any tips on removing track bar?

Well I've been working on my jeep for 3 hours now, and all I've done is remove one bolt. Let's not talk about how great of a mood I'm in. Here's the scoop. First off, whoever designed that damn track bar mount on the frame side can suck off. Not only is it in a crappy spot to get to, it's a tight crappy spot. And as if that wasnt enough, they put a stupid cotter pin in there with a castle nut. AS*HOLES! Well somebody figured it would be fun to pound my cotter pin pretty much all the way in. Far enoough that it's impossible to grab. So I decided to cut it, figuring I could just grab a piece of it then and wiggle it out. Uh, no. Now obviously it can't come out the back side, cause there's a masterfully designed track bar mounting bracket in the way. So here's my question...WTF do I do now? Thank you for your support.

-Keith (soon to be drunk)

Just remove the whole bracket on the frame and on the axle, then take it to your workbench and figure it out standing up. not on your back with no blood at your hands. should only be 4 bolts. think they are all 21 mm. good luck


PeterBuilt

well im sure jeep didnt design the cherokee track bar with the convenience of do-it-yourselfers in mind. i agree with take off the whole shibang and work on it somewhere else

I've always been able to get the cotter pins with the bracket in place, but if yours is so messed up that you can't do that, do as suggested and remove the entire bracket to get better access.

Well I drilled the pin out after i removed the bracket. Now I can't get the stupid nut loose. Should I just cut it off?

put the bracket in a vice and use a breaker bar, thats what i did. Impact with highest setting and PB blaster should pop it right ott

i had a 2' breaker bar, and it came right off.
as far as getting it out after that, well, i hope you have a pickle fork...

i wouldnt cut it off, because then the TRE is useless...
are you upgrading to a HD trackbar? or just an ajustable with annother TRE? an HD will require a new mount anyway...
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35579

I just used the blue tipped wrench. Problem solved. We'll see what sucks next.

there is a long, long road of things that suck next

yeah, I just found out. Got my track bar in, then I realized I didn't put in the heim spacer thingy that goes between the bar and the frame. Couldn't get the bolt out of the frame, and I screwed up the threads trying to do it. My jeep just doesn't understand how close I am to blowing it up. Well I went to the Home Depot to get a new bolt...they don't have it. Only in a grade 2 coarse thread. That's just not gonna do. So now I have no idea where to get a new bolt this weekend.

Lowes

Orchard Supply Hardware and Garden (OSH) has always had a vast selection of grade 5 and 8 hardware whenever i needed something. ACE hardware charges more, but when its only one bolt were talking like what $1.00 ?

also try farm impliment dealers, they usualy stock big, rare, high quality hardware...

thanks guys. you've given me hope. I was so close to driving it into the ocean.

trip to Home depot for bolt for control arm...$2.
trip to home depot for 5/8" drill bit...$15.
trip to home depot for 1/2" drill for above bit...$100.
trip to home depot to replace 15/16th socket broken by crossthreaded track bar bolt and new bolt...$5.
trip to Lowes for track bar bolt that home depot didn't stock...$3.

being able to go wheelin tomorrow...priceless.

thanks for your help guys.

awesome, im glad your entire weekend didnt go down the **** hole.

enjoy the rig... I love the feeling when you have completed a project and can say to yourself:
no one else had to do that, but damnit i figured it out and did it!

go wheel the **** out of it and break something, so you have an excuse to upgrade... (thats what i do)