For those of you running Rusty's tracbar

[alex22]

Oh yea. I forgot to look at this pic first. Would the broken track bar end cause the entire axle to shift out from under the jeep with a bunch of ugly results?

~Alex

 

[ChiXJeff]

The only flaw is that it was a track bar that failed which doesn't affect which way the wheels go, it locates the axle under the vehicle. Basically the track bar goes and now the axle can go whichever way but the wheels will still be controlled by the steering wheel and tie rod etc.

That's not quite true.

The tierod will definitely affect steering. If the entire axle shifts, the endpoint of the tierod stays in the same place (assuming the steering wheel isn't moved.) For example, if the axle shifts to the left, that'll pull the balljoints left, while the tierod stays fixed, and the wheels get pushed to the right.

 

[Ramsey]

You still have some steering but you can go full lock and it wont actually turn very much. Fortunately mine happened on a trail. (broke bolt)

 

[Darky]

That's not quite true.

The tierod will definitely affect steering. If the entire axle shifts, the endpoint of the tierod stays in the same place (assuming the steering wheel isn't moved.) For example, if the axle shifts to the left, that'll pull the balljoints left, while the tierod stays fixed, and the wheels get pushed to the right.

well, I stand corrected...

 

[ChiXJeff]

You still have some steering but you can go full lock and it wont actually turn very much. Fortunately mine happened on a trail. (broke bolt)

I never said you had control...........

 

[DWK]

Just a meaningless little question that I dont think anyone has asked yet.
Do we actually know that the TRE broke and caused the accident, or did it break during the accident?
Did anyone check the other steering and suspension parts to see if one of them may have failed, causing the accident?
Im wondering if he was making a right or left turn when he lost steering. It would almost have to be a right turn to PULL the TE apart. A left turn would mean the TB would be under a compression load, not a tension load. In addition, the right side suspension would be compressed in a left hand turn so the TB wouldnt be over flexed at the time.

Why not my 2 cents. . .
Which way he was turning wouldn't make any difference. But is would be important as to what actually "caused" the accident is if the TRE failed before or during the accident. If there was looseness in steering componants -or- if there was a failed/failing/inadaquate steering stabilizer, the forces generated by a "death wobble" (as indicated by the wheel failure) could probably break the TRE, esp. if it was already weakened by a stress fracture as indicated by the corrosion in the photo.

Had the driver *just* been offroad in a situation that could have caused the TRE to snap? Had the driver ever experienced a "death wobbles" prior to this accident?

While it is remotely possible the TRE failed while the vehicle was being driven, it's much more likely it failed either prior to or during the crash.

 

[Ramsey]

I never said you had control...........

Never said you did? You have very little, some, but not enough.

 

[WheelinJR]

TRE's in trackbars = bad.

I encourage everyone to convert to a double shear lateral mount of some sort instead of the vertical single shear factory design. Something like the RE bracket and bar, and if you're not going to do that, at LEAST run a heim setup like RE's 1600 trackbar

 

[Ramsey]

With safety washers if you go the heim route.

 

[WheelinJR]

With safety washers if you go the heim route.

Not sure what you're referring to by safety washers, but the RE 1600 includes high-misalignment spacers.

 

[djblade311]

TRE's in trackbars = bad.

I encourage everyone to convert to a double shear lateral mount of some sort instead of the vertical single shear factory design. Something like the RE bracket and bar, and if you're not going to do that, at LEAST run a heim setup like RE's 1600 trackbar

even the Rusty's HD double sheer end didnt work to well for me:

and that was only a month old.

 

[DeftwillP]

even the Rusty's HD double sheer end didnt work to well for me:



and that was only a month old.

bent, didn't sheer. That's a plus right?

 

[insanity]

Mine bent to looks like ill begeting a difrent one soon.

 

[Ramsey]

even the Rusty's HD double sheer end didnt work to well for me:

and that was only a month old.

Way too much thread hanging out on that.

 

[ILLXJ]

Way too much thread hanging out on that.

I agree. I've had mine since 03 with no problems. Why would anybody spend the money for a lift, bigger tires, etc. & not go with a HD TB? JIM.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

With safety washers if you go the heim route.

im runnin the Rk setup with a hiem, what are safty washers and what are there purpose?

 

[Ramsey]

Is it in single or double shear? In double its not needed, in single it will keep it from separating completely, if the center of the heim pops out, the safety washer will keep it from falling all the way off.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

Is it in single or double shear? In double its not needed, in single it will keep it from separating completely, if the center of the heim pops out, the safety washer will keep it from falling all the way off.

rk setup is double shear, and thanks on the tech on the safty wahser, i didnt know about them

 

[Wooders]

Way too much thread hanging out on that.

Nope the main problem there is the threaded section is too thin for the application.

Back to the very first pic in this thread that shows the broken TRE - these are the smaller ones used usually on the stock Tie Rod. These are NOT strong enough for a track bar application.

We get sell RHD track bars, and one supplier used to give us ones with this sized TRE and in the one month we sold them we have 5 failures and immediately recalled and replaced them with another trackbar with a larger TRE (same size as the pitman arm TRE) and since then we have not had a single failure.

So the end leason is the 5/8th TRE is NOT safe and I strongly urge ANYONE running that size to upgrade. Oh yeah some of those we had fail were only running 31" tyres.......

 

[Ramsey]

And having so much thread out put even more stress on that small shank.