Welded Track Bar

[Special_K]

PM's

Okay, so I pick up my Jeep from yet another shop today after getting quite a bit of deferred maintenance performed. The one odd thing the mechanic recommended was welding the front track bar...so I figured it was necessary and told him okay over the phone. I normally trust him on most maintenance items.

Now that I have the Jeep back, with the track bar welded (see photo below), it seems dangerously squirrely...especially on the highway. In fact, it seems like it might flip relatively easily at highway speed if I moved the steering wheel too much, to quick. After just a few hours today of driving it, I'm almost afraid to drive it at highway speeds. :x

I'm going to take my Jeep back to the shop tomorrow morning, slap the guy around a little, and have him take the welds off. :roll: There seems to be something instictively wrong with welding the track bar, but this guy is pretty experienced so is there something I'm missing here?

 

[White]

He welded it becouse the bracket only has one bolt to hold it stright. Its a good move to weld it ( i think joop did it too ?)
If anything it should of made it more stable, Maybe your used to the wondering feeing..
In short, I think the welds are a good thing, And I cant see how it makes the ride worse.

 

[Joopin]

Whites got it right, I did do that and it turned out great. I welded the drop track bar onto the axle and bolted the track bar onto the bracket cause the bracket was moving back and forth when I was steering. One thing I notice is that your track bar is NOT parallel with your drag link, at least it looks like it from the angle of the picture. That bracket needs to be shorter, that will make the bars parallel with each other.
So like White said, I don't think the welding is the issue, it just needs to be done a little better (including the welds) If anything that should make your rig more stable, I would take a look at getting those bars parallel and look for other things that could cause that problem.

Joop

 

[jps4jeep]

another option that I have done after years of a loosening trac bar, I tighten the crud out if the bolt and threw a little spot weld on the thread. hasn't moved in three months!

 

[Special_K]

Heater Core

Okay, well maybe I won't slap him around as much. But there still seems to be something not right about the way the Jeep is reacting to the steering wheel motions over and above my being used to the slackness.

With even an inch or so jolt of the steering wheel in one direction on the highway, the Jeep reacts substantially...what seems to be too much. Sometimes, it's even hard to keep it straight and stable becuase it's sooooo sensitive, so I find myself nudging it an inch this way, half an inch back the other, whoops over steered, a half inch back the other way, etc. and it feels like the Jeep is trying to fishtail even with such small wheel movements. I could only imagine how it would react if I had to swerve to avoid something. :shock:

I'll still drop by and see if there's anything else he did and figure out if there's some other reason that could be causing the apparent instability. Maybe it is just me, but doesn't seem like it. :?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Nothing wrong with that welded setup, as long as the mechanic new what he was doing when welding to cast metal.

 

[redrooster]

Those are some bfugly welds. Don't waoory if you don't like it welded, it looks like they didn't penetrate anyway. They will more than likely crack in a couple more days. I just hope that it doesn't surpride you and cause a wreck when thy let go.

 

[Snitty]

Dana 44 arg

it looks as thought the the bracket should not be there at all... and the tracbar should be in the lower hole to keep it parallel

 

[Snitty]

and those bumpstops... do you have much travel in flex?

 

[Utah_jeepster]

I would agree that the track needs to be shifted down to be parralle with your drag link...(unless you have it jacked up here)
As to those welds.. they do not appear to have been hot enough to penatrate both pieces of metal.
Keep a good eye on them and dont forget to apply some primers ASAP!

 

[TwistedCU]

holy Mack-a-rel!!!

When you lift a Jeep and don't put the bracket on, you get bump-steer, move it too far away and maybe the result is what you have. The bracket was probably moving, negating this effect.

I would do like others suggested and get the drag link and trackbar parallel, and then go from there.

What size lift is on there? And tires? Like Snitty said, it seems the bump stops are seriously limiting wheel travel as well.

