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Track Bar upgrade

Big_JermsXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
College Station
Ok so I have this...
RE1600.jpg

I just ordered this...
re1665.jpg

Now how do i get this to work right for 5.5ish inches of work? Can i not just get one of these (below) and make it work? any better ideas? Cutting/welding is no problem.


ogs9113.jpg
 
That joint wont fit the RE bracket,and I dont see a Currie listing for a 2"x3/4"-16LH end.Sell your bar,and buy the HD RE bar and brace.Do it right,you wont regret it!
 
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That joint wont fit the RE bracket,and I dont see a Currie listing for a 2"x3/4"-16LH end.Sell your bar,and buy the HD RE bar and brace.Do it right,you wont regret it!
I completely agree with your "do it right the first time" mentality... but I already have a good solid track bar and am pouring a lot of money into the jeep right now, I just saw this as an opportunity to cut a corner but still have a solid track bar.

What if I was to get the RE superflex assembly that they use on the RE HD track bar, then weld a grade 8 bolt to the track bar and thread on the superflex?
Does anyone see a potential problem with this?
 
I completely agree with your "do it right the first time" mentality... but I already have a good solid track bar and am pouring a lot of money into the jeep right now, I just saw this as an opportunity to cut a corner but still have a solid track bar.

What if I was to get the RE superflex assembly that they use on the RE HD track bar, then weld a grade 8 bolt to the track bar and thread on the superflex?
Does anyone see a potential problem with this?
Sell the RE1600 - it's a good upgrade for the stock crowd.

Invest in the RE1660, 1665 (pictured above) and RE1670 Brace. Don't look back.

That joint wont fit the RE bracket,and I dont see a Currie listing for a 2"x3/4"-16LH end.Sell your bar,and buy the HD RE bar and brace.Do it right,you wont regret it!
x2. No sense in cobbling something together when the frakkin' solution is readily available.

Jim www.yuccaman.com
 
I completely agree with your "do it right the first time" mentality... but I already have a good solid track bar and am pouring a lot of money into the jeep right now, I just saw this as an opportunity to cut a corner but still have a solid track bar.

What if I was to get the RE superflex assembly that they use on the RE HD track bar, then weld a grade 8 bolt to the track bar and thread on the superflex?
Does anyone see a potential problem with this?
You would really see solid if you saw the HD bar.The only issue with your idea is that the Super-flex joint uses 1" threads.
 
currie does make a 3/4x3/4 LH thread JJ now... came out a few weeks ago, I was going to do it with my Trackbar
 
You would really see solid if you saw the HD bar.The only issue with your idea is that the Super-flex joint uses 1" threads.
ok now im not 100% on this but im pretty sure ive seen a side by side picture of the ctock track bar, RE1600 i have, and the HD RE1600 (maybe in that high performance xj book) and the two RE pieces looked the same except the hd had the superflex. Them having the same part number would also lead me to believe the rod end is the only difference.
And explain to me this 1" thread thing. Dosn't the HD track bar use a superflex?

Let me save some of yall the time - "just do it the right way the first time" but it's too late for that and im trying to save a penny so if there is any way i can get this to work and have it be solid im gonna try it.
 
The HD bar(#1660) is 1-1/4" OD and uses 1" threads,the std bar uses 3/4" threads!
 
yep you're right... musta been drunk earlier when i was looking at the part numbers. thanks for the info.
I might still afro-engineer it and fix it later but if i can set aside the money i will be getting the 1660.
again thanks for clearing that up.
 
FYI.

I installed the JJ with the RE bracket and it worked perfectly. I ordered this JJ:

http://www.currieenterprises.com/CES...t.aspx?id=2961

and this bracket:

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Products.aspx?Cn=324&Pn=1797&XnPath=320,323,324&Vi d=623E2C4953881

The problem is the JJ uses a 7/16" bolt and the bracket uses a 1/2" bolt. So the choices are to increase the hole diameter in the JJ or decrease the hole diameter in the bracket via bushings or such. Increasing the hole diameter in the JJ seemed like the simplest way to go. Since Currie's site says the JJ is hardened I got a machinist friend to bore it out to 1/2" with a 1/2" carbide mill in a lathe. He said it cut easily so maybe a HSS drill would have been fine. The misalignment bushing part of the JJ is only 1/16" wall after opening up the bore. It may be a little thin but I figure I'll run it like this and if I see it distorting, cracking, etc, I'll cut those pieces off and make or buy some misalignment bushings with a 1/2" ID and thicker walls. I think it will be fine as is since they shouldn't be seeing too much load in a a direction that would be a problem. So far after 6 months it looks fine.

On thing to note is that I was at 4" of lift when I did this (I'm at 5" or so now). If it were much lower it wouldn't work without shortening the track bar, or having an offset axle. The JJ was almost completely screwed in. Of course this might be helpful for people who are higher and are running out of thread engagement on the heim.
 
Let me save some of yall the time - "just do it the right way the first time" but it's too late for that and im trying to save a penny so if there is any way i can get this to work and have it be solid im gonna try it.

Don't screw around with that stuff. You'll think, "I should've just bought the bar" when the cobbled RE grade 8 bolt job fails and you end up on your lid on the side of the road, or worse off, hitting another car and killing someone. Sell your current bar and get the HD one.
 
besides, re silver stuff sell like flapjacks.
if you afroengineered(you said it, not me!) it will become nothing more then scrap with a grade-8 nut welded onto it.
 
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