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Track Bar Clunk

ZAC

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Salt Lake City
Every time I go wheeling this noise gets worse and worse. It is a clunk coming from the drivers side front end when the weight shifts forward or back. Like when you tap the brakes at low speeds or start out at a light it happens. I can grab a hold of the sway bar from underneath and shift the weight, kind of like bench pressing your jeep, and have it happen. I have disconnected the sway bar and pushed up and pulled down and it still happens.

I have a aftermarket trac bar and when I push up and down on the sway bar with one hand on the track bar hiem joint I can feel it when it happens, like a creak or clunk like the metal is binding up on itself but not bad, just enough to feel the vibration, I sprayed WD-40 and didn't change a thing. have tighened everything mentioned on my searches like control arms, and everything on the trac bar mounting bracket, have pretty much tightend everything I can get a wrench on under there and nothing.

anyone have any suggestions?
 
how old is the heim, any play in the heim itself (bearing)? Check the TB mount, I have heard of the TB mount having stress cracks in it not visible to the eye but has an effect on 'slop'. I might check the control arms too, make sure the bushings arnt shot, etc..1 last think to check would be ball joints.
 
You should check the hole of the axle end trackbar mount. This hole is in some fairly thin stock and can get wallowed out, allowing enough movement to make the kind of sound you describe. A washer welded over the hole took care of it on mine.
 
ZAC said:
Every time I go wheeling this noise gets worse and worse. It is a clunk coming from the drivers side front end when the weight shifts forward or back. Like when you tap the brakes at low speeds or start out at a light it happens. I can grab a hold of the sway bar from underneath and shift the weight, kind of like bench pressing your jeep, and have it happen. I have disconnected the sway bar and pushed up and pulled down and it still happens.

I have a aftermarket trac bar and when I push up and down on the sway bar with one hand on the track bar hiem joint I can feel it when it happens, like a creak or clunk like the metal is binding up on itself but not bad, just enough to feel the vibration, I sprayed WD-40 and didn't change a thing. have tighened everything mentioned on my searches like control arms, and everything on the trac bar mounting bracket, have pretty much tightend everything I can get a wrench on under there and nothing.

anyone have any suggestions?

I had the same thing and, when looking closely, saw a small amount of play in the spherical rod end. I ordered a good quality Aurora teflon encased rod end to replace the cheap one that came with the trac bar
 
kid4lyf said:
I had the same thing and, when looking closely, saw a small amount of play in the spherical rod end. I ordered a good quality Aurora teflon encased rod end to replace the cheap one that came with the trac bar
had the same problem, and did ordered new bolt that fit snug
 
Redcbr007 said:
how old is the heim, any play in the heim itself (bearing)? Check the TB mount, I have heard of the TB mount having stress cracks in it not visible to the eye but has an effect on 'slop'. I might check the control arms too, make sure the bushings arnt shot, etc..1 last think to check would be ball joints.

everything is about a year old. no visible play that I can see in the heim joint. bushings on the control arms look ok too.
 
ZAC said:
everything is about a year old. no visible play that I can see in the heim joint. bushings on the control arms look ok too.

If the heim is OK I would definately check the axle mount bolt hole. It probably is wallowed out.
 
I'm getting movement in mine at the top two bolts on the 'frame' end of the tb. Don't know quite how to fix it, I 'm going to switch back to my rusty's tb and mount for now. Oh yeah, I'm running the RE tb w/stock mount.
 
My tracbar/sway bar has been clunking for awhile now. I've tightened everything, and it has helped significantly, but I still get clunks now and then. I've replaced the axle side tracbar bolt with a regular nut and bolt, because the little stock nut w/ tab that hangs down click on the housing sometimes when you turn. I used a 10mm by about 3" grade 10.9 bolt with a lock nut. Clunking and clickin is now at a minimun of about 1-2 times a week, versus 1-2 everytime I would drive the cherokee.
 
xjblaine said:
I'm getting movement in mine at the top two bolts on the 'frame' end of the tb. Don't know quite how to fix it, I 'm going to switch back to my rusty's tb and mount for now. Oh yeah, I'm running the RE tb w/stock mount.


I have the HD RE track Arm and also ran it for about a week with the stock bracket. Had the same problem ... spent the $$ on the RE mounting Bracket ...tossed the stock bolts for some good 7/16 ones and noise disappeared. It also gives you more travel on the bar as well.


00XJ 4.5 RE superflex, 33 12.50 MTR's , Bushwackers and more
 
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