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Blowing through track bar heims

831_xj said:
Rs heims suck. Mine had play and were squawking first run out on a fresh set for the TB
Click to expand...

Seems to be a common theme with RC and RS. RS has lots of bomber fab stuff, but I don't trust their joints for shit. I picked up their 1-tonne steering kit, and both the draglink TRE's blew up in about a week. They replaced them, but the new ones I got were both different from each other, and one was loose in the socket after 1 day of wheeling. Then both the tie rod TRE's started to give out as well. RS sent me a whole new set, but these were different again, and 2 out of 4 were loose again inside 2 weeks. Gave up on them and picked up some off the shelf Moog Chevy 1tonne TRE's for the draglink, and Dodge 1tonne for the tie rod, and haven't had a problem since (two years of severe abuse).
I've also gone through 4 or 5 of their heims on my track bar. Now I'm running their 7/8 heims and they're holding up, but my trust in their joints is gone.

Same goes with RC. Their pure metal solids are fine. Their long arm kit is pure beef and has held up to everything I've thrown at. I lucked out I guess and got a good set of joints from them, as I've still never had a problem, but nearly everyone else complains that their x-flex joints blow out after a few minutes of abuse. They sent me 4 brand new sets of leafs, but every one of them blew out bushings in under a week, and none gave me the advertised lift/spring-rate. Again, gave up and threw on some el-cheapo 63" procomp chevy 3.5" lift leafs, and no problems all season. Also blew through 3 full sets of their N2.2's and N2.0's. Not one survived more than a month.
Despite their terrible leafs, shocks and overall shitty QC, the stuff that can't really **** up (like their bumpers) are bomb proof.

At this point, I only buy joints from Amazon, cause warranty.
 
Bronzewyrm said:
I run a jcr otk 1ton setup and the RS panhard. I have a pass drop 3link on 4.5" of lift.

My track bar frame side mount is stout, I had to deal with that not too long after install. Funny thing to me is that I run the exact same joint for the axle side Upper link. And have never had an issue there. I cant imagine the panhard having more force on it than the upper in my 3link. regardless ive been through 2 sets for the panhard. that leads me to your post, the lowers and the body side upper mount for my 3 link stuff all run the ballistic 2.63 joints, and I have upgraded to poly inners there. Would this be enough to take the force, and relive the heim joint on the upper? If so, id look into a poly body side bushing for the panhard. BUT, I have a 3link, I in no way want to mess with the flex of it as I have worked long and hard to get everything all dialed in, working properly, and everything bottoms out at the same time up front.

Jonny joints were my original thought, but I'm having a hell of a time finding a 2" with 3/4 thread, and a 9/16" bolt...

Thanks for the speedy replies fellas!
Bronze.
Click to expand...

The upper link(s) doesn't take much loading really. The LCA's take a large majority of the forces. Heim longevity is greatly improved with a bushing in this application as well.

If you think about the track bar in terms of holding the heavy front section of the chassis square to the axle at all times (not the other way around), it's easy to see that it can see substantial stresses. Under compressor and rebound, the bar is suddenly forcing the chassis to either side. This is one of the reasons why a flat horizontal track bar is ideal, but a rare find on an XJ due to the steering geometry and packaging.
 
Boostwerks.com said:
The upper link(s) doesn't take much loading really. The LCA's take a large majority of the forces. Heim longevity is greatly improved with a bushing in this application as well.

If you think about the track bar in terms of holding the heavy front section of the chassis square to the axle at all times (not the other way around), it's easy to see that it can see substantial stresses. Under compressor and rebound, the bar is suddenly forcing the chassis to either side. This is one of the reasons why a flat horizontal track bar is ideal, but a rare find on an XJ due to the steering geometry and packaging.
Click to expand...


makes total since.

Boostwerks.com said:
There's a reason why most MFG's have a bushing on at least one end of the track bar. Not sure if this pertains to your case or not.

I had 2 7/8" x 3/4" ball heim joints go dead in no time. I cut the chassis side off and replaced it with a poly bushing... no more issues.
Click to expand...


Did you loose any droop? if I seen right in your build thread your 4 link up front? should be close to the same track bar geometry, curious. I'm running the 7/8 X 3/4" joints as well

Bronze
 
run FK heims.

I have been running Heims in both ends of my trackbar for about 5 years now. 3 of them were daily driven.

