Rusty's "HD" tracbar end snapped

[xjj33p3r]

Went wheeling in Nocona this weekend, and I had a blast, but towards the end of the day, the bushing on the frame end of my jeep crapped out before I noticed anything, and I came down hard and snapped the threaded part off :flamemad: I ended up using a TRE as a replacement piece, and wouldn't you know, it got me home. The steering is sloppy, but it was a good trail fix.

So anyways, can I replace that end with another type joint? I really don't want to mail in the piece and have to wait a week to get it back. Plus, having a poly bushing doesn't allow for flex going forward or backwards, just vertical and horizontal :lecture:

Any ideas? I'll post pictures of it in a bit.

[xjj33p3r]

Here's what happened
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/xjj33p3r/broken.jpg

[Ramsey]

you look so sad:(

[RCP Phx]

It looks/sounds like you used it "without the required HD Bracket".

[xjj33p3r]

It looks/sounds like you used it "without the required HD Bracket".
How would that bushing even fit on a stock tracbar bracket? I have the whole heavyduty setup, other than the extension which connects to the opposite framerail.

[RCP Phx]

How would that bushing even fit on a stock tracbar bracket? I have the whole heavyduty setup, other than the extension which connects to the opposite framerail.
JKS's are bolted vertically,and since you limped home using a tre I couldnt vision much else.Ive installed over a half-dozen RE HD units and swear by them.

[xjj33p3r]

Does anyone have any more ideas as to what I could use to replace this end?

[Kittrell]

Does anyone have any more ideas as to what I could use to replace this end?

Yeah, a better trac bar............ :laugh3:

[xjj33p3r]

Yeah, a better trac bar............ :laugh3:
:doh:

[tetsulo]

I don't know what else you can use, but there is that much front to back flex in your suspension linkages? I would check your CA bushings for excessive wear. How long did that unit last for?

Matthew

[xjj33p3r]

It didn't last more than a year if I remember correctly. My CA bushings seem to be doing ok for now, since I don't have any vibration/dw/or axle wrap when torque is applied to the front.

[xjj33p3r]

Just got off the phone with Rusty, and here's what's going on. He's going to send me a replacement joint, and another complete tracbar for their 6.5-8.5" long arm kit. I explained to him what happened, showed him the picture, and he had no problem explaining to me what could have happened, and that he'd actually never seen their bushing destroy themselves like that. So again, he's sending me a new piece which broke, a new bolt to go through the bracket, and a new trac bar, free of charge (as long as I send my tracbar back)

This is great customer service, and from now on, I'm backing Rusty's %100.

[Kittrell]

Just got off the phone with Rusty, and here's what's going on. He's going to send me a replacement joint, and another complete tracbar for their 6.5-8.5" long arm kit. I explained to him what happened, showed him the picture, and he had no problem explaining to me what could have happened, and that he'd actually never seen their bushing destroy themselves like that. So again, he's sending me a new piece which broke, a new bolt to go through the bracket, and a new trac bar, free of charge (as long as I send my tracbar back)

This is great customer service, and from now on, I'm backing Rusty's %100.

While I won't doubt your recent customer service satisfaction. Do yourself a favor, sell the new bar and go Rubicon or Kevin's..................:cheers:

[xjj33p3r]

While I won't doubt your recent customer service satisfaction. Do yourself a favor, sell the new bar and go Rubicon or Kevin's..................:cheers:
Thanks for the advice :wave: But I'm just stoked about getting a completely brand new part :laugh3:

[Kittrell]

But I'm just stoked about getting a completely brand new part :laugh3:

Well we certainly won't hold that against you..............:cheers:

[2xtreme]

Sounds to me like the morral of the story is to go to where you got the parts that broke and talk to them about what they or you can do to fix it.

In this case they did a great job of backing their products and doing right for you.

I have had the exact same experience with them also (no matter what others say).

