Rusty's Adj. Trackbar issues

[GreenXJ33per]

I am running rusty's kit 4.5 inch with the adj. Track bar. When I turn the wheel I hear a loud knock. I got under the Jeep and had my wife turn the wheel. The ball joint on the track bar is worn out. I just installed the kit 5 weeks ago. and have been wheeling once. Any one else see this issue. If so how did you fix it. I called rusty he is sending me out a new ball joint I just don't want to this to happen every five weeks..
:(

[JnJ]

I had bad luck with the TRE style trackbar also. I switched to Rusty's HD bracket and trackbar (uses a bushing instead of a TRE) and have never had another trackbar problem.

JnJ

[XJeacdabnow]

I just had that problem, I ended up buying the Rusty's Track bar with Bracket. That Solved my problem. What happens is the taper on the track bar is just a hair to small,so It really dosen't get tight and eventually wears out the stock track bar bracket hole. Mine was worn it pretty bad when I changed it out this weekend.
Make sure you buy the whole Track bar and bracket so you can sell your old one on Ebay and make some of your money back! Thats what iam doing right now.
Good luck

[XJoachim]

This is not a problem with the TRE, it's the hole in the bracket that's worn out. Get the HD mount and be done with it.

[FrankNBrew]

I had the same issue with Rusty's standard track bar. I replaced the tie rod every couple of months. The bracket was fine. You could see the rod end move up and down on the ball when cranking the steering back and forth. I eventually switched to the heavy duty bracket with rubber bushing, and it was fine.

[CSI XJ]

I had problems with my trac bar also after 5 months. The fix, I bought a Rubicon Express HD Trac bar and bracket. It works great it also got rid of my death wobble.

[Scott Mac.]

Give Rusty a call he should be able to send you a heavy duty bracket and end to go with it. There's no need to replace the entire track bar.

[KY Chris]

Ditto on what Scott Mac said. I ran Rusty's Trac bar with a TRE for a while and ended up switching to the heavy duty bracket and bushing and it helped alot. I had a similar noise and it ended up being a loose Tbar bracket at the frame rail. I keep it as tight as I can possibly get it and I have had no more problems with the popping noise.

[XJeacdabnow]

The only reason I say to buy the whole assembly, Bracket and track bar from rustys , is because IT's THE SAME PRICE! for just the end piece and the bracket as it is for EVERYTHING new~ $189.00 plus shipping. You can also make back some of your money by selling the old one on EBAY.

[BenXJCA]

He already has the adj. track bar. If buys the HD bracket he gets the new Poly eye end and the bracket for $89. The whole set up with the adj. trackbar is $189. I say go for the bracket. It solves the problem and doesn't limit articulation like a tie rod end.

[XJeacdabnow]

Rusty's Adjustable Trac-Bar w/ Frame Mount TB-200 $189.00
Trac-Bar Frame Mount TBM-150 $89.00
RE Hiem Conversion Kit TBM-RE $99.00

89 plus 99+ 188!
This is off his web site. You need the RE hiem kit to use the drop bracket!


Here Look yourself. WWW.RUSTYSOFFROAD.COM:eek: :anon:

[RCP Phx]

Well for another 20$ you could get the RE Extreme duty bar and bracket.At 1.25" its "heavy duty" and with a JJ it will flex where the poly cant!

[ChuckD]

Rusty sells the three types of ends. TRE, bushing, and the RE Hiem.

[Scott Mac.]

There's no need for the hiem or the Johnny Joint.
A Bushing will do just fine. It's a track bar, it's only rotating on one plane.

[RCP Phx]

I disagree,I keep my JJ's well greased so they show where there is movement!The axle moves forward and backwards as it goes up/down.The axle also gains/loses castor as it moves up/down,the more lift the more prodominant it becomes.

[Slip Kid]

On keeping the TRE in good shape... I found that mine would work loose where it screws in. I had to finally crank the lock nut down real good, and it hasn't moved since. When it's loose is wiggles around, and can't be good on the joint.

[SV1CEC]

Originally posted by FrankNBrew
I had the same issue with Rusty's standard track bar. I replaced the tie rod every couple of months. The bracket was fine. You could see the rod end move up and down on the ball when cranking the steering back and forth. I eventually switched to the heavy duty bracket with rubber bushing, and it was fine.

