Track Bar

I know track bars did not come stock with the CJ's, but does anyone know where to buy a kit or how to properly modify a track bar system for a CJ?

Thanks!

 

Why do you need one? They are only needed on coil sprung vehicals, not matter what you have seen on YJs.

 

I have a 79 CJ 5...

The Jeep is steering through the leaf springs right now and shifts from side to side. When the Jeep is sitting in place and you turn the wheels back and forth, the leaf springs and axles all move side to side. Everytime I hit a bump its like I'm going to drive off the road. A lot of play in there. I figured, adding a track bar would help to keep it in line better.

 

How long are your shackles? More then about 1.5inches over stock will cause this problem. Along with bad bushings.

 

:iagree: Check all your bushings, and make sure all the bolts are tight.

 

Forget checking the bushings, replace them! Just what kind of shackles are you running? Something the shackles like Confer's will have less flex and can easily be returned back to stock.

Also #1 over looked thing...SHOCKS! Nothing beats a good pair of shocks. Do not skimp here and buy Monroes.

If you insist on fabricating something, do a shackle reversal.

 

I do know that the bushings are shot and bolts need to be tightened. I will be re-doing the entire suspension in the next couple of weeks and adding a lift, so that should take care of all that.

A friend was looking to put a track bar into his CJ, so thats mainly why I was asking...but I also thought about doing it myself if it worked for him.

So, has anyone seen or had experience with putting a track bar into a CJ 5 or 7?

 

once you replace all the worn suspension parts you wont have a problem.


keep in mind that you have to engineer a trackbar fairly well in order for it to work. its not like some other parts where you can just kinda slap it on and go. if you dont do your math correctly you will end up with a trackbar that will bind up under suspension load and either 1)break off, 2)break the frame off where its mounted, or 3)bend (probably into your oil pan or somewhere equally inconvenient)

those problems are likely magnified with a leaf spring suspension, because it doesn't allow for side to side play already. a coil suspension like on a TJ can move side to side significantly w/o a track bar...so if theres any small error in the geometry the suspension just shifts to keep it from binding, unperceived by the driver


...i think it'd be a very large waste of time and effort

 

Try this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep...010QQitemZ200058881971QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

you might want to look into a watts linkage type track bar,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_linkage

 

I was just on my way here to ask if anyone has tried one of these things? My 7 had a factory sway bar on it, and I took it off because the "new" frame did not have the threaded inserts.

Could I use one of these in its place? :?

Don

 

No totally different purpose. Sway bars reduce body roll. Tracbars center the axles.

 

I also thought about a track bar set up, even went so far as to buy a stock one to use as a pattern. I also picked up a sway bar off a 77 CJ. That was until I converted to YJ springs and did a shackle reversal. Man, what a huge difference. No need for either or a steering shock.

 

When I bought my 74 it had bad road wander. I decided to find the problem and found exactly the problem you described. The shackles are flexing and causing the problem. However the previous owner tried the panhard/tracbar bar fix. After inspection I found two of the three bolts holding the bracket to the front differential were broke. This is caused by the leaf springs trying to prevent the side to side motion caused by the tracbar. They were working against ech other! I have my 74 totally stripped down and ready for sandblasting and when I get it back the suspension will be fixed right(new bushings and shackles) and if there is any leftover wandering I will fix it.

All that to say that the tracbar will cause more problems than fix IMHO.

 

I wonder if that e bay think really works ... seems like it might ?

 

I really doubt the e-bay thing above would work very well. The key to making a track bar work is to keep it parallel to the drag link. If the two are not parallel when you hit a bump you will get bump steer which is many time the very thing the track bar is intended to fix. On a leaf spring front end a track bar is often not a necessary thing if the suspension is in good repair contrary to what YJ owners will try to say. The track bar will actually work against the leaf springs causing more bushing wear and frame flex than there would be without it.

 

You're right. Unless the arc swing is maintained, the track bar may push the axle to one side. The more compression/extension of the suspension, the more side movement you will have. I'm guessing that the wandering on the hwy will be resolved but the bump steer that is now introduced could be a greater problem.