Michael

[cal]

Thanks for the advice :wave: But I'm just stoked about getting a completely brand new part :laugh3:


yes, but if you do some research, you will find a history of rusty's track bar's breaking in one way or another. I have personally met two people who have had it happen, and read about a dozen or more other incidents. Getting a completly new part is great.. It means you can get more for it, to offset the cost of buying a quality part that will not strand or kill you. ;)

[Kittrell]

yes, but if you do some research, you will find a history of rusty's track bar's breaking in one way or another. I have personally met two people who have had it happen, and read about a dozen or more other incidents. Getting a completly new part is great.. It means you can get more for it, to offset the cost of buying a quality part that will not strand or kill you. ;)

Bingo.............. ;)

[ExTankerGuy]

OMG....say it isn't so! Somebody other than myself having a good experience with Rusty's! What is the world coming to?

[99greenjeeper]

part broke...
Rusty replaced it...
customer can either replace with new Rusty's part or sell and get another brand.....

please don't let this become another thread about peoples opinions of Rustys parts!

[cal]

please don't let this become another thread about peoples opinions of Rustys parts!


Ordinarily, I'd probably completly agree with you, but we are talking safety here. A good number of the "my rusty's track bar broke" stories you here go something like "My rusty's track bar broke at 70 on the highway and i flying off the highway out of control when my axle slid four inches to the left".

I dont care if someone wants to run shoddy gear on the trail. The likelyhood his breaking is going to affect me beyond the time required to help repair is minimal. It's the people around in traffic when those parts go that scare me shitless over this particular peice of equipment.

[Kittrell]

please don't let this become another thread about peoples opinions of Rustys parts!

Thats the point, so when people search for "Rustys Trac Bar" for info, stuff like this pops up............... :lecture:

[xjj33p3r]

Have a tracbar break on the highway is something I've never heard of before, especially with Rusty's parts. Besides, running without a tracbar on the highway is doable, you just can't turn. I had a friend with the same problem as me drive home for 2 hours with no tracbar and he made it home safely.

[cal]

Have a tracbar break on the highway is something I've never heard of before, especially with Rusty's parts. Besides, running without a tracbar on the highway is doable, you just can't turn. I had a friend with the same problem as me drive home for 2 hours with no tracbar and he made it home safely.


Your not having heard of it does not stop it from happening. One of the SoCalXJ (2wdmatt) guys had his rusty's trackbar break on the highway and it sent him off the road into a field at high speed, nearly killing him.

Your friend had the same problem as you .. yet, you still feel this is a good product? If the trackbar were an option, believe me, it would not be there. That product is just -not safe-.

[XJ_ranger]

the threads on the trackbar (inside the tube) are 11/16" x 18 which is why the TRE fit...

i have yet to find a better replacement than drilling out the tube and tapping it for 3/4" standard fine thread and running a RE bracket with an RE joint...

When i did my 44 swap, i had the RRO light duty adjustable trackbar with the TRE (a re-labled rusty's product) and planed on upgrading to a TNT frame mount and drilling the tracbar tube to 3/4" fine and running an RE joint, but ran out of cash and time, so just cut the tube down and paid out the ass at the local machine shop for an 11/16" x 18 tap.

11/16" x 16 is standard fine thread, and 11/16" x 18 is TRE and aparently trachkbar threads...

just an FYI..

i still plan on running a TNT customs frame mount with a RE large joint, but lack funding to put that together right now.

I have no issues with the bar part of the trackbar, and will run it till i break it, but i dont like my TRE, and i dont like Rusty's frame bracket, and i dont like the poly bushing...

this is my expierence thus far...

oh - and Rusty's changed their TRE from the one that i used when i bought their bar from a Moog ES140R.

We used to use the MOOG# ES140R and ES2223R but have recently started using the Jeep Replacement part# 52005740 off a TJ.

i dont know if that TRE is a better part with more angle or what, but i am sick of changineg TRE's...

