Making a left into my neighborhood this afternoon, I heard and felt a loud pop under the front of the XJ. I pull into the driveway and have a look, and sure enough, the track bar bolt is sheared off at the threads on the frame end. Track bar is a 4"-6" TNT system, been installed for about 2 years or so. Should I be looking for a bolt similar to what came with the kit for a replacement (allen headed bolt), or would a simple Grade 8 from Lowes or someplace similar be sufficient? Also, anybody know what size bolt I should be looking for?
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Broken TNT Track Bar bolt
- Thread starter AZ XJ
- Start date
MrShoeBoy
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
I have a RE HD track bar and bracket and the same thing happened to me this morning. It was a grade 8 bolt from Home Depot which lasted for 3 years and lots of abuse. The TNT bar looks very similar to the RE bar with the flex joint. Has anybody tried to drill this out to 7/16" or 1/2"?
AARON
AARON
northwestxj
NAXJA Member #1283
- Location
- washington
You're talking about the bolt that holds the trackbar to the trackbar bracket, correct? If so, I'm very surprised they use an allen head bolt.
You will be fine with a grade 8 bolt. Should be a 1/2" bolt.
You will be fine with a grade 8 bolt. Should be a 1/2" bolt.
northwestxj
NAXJA Member #1283
- Location
- washington
My RE trackbar bracket uses a 1/2" bolt. :dunno:
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
Id be wanting to know why it broke?
Correct. The bolt that holds the Trackbar to the Bracket. And yes, it's an allen head bolt. It's sort of ironic that it happened today, as I was driving at fairly high speeds on the freeway this weekend, and made the comment to my passenger that the XJ was riding smoother than it had in quite some time...
I'll head to Lowes tomorrow after work, since they seem to have a decent selection of bolts, and there is one right around the corner. Hopefully I'll be able to find a suitable replacement.
This concerns me as well.
MrShoeBoy
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
My RE bar is around 6 years old and been on 2 different trucks. Never broke or had a problem with it so I kept reusing it with new hardware on each move. The bolt is a 3/8" grade 8. Its what fits through the small RE flex joints unless they upsized the bolts in thoes in the last few years. The bolt holes in the bracket are egged out and I am pretty sure thats why the bolt broke, got loose and then pop. The bracket holes will be fixed, just interested in the bigger bolt if possible. I am not upset that it broke, glad it happened at low speeds and nobody got hurt and nothing damaged.
Thanks,
AARON
Thanks,
AARON
JNickel101
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Alamogordo, NM
....I think tomorrow, I'm going to re-check the torque on ALL of my front suspension hardware 
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
The std RE bolt hole is the same as stock(10MM),a 3/8" is to small and will allow movement.RE now offers an upgrade(I think its either 12mm or 1/2".
amadeus3
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- midcoast maine
yeah if its single shear then I guess its just fatigue over time. If it was double shear then theres something else wrong with the bolt or the bracket or the way it was installed or something.
XJ&CHZ4ME
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Unionville, MO
it is a double shear set up w/ the TNT bracket. I am running the same set up and it has the allen head bolt in it as well. Gonna have to give it a checking over this evening to check for any uncommon wear....
4wdParakeet
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Olathe, Ks
Ditto.
Parakeet
Parakeet
ktm racer 419
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- ROW DIALIN
i run 1/2" bolts in my tnt bar
re makes a superflex ball that will work with it in a 1/2" inner diameter.
for the axle end i got rid of the stock style bushing and got a stock 2 piece bushing from napa and drilled out the inner sleeve.
just drill out the brackets and you are done
i did this after i have broken a handful of 10mm grade 8 bolts
since i did the upgrade all i have done is bend one 1/2" bolt (grade 5, hardware store was out of the higher grades)
re makes a superflex ball that will work with it in a 1/2" inner diameter.
for the axle end i got rid of the stock style bushing and got a stock 2 piece bushing from napa and drilled out the inner sleeve.
just drill out the brackets and you are done
i did this after i have broken a handful of 10mm grade 8 bolts
since i did the upgrade all i have done is bend one 1/2" bolt (grade 5, hardware store was out of the higher grades)
Begster
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cape Cod/Boston, Mass
Yep, the bracket RE now sells is 1/2" hole. This is why I had problems last summer when I made my trackbar; 1/2" hole in RE bracket and 10mm ball in the builder's small RE superflex joint.
"allen head bolts" or socket head cap screws are well above a grade 8.8 pretty sure they are grade 12.9
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
Most Ive seen are not even "rated",but why even bother,just get some hex caps!
....I think tomorrow, I'm going to re-check the torque on ALL of my front suspension hardware
Glad I could be of service lol. Thankfully this happened pulling into my neighborhood while going 10 mph or less, and not on the freeway at 65+.
Double shear. I have no clue as to how it managed to break. This thing is my DD and hasn't seen any real offroad use, much less abuse, in a while. It drives straight and true down the road with zero DW. Nothing abnormal about my suspension setup or my driving habits either. I'm just gonna chock it up to a faulty bolt, and keep a close eye on things from here on out.
amadeus3
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- midcoast maine
weird.
