YJ Track Bar Worries

    So I got my 2.5 inch lift and I am adding 1/2" shackles for a full 3 inches of lift. The instructions for the lift say to use the original front track bar with the relocation bracket and scrap the rear track bar. Well from everything I have read the reloation bracket isn't even a great solution because the drag link and track bar are supposed to be parallel to work properly and reduce binding and the bracket puts them out of whack. Or could I compensate for the misalingment by using the bracket and a drop Pitman arm to realign things. I am considering the JKS adjustable trackbar for the front, anyone running one on a YJ? Is it worth it, please keep in mind I am looking for on road stability where I ride 95% of the time.


    What about the rear track bar? Do I leave it off like the instructions say? Since I am adding half inch shackles to the lift to make it a full 3 inches and I see that a lot of 3.5 kits come with a rear track bar relocation bracket and drop pitman arms do I need these? I have both track bars off now to for the purpose of replacing the bushings with urethane and it is way squirly I don't like it, will just the bar and relocation bracket in the front do it for restoring control?


    Help me out!

    I'd do away with the track bar all together and see how it rides. CJs never had them and have always road fine.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

    As I mentioned I have them both off now to replace the rubber bushings with urethane and I don't like the ride, it is squirly, and non-responsive with a healthy amount of bump steer. It might be more agile off road now but not my cup of tea for my daily driver.


    I am just wonder ing if the forn by iteself will do or if I need the rear relocation bracket and if the relocation in the front is gonne put the geometry out of whacka nd if I will need a drop pitman arm as well. I know it is a lot to cosider, I am just wondering if anyone has any advice about track bars, brackets and pitman arms other than removing, though the idea crossed my mind with poor results, for a YJ with a 3 inch lift.


    Thanks

    Did your track bar connect before the shackle lift? If so, you should be able to put them back on even after the shackle lift. A good rule of thumb; you only get about half of the advertised shackle lift. For example, a 2 inch shackle will only net you about 1 inch of lift. Something to think about!


    Bryan

    Ditch the rear on. You will not feal a difference in the back. I used to run the JKS unit and thought it really helped the stability of the Jeep. It is worth the money. Now that my Jeep is basically a comp Jeep I don't run the TB.

    Quote from "92WestShady"

    As I mentioned I have them both off now to replace the rubber bushings with urethane and I don't like the ride, it is squirly, and non-responsive with a healthy amount of bump steer. It might be more agile off road now but not my cup of tea for my daily driver.


    I am just wonder ing if the forn by iteself will do or if I need the rear relocation bracket and if the relocation in the front is gonne put the geometry out of whacka nd if I will need a drop pitman arm as well. I know it is a lot to cosider, I am just wondering if anyone has any advice about track bars, brackets and pitman arms other than removing, though the idea crossed my mind with poor results, for a YJ with a 3 inch lift.


    Thanks



    have you got the new springs in the jeep now. do the new springs have polly bushign I think you will find that your bumpsteer is caused by worn out bushing not lack of trac bar the trac bar just maskes the worn out sprign bushings. after lifting dejeepmans jeep with the poly bushings we ditched the trac bar and I checked to see how much deflection he had and it is VERY minimal compared to mine with wore out rubber bushings. just something to think about.

    Wow, you guys are real helpful. I understand how the lift shackles work, mine are 1" over stock the net lift for the ones I bought is 1/2". I haven't tried to hook up the track bar with the relocation bracket and the the shackles yet because my lift isn't on. But you are probably right if the bar connects now with my 1-1/4" shackles it shoudl connect up fine with only the 1/2" and the bracket after the rest of the lift, doh!


    I guess with new springs and new bushings my deflection will be corrected a lot and maybe what I will do is pick up one of those JKS track bars and drop the rear one altogether. That should help to stiffen things up while maintaining the proper geometry with the drag link and allow me to loosen it when off road.


    You guys have been real help, thanks again.

    Speaking from experience; you can go ahead and ditch the rear sway bar; you will not see any difference on road. The front is a different story though.(for me anyway) I went with the jks adjustable track bar. It does make a difference on road; and before you hit the trail just loosen the 9/16 nut and it slides within itself for more articulation. You said it was really squirelly, do you have your front sway bar connected? To me, that one makes the most difference up front rather than the track bar.

    Hey Chuck,


    Now will I still use the relocation bracket that came with my RE kit? or do you mount the JKS bar to factory location after lifting it?


