track bar axle end

I need to install an adjustable track bar. the problem is I drilled out the factory axle end mounting hole to 7/16 for one of those POS pro comp brackets. I wanted to go with a nearly new jks bar, but they use the factory bolt size. kevins conversion looks good with a bigger bolt, but its big bucks as well. what size bolt does the RE 1660 bar use? any other suggestions?

When I bought my '88 MJ, it had a lift and the former owner (or whoever installed the lift for him) had drilled a new hole to use the stock track bar. I went with a Rusty's adjustable, but when I tried to mount it in the stock location I found that the hole was egged out. Got a heavy pattern flat washer in the correct size and had a friend weld it to the stock bracket. Works fine.

The difference is that I don't know how badly egged out the rear hole might have been, whereas yours has been drilled out and I doubt you can get any access to weld something in there. You could try welding on a washer on the outside. The stock mounting bolt was gone from mine, so we improvised. The friend who welded the washer on is a VW tech when he's not playing with Jeeps. He found in his bucket of VW nuts and bolts a heavy duty VW suspension nut with an integral flange that's serrated on the flat side. That seems to get enough "bite" on the metal to hold everything in place pretty well.

It's very common to drill another hole about an inch over from the stock hole to use the stock track bar with a lift. You can still do this with the adjustable track bar, just drill a new hole. An added benefit of doing this is that with the hole closer to the edge of the bracket, you gain some clearance for a little more droop.

You could also get abot a foot of 2x4 box tubing and make a bracket that would mount next to your spring perch also helping a little with ground clearance..relocating the trackbar...

DorkAlert said:

You could also get abot a foot of 2x4 box tubing and make a bracket that would mount next to your spring perch also helping a little with ground clearance..relocating the trackbar...

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Relocating it where?

Directly above the old location...Skyjacker has a bracket that they use to relocate the track bar... I would rather fab the bracket...save some money.. I can email a quick pic if you want...

DorkAlert said:

Directly above the old location...Skyjacker has a bracket that they use to relocate the track bar... I would rather fab the bracket...save some money.. I can email a quick pic if you want...

Click to expand...

Only if you also raise the steering to over the knuckle, otherwise that's a lousy idea. If the steering is in the stock location, the track bar needs to be also, and if the steering gets raised, the track bar needs to be raised.

The previous owner of my '88 also had a pro-crap drop bracket installed. I ran it until it snapped in half. I yanked out the 2 pieces it broke into, then bolted up my RE 1600 Adj., same bolt hole

Last I checked the factory trackbar bolt was 7/16".....

Safari Ary said:

Last I checked the factory trackbar bolt was 7/16".....

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Ummmmm ... it's metric. 12mm if I recall correctly. 7/16" would be a loose fit and would allow/cause rather sloppy steering. If it's 10mm, 7/16 would be too big.

Bought an adjustable bar from PORC and the bushing hole at the axle mount is a little bigger than stock. So i need to redrill and use a larger bolt correct? Anyone know the size?