mounted - which was an improvement over their earlier frame mounted units) with the AEV.

 

thanks for the advice. right now my axle is shifted over towards the driver side. with the RE dropdown bracket and stock rear track bar. hopefully this will correct it and solve some minor handling issues. but will def cal Aev about their bracket.

amazing how just a simple little question can turn into much more.

 

ALL the adjustable track bar will do is let you center your axle. It will not help with any handling issues. Getting rid of the drop down from the frame bracket and replacing it with a bracket that raises the track bar at the axle end will help by raising the roll center. The Difference between the AEV bracket and everyone else's is how much the attachment point is raised. Everybody pretty much raises the hole the amount of the lift. AEV raises the hole 6" for 3-3.5" and 7" for 4-4.5". This raises the roll center and has an amazing effect on the JK's handling. This is not the only thing they do to help handling but it is important and since you're going to spend money on a rear trackbar you might want to look into this.