    Also my lift will be a full 3 inches when installed, do I need a drop pitman arm? It seems that I am in between needing and not needing one at this height, what do you think?

    Ohh yeah right now neither one is connected so I guess I should reattach the front one to see how it is, guess I am being a little lazy and asking questions before doing some testing but I am also trying to decide if I want to use the bracket and stock bar with new urethane or go with the JKS bar and I don't want to install the bushings if I am gonna go with the JKS bar so that I can reuturn the bushings in their package.

    Quote from "92WestShady"

    Hey Chuck,


    Now will I still use the relocation bracket that came with my RE kit? or do you mount the JKS bar to factory location after lifting it?


    I would say go with whichever setup keeps the track bar and drag link the most parallel with each other.


    Quote

    Also my lift will be a full 3 inches when installed, do I need a drop pitman arm? It seems that I am in between needing and not needing one at this height, what do you think?


    Back in the day I had a 2.5 lift and about another 1" of shackle and I kept all the steering parts stock. It did ok for about 3yrs.

    Chuck thanks for the advice and experience. It is guys like you with lots of years of experience that make this board so helpful. Experience always wins over opinion in my book.


    Hey I wonder if the relocation bracket on the axle end and a drop pitman on on what basically the frame end, hence rasingthe bar and lowering the drag link on opposite ends, would put things in even better alignment than using just bracket or no bracket?

    I put the RE 4.5" extreme duty kit on my YJ. There was a bracket in the kit that raised the front track bar. I installed it and have no issues with my jeep handeling bad or anything. in fact i just came back from the GWNF trip and I ran 70mph pretty much the whole way there and it handeled fine.
    I elimiated the rear track bar all together. I also did a lift on a buddies 89 YJ and we made a braket to raise the mounting point of the track bar to the axle. we also lost his rear track bar.

    With the track bar disconnected, you probably won't notice any difference in ride quality on the highway. If it is swaying or diving in corners, it because of disconnect anti-sway bars. You may experience some bump steer when you hit large bumps or pot holes with it disconnected though. It's just the nature of a leaf sprung front end. Without a track bar, when the suspension cycles up and down, the tie rod moves through an arch which causes a push or pull to the steering arms, causing a slight turning of the wheels, or bump steer. With the track bar connected, when the suspension is cycled up or down, the track bar moves in the same arch as the tie rod, as does the axle, so instead of the push or pull effect to the steering arms, it happens to the axle, which is acutally binding the springs.

    More good info, but I have the sway bar on now and just both tracks removed and it is a little squirlier on and off road than it was when I had the tracks both on and the sway bar off. Just looking for th best configuration, opinions or experience, of track bars, brackets pitman arms and what not for a YJ with a 3 inch lift but thanks for the input.


    I seriously love this string, keep um coming, it is the most feedback and experience on a topic I have ever recieved from this forum. Thanks

    I guess I'll have to take a ride in a YJ with track bars sometime. Then I might see how squirrely my CJ actually is. I have probably gotten used to it over the years.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

    Another point to ponder: because of the nature of the YJ spring setup with the shackle in the front you are going to get some back & forth sway if you don't run the track bar unless you run hard bushings and have them torqued down hard. Running longer that stock shackles are going to amplify that sway too. The only fix is to do a shackle reverse which puts the "hard" spring mounting point up front. This is why early solid axle Toyotas didn't have a track bar, the spring mount is up front.

    Good point, I got the lift on this weekend and the put the front track bar back on with the bracket and things are still a little wobbly up front, especially over bumps at speed. I understand the center of gravity is higher but the bump steer and sway I am experiencing is greater on my 3 inch lift than it is on my buddy's CJ with a 4.5 inch lift on. I am going to retorque evrything again to spec tonight and see if that helps a bit I am planning to get a JKS trackbar and a high quality OME stabilizer too. I am running urethane on all suspension components now but I think the slop may be due to less than super tight suspension link points like the Knucklehead mentioned.


    But as for the ride it is excellent, even though it is lifted. I have to say it is way better than 10 year old spanked leaf springs and super stiff shocks like the Rancho RS5000 i had on there.

    I've been reading this one with great interest. My YJ has a 2" shackle lift from Tony (thanks, Tony!), and I do notice bump steer more now than before the lift. I also notice it wanders under hard braking. After reading all of this, I think I will remove the rear track bar, but leave the front alone. Like Slimer said, he's never had them... and we all lust after CJs!


    I'm wondering if a new steering stabilizer might be in order... relatively cheap and easy to do.

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