Trac Bar, Heim Steering, Bastard Pack, and HacknTap questions...(long)

ok, i've searched a little in my days and have found a few threads on this stuff but i've still got a few questions i need answering and i this is the easiest way to do it.

1) long story short i had given up on my stock trac bar and ordered an RC adjustable one. i knew it wasn't a real fix but it was really cheap and it gave me what i needed. well it was total crap and after a few phone calls and email they are screwing over what they say is an $8 TRE. so i got fed up with them and built my own. custom brackets axle and frame side made w/ 3/16" and 1/4" steel and 3/4x3/4 blue torch heims at each end of beefy DOM tubing. only been running on it a few days and i've noticed more vibes than usual. probably because of the lack of polyurethane up there but im just wondering who is running and double-heimed trac bar and how they like it.

2) I've also got a custom built DOM and heim steering that im thinking is beginning to feel the effects of abuse. it is just generally feeling loose anymore. i'm noticing some play when turning the wheel at or near a stop. wondering what are some signs of a heim being worn out.

3) my RC AAL sagged big time, what a surprise. im gonna do a bastard pack w/ s-10 or dak pak w/ the RC 2" blocks and comanchee shackles. should give me the desired lift but my delimma is this... the local yard doesnt have any of the older style s-10 packs, only new. so are the new packs worth running and if so what style. i can however get dak paks, but i need to choose between older style and new. open to suggestions there.

4) last but not least, my vibes arent that bad now but im fearing that w/ the added lift from bigger packs i will need an SYE. basically a new woods DS and whatnot is out of the question. im in college so no money, i've already got too many paments and im trying to keep enough dough around to play NCPA paintball, and with nationals coming up in april, i've got lots more expenses. so wondering opinions on hack and tap. need to know what years of DS to look for if it makes a difference.

Background: 99, 4.0 auto, t-case-knew but forgot, 8.25", 4.5" RE Coils, fixed RC lowers, knuckle to knuckle steering, fabbed DOM trac bar, will be bastard packs w/ small block and mj shackles

thanks and will get pics up soon

1) they vib, and are more harsh, its all good

2) dirt wears heims out pretty fast

3) thats alot of lift, the s10 leafs gave my buddy like 4" over stock, so your talking like 7-8"

4) yes you need an sye, vibes or not, IMHO with any amount of lift....
for the sye, go w/ the hack and tap, and a front DS..... some info and a link to a write up
http://jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186995

Im not tryin to be an ass here but
you gotta pick your hobby..

if yoiu dont have the $$$ to build it
just leave it till ya do

teal - i know, i want the rear to be higher but im thinking i'll be taking the block out. i'll just have test different setups.

vegas - i have the money, im just saying i wont be putting hundreds into a woods kit when i can go w/ a hack n tap

and thanks to both of you

so how about the leaf pack. when given the option of newer s10 packs or older or new dakota packs... which one give the happy medium

a_hiatt said:

so how about the leaf pack. when given the option of newer s10 packs or older or new dakota packs... which one give the happy medium

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I used new S10 paks with my xj mains a 2" BDS AAL and RRO 1.5 shackles and it gave me 8".I love the way mine sets and has good flex.I see you are only about 45 miles from me.I live at Pana.

If you go the H&T with a front driveshaft, get spicer part # 211229X from O'Rilies (sp) it was $56. Napa wanted $70. I just did this last week, took me about an hour to put it together. Now I just need to get a rebuild kit for the RE driveshaft. JIM.