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Trackbar Drop Bracket vs. Bump Steer

M

Mr.Overflow

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Munich - Germany
Hi,

I want to eliminate some bump steer.

5247993.jpg


I actually have the Iron Rock Offroad OTK-Steering, 5.5" RE Coil Springs, RE Adjustable Trackbar 1600. What do you think?
Should I change the upper and lower position of the DragLink and TieRod and use a JKS Over the Axle Bracket?
Or should I use a TrackBar Drop Bracket?
How much drops the RE HD TrackBar Bracket?


Thanks
 
Do you have the undoctored picture? It's hard to see what's going on.
 
It isn't a great photo but it still looks like the drag link and tracbar angles are close to being the same so there should be minimal bump steer.
You may some other problem that you are interpreting as bump steer.
What are you experiencing?
 
When I drgive through potholes my steering wheel turns left and right.
When I brake moderate my ride pulls left although my complete brakes are made new
beginning from a diphragm booster over fluid tubes, callipers and brake shoes. Really anything!
When I had 3 inches of lift I could brake without hands on the steering wheel: It still drove straight out.
When I passed potholes the steering wheel stayed in position.

This is not a bumpsteer?
 
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If a line drawn through the center of the drag link's rod end is parallell to the line drawn through the center of the trabar's rod end, that is what is normally needed. It isn't perfect since the links are not the same length.

Your brakes may not be broken in yet or have some other trouble.
If they are working correctly, pulling can be an indication that the links are not parallel. XJs are not known for having good, stable brakes after installing large, tall tires.
See Go Jeep's article on installing a raised tracbars. http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoOTKTrackbarBracket.htm
It says "Do a test drive before adding the steering stabilizer. If it pulls to the driver side, raise the trackbar axle end or fit a ZJ pitman arm to lower the frame end. If it pulls to the passenger side, lower the trackbars axle end."
 
There's more than just keeping the trackbar and draglink parallel. Ideally, they should also be the same length. In your case, you've lengthened the draglink, and shortened the trackbar. If you lower the passenger side wheel (let it fall away from the body,) the trackbar will pull the axle farther to the driver's side than the draglink will, so the wheels will turn slightly to the right.

<shrug> Not sure what else to tell you, that's the way the geometry works. Mine does the same thing, with a similar geometry.
 
ChiXJeff said:
If you lower the passenger side wheel (let it fall away from the body,) the trackbar will pull the axle farther to the driver's side than the draglink will, so the wheels will turn slightly to the right.
Click to expand...
yes! and if i compress the coil springs on the passenger side the trackbar pushes the axle out of the passenger side, while i hold the steering wheel straight forward, the wheels turn light to the left. This is exactly what happens when braking or passing potholes.

I know that same length is the key, but Drag Link and Trackbar are not same length on stock XJs. On the stock ones the steering is much flater. If you lift the vehicle the steering gets steeper. So the axle moves more left/right while the suspension is working. Does it mean the key is to eliminate the axles side-traveling by flattening the steering while keeping DL & TB parallel? I think I should mount the trackbar a bit higher than steering stabilizer and the steering stabilizer under the TB-mount. So i get everything more parallel and flater.
 
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It may be intentional to clear the sway bar links but I'm not sure, I definitely see it too.
 
Fix that first. a 2" lift change is enough to screw things up on its own, then toss in a bent steering component and you are not in spec anymore. give it a quick allignment and see if it changes anything...
 
Whats the air pressure in your tires? Sounds stupid, but it will cause a pull under braking and acceleration.
 
For anyone in the US, that's ~40psi... what size tires are you running? That's higher than I even run in stock tires, I generally run around 1.7 bar in my 33x11.5s (84cm x 285mm, type 285/75r16)
 
I ride the 40 psi for street and highway-use with 70-100mph, but 100mph is no fun with this tire size and lift.
I go down to 17 psi offroad if necessary.
 
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