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Track bar broke

C

coolkidmc

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Hammonton, NJ
So I went out to get something to eat and on my way back I turned out of the parking lot and snap!! Here the track bar's tre on the frame mount sheered off and now the track bar is holding on by the axle mount. I have two questions I searched for and couldn't find answers if someone can please help!!

1. My jeep is sitting in a parking lot about a mile from my house I know the track bar holds the front axle in place as far as side to side but would I be able to at least limp home so I can fix it without any problems?

2. The castle nut and bolt are broken off in the frame mount would I be able to punch it out or drill it out without messing it up and having to buy a new mount?
 
You will be fine for a mile or so, just take it slow and avoid big bumps(bad track bar causes death wobble). As for getting the bolt out, i would take the bracket off, put it in a vise, and pound the bolt out from the top. If you try and beat it out from the bottom you'll just make it tighter.
 
Go EXTREMELY slow if you move at all. You won't realize just how little steering you have till you try to make a turn... and the whole axle moves sideways instead of turning the wheels.

Since the bolt is conical (for a TRE anyways) you'll need to get the nut off and then pound it out with a punch probably.

Honestly, you really should buy a new TRE, go to the Jeep, pull the mount off, bring it home, remove the broken TRE stub, install the new one, and go back to the Jeep, then install it and drive home.
 
Get yourself a nut cracker from NAPA or Sears. I've used them on several things on the '66 to take apart rusty nuts. You're going to need something because the nut might just spin the stud when you try and take it off and like the other guys said, it's tapered.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...y Tools&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

If you get the nut off, you can tap out the stud from the top and put a new TRE in the trackbar wherever the jeep is sitting now without taking the mount off and going somewhere else.

Edit: Don't try to drill out the stud from the bottom. You'll cuss and scream at how hard the end is and then slip or break the bit and do more damage to the mount.
 
bigkeegs said:
probably a safer plan, but its not THAT bad when your driving, just loose some turn radius.
Click to expand...

Until you have to swerve and miss something.

I would probably drive it home, but I think it depends on what that mile back to his house is like. If it's busy with a lot of intersections, it might be worth it to take the safe option.
 
I have a complete Trac bar with the frame bracket still attached If you still need one. You cant buy brackets anywhere and a new trac bar is about 100 bux

Lemme know brotha!
 
You can buy brackets at the junkyard, and I believe RE sells theirs separate...

Shouldn't be hard to get the stub out, at the worst, you're looking at 15 minutes with a Dremel to cut the nut in half sideways and pop it off, then a few swings with the BFH to remove the stub. After that all you need is a new TRE, unless it's a stock TB, in which case, junkyard or check the classifieds on here, someone's gotta have one within a 15 minute drive, there are plenty of NJ NAXJA guys.
 
Well just got home and wanted to say thanks for the reply's and give you guys an update!!

I decided to leave it in the parking lot and just work on it there. I had a couple of turns to get home and decided not to risk it. So I went out and just got a new track bar at advance for now. I had no problem getting the frame mount out as it was covered in power steering fluid from when I had my leak so it acted like pb blaster haha. As far as the stud piece that got stuck I took it to my work which is a huge machine shop and just used a h-frame arbor press and popped it right out.

Getting the new one back in was a little bit trickier. Even tho I have replaced track bars before (with help) doing it by yourself in the dark adds a big challenge!!

So for now I'm back on the road until something else decides to surprise me haha
 
Nice! Hope it holds together this time. Glad to know I wasn't the only one working on the frontend in the dark last night... I did a tie rod on mine in the driveway. It was voluntary though.

Who needs a mechanics creeper when you have an icy parking lot and a sheet of cardboard?
 
kastein said:
Nice! Hope it holds together this time. Glad to know I wasn't the only one working on the frontend in the dark last night... I did a tie rod on mine in the driveway. It was voluntary though.

Who needs a mechanics creeper when you have an icy parking lot and a sheet of cardboard?
Click to expand...

I agree!! That parking lot didn't feel to pretty, I still feeling like I have little stones stuck in my back!! At least I was able to finish up before it got too cold out!!
 
RedHeep said:
Who needs cardboard? :dunno:
Click to expand...
I got my year's dose of sub-epidural ice by ice skating drunk on New Year's Eve. I don't need more :D
 
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