So I was under my truck doing a routine check of things so they don't become problems down the road. I noticed that my track bar bushing was loose on the upper end. I thought it just needed a new bushing but once I got it apart I noticed it was reshaped in an easter egg shape. (see pic below) The track bar is an old K Bar S product, they are long out of business. So my question is how do i go about making this repair? I want to switch the adjustable end to a rod end set up, is this possible? What does it entail if I swich from a bushing end to a rod end? Is it a good Idea? If it is then do you know any offroad store i can pick one up that will screw right back in?

Thanks, Hoping to get this fix done this week so I can get the truck back on the road for the weekend, I may try to do another trip next weekend.

I'm sure it's possible but personally I would go with one of the newer adjustable track bars. They are much beefier and should bolt right in. Granted, these don't have rod ends but I believe bushings are better for his application. Just my opinion.

I was just thinking as to why it would have pulled so hard to oval out that end and I was thinking maybe its because the angles in my track bar and steering are off. So I went and took some pictures with track bar just mocked in, not bolted.

Thanks Airbur maybe bushing are better, I have no clue. I'm trying to fix this without spending a bunch, not enough money at the moment to buy new. I have a couple other things to spend money on this month like a battery and carb parts. I am thinking about buying some thicker tube and cutting off the old end and welding on the thinker tube in the same diameter. Im still open to opinions.

Geometry looks off to me. Obviously you are running a lift. Do you have a drop bracket or riser on there?

I had to lengthen my track bar for the full width axles I installed. I cut off the frame end of the track bar, ground the bar down till it fit inside 1.5" OD x 1" ID DOM. Welded in a tube adapter & used a 3/4" heim joint. I used a 9/16" misalignment, but some years use a bigger bolt, so check before ordering. Ruffstuffspecialties.com can get you all that stuff & they can mill the misalignment to fit your frame bracket, if you measure it before you order.
ground track bar.JPG
finished track bar.JPG

Chad

edit: Ooops I didn't notice your bar was already threaded. The rod end I got did not have enough threads to reach. You'd have to find a 3/4" heim joint with the right thread pitch as your trackbar.

BC Broncos sells an adjustable trackbar w/the bushing @ the axle & a heim @ the frame.

6 years at that angle was probably enough to round out that end. Before installing a new bar, I would throw in a drop or riser. Riser being the preferred.

I think the egg-shaped end is more due to poor quality parts than incorrect angles.

As akaFrank eluded to, the reason you want your track bar and drag link in at the same angle is that when you hit a bump, your axle rises and transfers force to the frame via the track bar. If both links are in the same plane, the track bar takes all the load. If they are not, it will transfer some of that force to the drag link and create bump-steer. If you've been running this for 6 years and it's been fine, the cheapest thing to do is fix that end you have.

Find a weldable bushing that has the same bolt size that is in your frame bracket and make sure it will fit between that bracket. You can cut the outside and inside sleeve down to fit your needs.
http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Syn ... 16605.html

Buy yourself a small piece of DOM
http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/DOM ... c-867.html

and a tube adapter with the same threads you have now:
http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Syn ... p-349.html

Weld it all together. That will work for now. Then you can do the riser when you have the money. DO NOT waste your time on a drop bracket off the frame. On a rig that see some wheeling, that will fail catastrophically. And with the adjust-ability, you won't have to re-do anything on the track bar to make it fit a riser bracket.

Oh and Yes, for this application, I recommend a bushing over a rod end. There is no benefit to a rod end here and all it will do is transfer more road noise and bumps to the frame.

J.D.

I'm VERY, VERY, happy with the ride on my truck now. I can't speak to just the track bar, because I made so many changes during the swap to full width. I haven't got the truck in the rocks yet, but on the highway & around town, I've got no complaints. I guess if you used 2 rod ends it could get rough. But I love the way my truck is driving now, except the brakes.

Chad

You want my advice - which ever dirrection you go - riser or lowering bracket - do it heavy duty - then overkill it. If you wonder why - just look for the thread on the frame repairs we did last winter.... The factory track bar bracket is just not enough. Once repaired, gusseted and reinforced - we built a new - much heavier duty drop bracket. You have seen how much abuse it can take now with no new damage...

Give those boys some more time though - they will probably break it again...

Thanks guys. I am going to take a look at my options and see what works out. I did like zillacon said and rounded it out again and now I am going to reinforce it so it wont deform again. I will run it the way it was, till I can build a riser bracket for it. It drives so straight and smooth I would venture to say its the straightest drive of our five cars. No bump steer at all.

I really appreciate all the comments. Thanks for explaining to me why the steering has egged out the hole. I will post up how it works out.

I reinforced the end tonight and got it all ready to go again. Its now very strong and completely round again. I used a socket that was the perfect size to round it out and then left it in while i welded so it didn't warp. I will get some bushing tomorrow and put it back in the truck. I will run it just like it is until I can build a riser bracket for the front end. After researching track bars I think a rod end would have worked well but would have cost me more money.

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate the help. Let me know what you think.

That ought to hold!

J.D.