[Ramsey]

the rustys hd one doesnt come with a tie rod end

[xjj33p3r]

It doesn't come with a tie rod end, but a tie rod end will fit.

[Yucca-Man]

So the fact that the broken part gets replaced with a smile is all it takes to make people recommend it? Nobody noticed that the part BROKE in the first place?

The funny part about this is that certain Chinese-made gears (Genuine, etc) have lifetime warranties so when it breaks you can replace them with no questions asked...yet many NAXJA members won't recommend those - what's the difference? (Hint: In my book, there is none...they're both craptastic)

[ECU88XJ]

Sure customer service goes a long way, but quality fabrication in the first place would eliminate the need to service broken parts.


'Rustys HD' is an oxymoron...

[XJ_ranger]

the rustys hd one doesnt come with a tie rod end

um

yeah - i know...

the rusty's standard duty trackbar comes with a TRE

the HD unit comes with the poly bushing

that is the only difference in the wto bars.

i was saying my expierence with the RRO bar (re-boxed Rusty's bar) and the ends that i have found to put in there, in place of the poly bushing, and relating that there is nothing that will work without drilling and taping to a larger size first...

::shrug::

[xjfreak95]

it pains me to say this cause i am a fan of rusty's but i lifted my xj month and a half ago two weeks after i had it done i noticed a horrible bang on the street i figured that i would rock the body cause the noise would happen when you turn the wheels fast back and forth well my brand new track bar is flexing in the center this cant be safe or good off road or on so soon as i have the money its out of there im not giving it another chance my kids safty comes first and yes i thought about the hd end not gonna do it while yes the lift works beyond what i thought it would do i dont wanna die

[XJ_ranger]

it pains me to say this cause i am a fan of rusty's but i lifted my xj month and a half ago two weeks after i had it done i noticed a horrible bang on the street i figured that i would rock the body cause the noise would happen when you turn the wheels fast back and forth well my brand new track bar is flexing in the center this cant be safe or good off road or on so soon as i have the money its out of there im not giving it another chance my kids safty comes first and yes i thought about the hd end not gonna do it while yes the lift works beyond what i thought it would do i dont wanna die

holy run on scentences bat man!

[cal]

holy run on scentences bat man!


Haha. For some reason all I could think when i read that was "Holy rusted metal batman!" .. "what?" .. "the metal, its rusty and full of holes.."

I nearly choked brocolli cheese soup out my nose.

[Ramsey]

sexy

[Fullsizexj]

Have a tracbar break on the highway is something I've never heard of before, especially with Rusty's parts. Besides, running without a tracbar on the highway is doable, you just can't turn. I had a friend with the same problem as me drive home for 2 hours with no tracbar and he made it home safely.
It has happened to someone I know and it was not a fun experience

[xjfreak95]

sorry i hate periods and all that stuffholy run on scentences bat man!

[scorpion]

sorry i hate periods and all that stuff

I'm gonna leave that one alone... :D

[xjfreak95]

dont go there i wont even go make anymore comments.I'm gonna leave that one alone... :D

[Ramsey]

worry no more


http://closer.dyndns.org/2004/040209_tampon.jpg

[cal]

worry no more


http://closer.dyndns.org/2004/040209_tampon.jpg

So the lesson here.. a rusty's trackbar isnt much stronger than a cotton tampon?

[Ramsey]

its worked fine on mine, but look for my incessant whining when/if it does happen.

[xjj33p3r]

Even though I know this problem has happened to many others, wouldn't regular checking and maintenance of parts of your suspension parts be a good idea anyway?

[Kittrell]

Even though I know this problem has happened to many others, wouldn't regular checking and maintenance of parts of your suspension parts be a good idea anyway?

Of course, but with a quality part it's less of a problem................;)

[xjj33p3r]

New piece just came in
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/xjj33p3r/tracbar.jpg

That's about twice as thick as the bar I used to have. All replaced for free.