It is amazing that so many people have this problem, I just discovered last Sunday. Due to our twins and my limited time, I hadn't taken my XJ for off-roading a lot, the last few months, since I had Rusty's lift installed.

Last Friday, I finally managed to find some free time, and have the rear shackles replaced, and the front bushings of the rear springs replaced. Admitedly Rusty had send me those parts to compensate for problems I had with the initial spring setup. So, I was very happy and took my wife for a brief off-road trip on a hill next to our house. We stopped somewhere for her to look at the view, and I moved the wheel a bit to allow the truck to start on a better path. I heard a noise coming from underneath my feet. I got out and ask her to move the wheel as I was looking under the truck. Imagine my horror when I saw that the heim joint was so loose that you could see the upper part move in its lower part.

Now, please consider that I had that lift installed last October, so it is less than 6 months old. I also had clarified with Rusty, that I prefer to pay more money than have to change parts again and again. Living in Athens Greece, has its shortcomings when shopping for our favorite truck.

I am really pissed off with Rusty. I asked him to replace the heim end and the mount with its heavy duty ones. He denied, saying that if I had upgraded at purchase time, I would have paid the additional 89$. However, at the time of purchase, I didn't know that the heim joint will fail after six months (with almost no off-road time), nor did I know that this is a common problem. I even suggested that we split the cost of the upgrade, since I didn't want to have to replace another heim joint (which he was willing to send me for free) after another 6 months. He also denied that too.

This is probably the last he will see of my business.


Rgds

[Scott Mac.]

Originally posted by RCP Phx
I disagree,I keep my JJ's well greased so they show where there is movement!The axle moves forward and backwards as it goes up/down.The axle also gains/loses castor as it moves up/down,the more lift the more prodominant it becomes.

I do realize there will be a small amount of fore/aft movement. I don't think it's more than a bushing can handle.

[XJeff]

Originally posted by XJeacdabnow
Rusty's Adjustable Trac-Bar w/ Frame Mount TB-200 $189.00
Trac-Bar Frame Mount TBM-150 $89.00
RE Hiem Conversion Kit TBM-RE $99.00

89 plus 99+ 188!
This is off his web site. You need the RE hiem kit to use the drop bracket!


Here Look yourself. WWW.RUSTYSOFFROAD.COM:eek: :anon:

Actually if you buy Rusty's HD trac bar frame mount it comes with the new end to work with the bracket. I called him about this last week and he assured me that in order to upgrade the standard trac bar all you had to purchase was the new bracket for $89.

hth

[XJeacdabnow]

Wow I got ripped than, I was told that i had to buy the whole thing. That sucks because i spent an extra 99 on nothing. Thanks for the info, I feel like a dumbass

[XJoachim]

You don't need that RE heim joint, the HD mount comes with the needed bushing for the track bar.

[JnJ]

Originally posted by SV1CEC
It is amazing that so many people have this problem, I just discovered last Sunday. Due to our twins and my limited time, I hadn't taken my XJ for off-roading a lot, the last few months, since I had Rusty's lift installed.

Last Friday, I finally managed to find some free time, and have the rear shackles replaced, and the front bushings of the rear springs replaced. Admitedly Rusty had send me those parts to compensate for problems I had with the initial spring setup. So, I was very happy and took my wife for a brief off-road trip on a hill next to our house. We stopped somewhere for her to look at the view, and I moved the wheel a bit to allow the truck to start on a better path. I heard a noise coming from underneath my feet. I got out and ask her to move the wheel as I was looking under the truck. Imagine my horror when I saw that the heim joint was so loose that you could see the upper part move in its lower part.

Now, please consider that I had that lift installed last October, so it is less than 6 months old. I also had clarified with Rusty, that I prefer to pay more money than have to change parts again and again. Living in Athens Greece, has its shortcomings when shopping for our favorite truck.

I am really pissed off with Rusty. I asked him to replace the heim end and the mount with its heavy duty ones. He denied, saying that if I had upgraded at purchase time, I would have paid the additional 89$. However, at the time of purchase, I didn't know that the heim joint will fail after six months (with almost no off-road time), nor did I know that this is a common problem. I even suggested that we split the cost of the upgrade, since I didn't want to have to replace another heim joint (which he was willing to send me for free) after another 6 months. He also denied that too.