I went through ruffstuff heims about once every 8-10 months. once I switched over to FK heims about a year and a half ago I haven't had to worry. the injection molded heims (RS) just aren't as good.

you should also be running 7/8"x7/8" heims. they have a larger shank, therefore more surface area on the ball and they wear slower.
 
gotcha.

I cant find an obvious difference between the JMX series and the RSMX. I can get the RSMX with a ptfe liner, I wouldn't have to get new misalignment's if I go this route.

Are the JMX's Just stronger? Its not to big of a deal to grab new RS spacers as I want a "the cure" anyways.

Thanks again guys!
Bronze.
 
get the FK misalignment spacers. don't use the Ruffstuff ones.

they are not machined the same and the RS ones will have a lip that will ruin the liner as it misaligns.
 
rockclimber said:
get the FK misalignment spacers. don't use the Ruffstuff ones.

they are not machined the same and the RS ones will have a lip that will ruin the liner as it misaligns.
Click to expand...

Yeah I had that in mind. I'm probably going to have to grind down that edge a bit for the RS ones. FK does not sell a 3/4 to 9/16" spacer. RS sells 7/8 and 3/4 to 9/16". I'm trying (I don't mind cutting, drilling, making new bar, etc...if I have to) to use the stuff I have in there already as much as possible. there 2" wide brackets axle and body side, with 9/16" holes. 1.5" x .250 DOM, 7/8 x 3/4 heims on the panhard with 7/8"-14 thread.

I don't mind modifying things, just trying to avoid it via research.

Bronze.
 
Had no idea on the misalignments. I run ruffstuff misalignments with fk heims on the the trackbar and one side of the upper link. Need to maybe order some
 
blondejoncherokee said:
Had no idea on the misalignments. I run ruffstuff misalignments with fk heims on the the trackbar and one side of the upper link. Need to maybe order some
Click to expand...

I guess it would depending on how much lateral movement you have with your joints in your setup.
YOu could always make quick work of grinding them down. Or wait till you replace your heims. Which I know you will at some point.
 
blondejoncherokee said:
Had no idea on the misalignments. I run ruffstuff misalignments with fk heims on the the trackbar and one side of the upper link. Need to maybe order some
Click to expand...

I didn't realize it until I assembled my FK heims with the ruffstuff spacers and bolted it in the mount.

once it was tight the raised edge was clearly visible.

so I ordered the right ones and swapped them.

I thought about shaving them down, but I don't have a precision way of doing it, and I figured if I overdid it a divot could be just as bad
 
19 Yrs. on greasible heims... in the control arms & upper T-bar mount...
I beat the crappy lined ones out in 6 mons. switched to a greasible Aurora and have been happy... I usually get about 3 yrs. out of a set... at about that point they start to get loose & a shot of grease will help, but I know the time is near. I live in the desert maybe for the mud guys it might not work ???
Some like them some don't... I've seen several cheap ones fail & 1 good one fail in say 30 sets in a Class 8 car at race speed in Barstow.
I ran one set of FK heims they were fine as well, but Aurora will always be my choice... On most of the sets I also ran Seals- It cups on ea. side of ea. heim.

Buy a crappy $25 heim & it'll disappoint you...

IF !! you want a heim then take a serious look at Aurora... even if you don't want it greasible... 2nd. choice would be FK.

Curt
 
Last edited:
All the heims I've been using are from RuffStuff, which are supposed to be pretty bomb proof. I suspect that, as others have said, heims on both ends of the track bar is just a bad idea, especially if you can't get the bar dead level at ride height, and/or you wheel in the mud. I have both issues, plus I wheel in the rocks a lot in my very heavy XJ. Suspect it's just too much for the heims, with zero cushion/give in either end.

I cut off the heim (from the threaded portion) the other night and fabbed up a quick and dirty poly/rubber bushing for one end. Worked fine, but I didn't have any tube the right size for my fairly hard poly bushings, so I just used an old RE upper control arm bushing. Turns out it's too thick and soft and my steering response took a BIG hit. I'm so used to the steering being like a race car, so with the big 2" rubber, it just feels way too sloppy. Going to rework it tonight with a 1.5" super hard poly insert and see how it goes. I feel like having a small amount of squish on one end of the track bar is probably necessary.
 
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