RE1600 track bar problems

[canadianwheeler]

I bought a used RE 1600 track bar off a local guy for less then half the price of a new one. Good deal i thought.

Problem 1) The track bar did not come with any hardware but i was so lucky since another fellow NAXJA member had a spare set and sent it to me. The problem is theres a spacer already in the end of the track bar because he had the RE Heavy duty mount. Now my bolt is way to big to fit. I have tried hammering out the old spacer but no luck. Any ideas?

Problem 2) I might be just dumb but i can get the track bar to adjust. The Jam nut is on so tight that it wont budge. I tried using 2 huge wrenches but again no luck.

any ideas?

[John90XJ]

The jam nut and heim are left or reverse threaded. Try turning it the opposite direction.

[John90XJ]

As for the other problem...you're trying to run the bolt vertically into the stock bracket, correct?

[canadianwheeler]

As for the other problem...you're trying to run the bolt vertically into the stock bracket, correct?

No , I am just trying to get the bolt through the flex joint at the end of the bar but it look like the guy who owned it before me but another spacer in there with a much smaller hole.

[VegasAnthony]

crap like this is exactly why I built my hydrolic press

[John90XJ]

Yeah...without a press you may be relegated to getting a new joint.

[canadianwheeler]

i think i am gonna need to get it pressed out i am tired of hammering. But i am still having a hell of a time trying to loosen that jam nut. I think the guy must of put lock tite in it. GGRRR

[SARgroundpounder]

No fun, but it is just a reverse thread heim joint. Buy a new heim joint and you are still way ahead cost-wise.

[XJ_ranger]

hammering wont help you...

RE's trackbars are all the same - the HD bar uses 1" heims and the standard duty bar uses 3/4" heims... the spacer is threaded in the 1" threads and has 3/4" threads on the inside...

put the bar in a vice, and use a big fawking pipe wrench to twist the spacer...

and also look into some PB blaster, heat, or whatever else...

and if all else fails - call an RE rep - they know their products better than I...

-Ranger

[canadianwheeler]

hammering wont help you...

RE's trackbars are all the same - the HD bar uses 1" heims and the standard duty bar uses 3/4" heims... the spacer is threaded in the 1" threads and has 3/4" threads on the inside...

put the bar in a vice, and use a big fawking pipe wrench to twist the spacer...

and also look into some PB blaster, heat, or whatever else...

and if all else fails - call an RE rep - they know their products better than I...

-Ranger


So took a look at the RE web site and i defentley have the RE 1600 (light duty track bar). It looks like the guy i bought the track bar from did use the heavy duty track bar mount which uses a smaller bolt then 5/8. Since it used a smaller bolt a spacer with a smaller hole was installed (no threds in the hole). Make sense? I have the re 1600 hardware sitting here and it has no threds on the spacer.

[EricsXJ]

I'll bet he used a spacer and smaller bolt so that he could avoid drilling out the hole in the stock track bar bracket. The proper way to mount it requires the stock track bar mount to be drilled out to 5/8" and drill bits that size usually require a 1/2" drive drill.

Also the threads on these "adjustable" 1600 track bars are known to seize up so now you have an adjustable track bar that is no longer adjustable! It happened to my old one as well when I took it off.

[John90XJ]

I agree with Eric...the bracket does need to be drilled out and that's why most guys get a spacer. I believe, before the cartridge joint trackbar model came on the scene, that the brackets were sized with a larger hole just for the RE 1600. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You've got something that seems like it's been corroding if you can't undo the jam nut, move the heim joint or remove the spacer.

My only thought would be to douse it in penetrant like P'Blaster and give it a day or two to soak in before trying again.

[canadianwheeler]

Thanks for the help guys.

I finally contacted the previous owner and he said when he had his lift installed at a local shop they used a spacer track bar spacer to make it work with the RE heavy duty track bar mount. I dont know why they just didnt use the proper track bar (re1660) ??

When i asked about adjusting the bar he said that he used thred lock on it!! am i screwed now??

[canadianwheeler]

I DID IT!!!!!

I had to heat the crap out of it until it was red hot and use a 4 foot peice of pipe at the end of a wrench but it worked!

Thanks for everyones help