It almost looks like you have hardware/bracketry for a 4" lift while running stock or 2" lift springs. I could be way off, but how the heck could everything be so over-compensated??? Possibly another scenario is a 3" lift that sagged alot?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Looks like a 3.5" or 4" lift, and about the same clearance I have above my bumpstops. Nothing wrong with limiting uptravel, more often you see rigs with not enough bumpstop. The longer bumpstop just forces the drooped side down further, and likely to more traction.

 

[ROGLSTUBB]

You might ask your mechanic to add more weld and to turn up his welder. I am sure you may have a decent mechanic but a welder he is not. I weld for a living and my track bar relocation bracket broke on my XJ with good welds. Not something you want welded halfa$$. Just a suggestion good luck.

 

[Special_K]

Flex-a-lite

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. The issue with the bad welds non-parallel track bar makes me uncomfortable and I'll follow up on that. I wouldn't have known the difference so thaks for the advice. As the addage goes "pictures are worth 1000 words".

Though I haven't had a chance to take my Jeep back yet, but I'll just drive it carefully until I do. However, I did notice as I was driving yesterday that it didn't seem as bad as the first day I drove it so maybe it was a little more me that I thought.

Reminds me of a situation with my red CJ-7. In short: Took it to AAMCO becuase I couldn't get it into 5th gear. They inspected it...told me it was a 4-speed. I told them they were crazy (though in more elaborate terms) because I was positive I had been driving it in 5th gear. Took my CJ to a 2nd transmission shop who "knew what they were talking about"....same response. Discussed possibility with transmission shop that someone stole my 5-spd transmission & replaced it with a 4-spd. I was serious. Called the guy I bought it from a year earlier...he confirmed he sold me a 4-spd. Went to 2nd transmission shop to eat humble pie and pick up my Jeep. Guys at shop insisted they wanted whatever I was smoking 'cause it must be good.

 

[TwistedCU]

Reminds me of a situation with my red CJ-7. In short: Took it to AAMCO becuase I couldn't get it into 5th gear. They inspected it...told me it was a 4-speed. I told them they were crazy (though in more elaborate terms) because I was positive I had been driving it in 5th gear. Took my CJ to a 2nd transmission shop who "knew what they were talking about"....same response. Discussed possibility with transmission shop that someone stole my 5-spd transmission & replaced it with a 4-spd. I was serious. Called the guy I bought it from a year earlier...he confirmed he sold me a 4-spd. Went to 2nd transmission shop to eat humble pie and pick up my Jeep. Guys at shop insisted they wanted whatever I was smoking 'cause it must be good.

Man that's funny! We've all had bad moments, being able to see humor in it is an asset in itself!

Bounty - I had no extended bumpstops on my YJ and I could stuff those 32's way up init! Never rubbed once. If there's room, why limit it?

pic is too big so I'll post a link to it: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/369946/PDRM0322.JPG

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Bounty - I had no extended bumpstops on my YJ and I could stuff those 32's way up init! Never rubbed once. If there's room, why limit it?

Repeated overcompression will lead to a short spring life.

 

[TwistedCU]

Yeah but they had a lifetime warranty. The bumpstops were in the kit to avoid rubbing with 33's. I had 32's so I left them off.

 

[88Wrangles]

That's why I love lifetime wattanties!! If they ask, simly say the bumpstops were on the whole time! Plus, you might as well have fun and use what you have-if the flex is there, why not use it to your advantage.

 

[Special_K]

This is a little old, but I'm proud to say that it wasn't me for a change...there WAS something wrong with my Jeep. When the mechanic drove it...imagine that...he realized the steering WAS hypersensitive. It was found to be a combination of things that became more of an issue once my steering was tightened via the welds.

The two primary culprits: 1) Bad alignment: Pigeon-toed tires were causing the one tire to suddenly pull in one direction with the slightest bump of the steering wheel (esp. at faster speeds) and 2) Loose anti-sway bar disconnects.

 

[laneiac]

Glad you got it figured out! Loved the story about your CJ by the way...