This is probably the last he will see of my business.


Rgds

Are you sure your talking about a heim joint and not the TRE? You lost me where you stated " it's upper part moving in it's lower part". That sounds like a TRE.

[SV1CEC]

Originally posted by JnJ
Are you sure your talking about a heim joint and not the TRE? You lost me where you stated " it's upper part moving in it's lower part". That sounds like a TRE.

Well, I guess apologies are in order. English is not my native language, so I am not that good with the technology terms. I am talking about that ball-joint-like thing, which attaches with a nut on the frame mount. How do you call it? Heim or TRE (whatever that stands for)?

[JnJ]

No problem, that is a TRE Tie Rod End.

[PhatXJ]

Does it look like this SV1CEC?

http://myweb.cableone.net/twizum007/project/images/Project96_004.jpg

[PhatXJ]

Originally posted by JnJ
No problem, that is a TRE Tie Rod End.

Oh, okay, never mind :)

When I upgraded my track bar from that to the HD mount I have now, he next day aired the end conversion for free because I told him I couldn't finish my lift without it.

Guess I lucked out there.

[JnJ]

Originally posted by PhatXJ
Oh, okay, never mind :)

When I upgraded my track bar from that to the HD mount I have now, he next day aired the end conversion for free because I told him I couldn't finish my lift without it.

Guess I lucked out there.

Fat, I was talking to SV1CEC, not you. That is not a TRE. :)

[PhatXJ]

Originally posted by JnJ
Fat, I was talking to SV1CEC, not you. That is not a TRE. :)

GnG, I was talking to SV1CEC as well, but you answered my question, thats why I quoted you. :)

:D

[SV1CEC]

Originally posted by PhatXJ
Does it look like this SV1CEC?

http://myweb.cableone.net/twizum007/project/images/Project96_004.jpg

It certainly does not look like your trackbar mount, but yes, it looks like the joint used in the pitman arm.

At the moment, I am waiting for the HD mount and bushing end to arrive, to have them installed and forget about this crappy thing. I would certainly hate to have the TRE snap at some removed location on a mountain.

OK, back to the thread to look again at your picture, imagining how my trackbar will be in a while.

Rgds

Oh, yes, and the name is John.

[SV1CEC]

Originally posted by PhatXJ
Does it look like this SV1CEC?


By the way, can you please explain me your steering setup? I would love to have something like that on my truck. Any info would be sincerely appreciated.

E-mail me, if you want, at sv1cec@hol.gr

Rgds and many tnx

[PhatXJ]

Hey John, my steering setup itself is actually just stock. I have a drop pitman arm somewhere around 2" over stock or so and thats about it besides the Adj. Trackbar and HD mount and bushing type end. I also slipped a section of tubing over my tie rod, thats why it looks different, eventhough this may not be the smartest thing to do :D Instead of the tie rod being the weakest point and just bending, I now run the risk of blowing the TRE's because the TR itself is so much stronger, but oh well for now :)

I have more pics probably in here somewhere: http://myweb.cableone.net/twizum007/redb/

Or in my site somewhere, the link is below.

:cheers:

[SV1CEC]

Originally posted by PhatXJ
Hey John, my steering setup itself is actually just stock. I have a drop pitman arm somewhere around 2" over stock or so and thats about it besides the Adj. Trackbar and HD mount and bushing type end. I also slipped a section of tubing over my tie rod, thats why it looks different, eventhough this may not be the smartest thing to do :D Instead of the tie rod being the weakest point and just bending, I now run the risk of blowing the TRE's because the TR itself is so much stronger, but oh well for now :)

I have more pics probably in here somewhere: http://myweb.cableone.net/twizum007/redb/

Or in my site somewhere, the link is below.

:cheers:

I was actually browsing your site a few days ago.

Could we probably take this discussion off this thread, I need to ask you a few questions, regarding your dopped down brackets.

My e-mail is sv1cec@hol.gr, please e-mail me.

Tnx and Rgds

[PhatXJ]

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