Track bar axle hole wallowed out??

[CarbonXJ]

I just had my steering alignment done and a bad frame side track bar tie rod end (warrantied) replaced at the shop. The new Rough Country track bar; I can't afford the IRO right now, so don't judge. The track bar also hits my stock diff cover under flex, FYI.

Had some nasty wobble on the drive home. I couldn't' take it back as I got stuck in rush hour traffic and the shop closed before i felt the wobble. Since It's just me at home i had to take a video with the camera on the ground, and this is what i found:

https://youtu.be/ADEpS_FTNLI

I thought "wait a second, that cant' be" so i tried the other side and found this:

https://youtu.be/rKGirFsAtpk

That looks like the axle side track bar mount has movement to me. I'm taking it back to the shop first thing in the morning. Question is, is the track bar bad, or the axle mount?

 

[GordoSmasho]

I dont see the bolt moving. Just the bar moving in the mount. Probably bushing or sleeve worn out.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

In the time it took you to post you could have removed that single bolt and checked the bushing and sleeve and hole to see if it was wallowed . Just an idea.

 

[CarbonXJ]

I dont see the bolt moving. Just the bar moving in the mount. Probably bushing or sleeve worn out.

This track bar has probably 700 miles on it. I don't know if it was the offroad shops bad install or the Moog TRE was bad to begin with, but Would the original bad TRE on the frame side caused the axle bushing to degrade that rapidly?

In the time it took you to post you could have removed that single bolt and checked the bushing and sleeve and hole to see if it was wallowed . Just an idea.

I'm in the process of moving, I have a harbor freight screwdriver set and a pair of pliers currently. Not MacGyver-ing that bolt...
Plus I had to get to my 2nd job that I have just to pay for this hobby...I mean vehicle.
Oh the invoices and parts! aperwork

 

[XJLI]

I didn't watch your video, but this is a common problem. Fix? Weld a Gr8 washer over the front of the hole.

 

[GordoSmasho]

The hole is not wallowed. The bushing is bad.

 

[mikerhyne]

With the RC track bar is that bushing sized to use the stock bolt or something larger? It looks like the stock bolt since it is not clean and new.

 

[CarbonXJ]

With the RC track bar is that bushing sized to use the stock bolt or something larger? It looks like the stock bolt since it is not clean and new.

I thought about that last night and went back online to look - the instructions say to use the stock hardware; bolt and nuts. As far as I know the bolt/nut was in good shape to reuse.

I dropped it off at the shop to verify. That bolt is solid. just a couple hundred miles and the bushing is shot though?? that's just sad...
Talked with a RC rep and he had no explanation. Was going to send a new bushing but the system was down so I have to call back; ugh.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Overtightened? I guess, use it while you need to, and then buy something better.

 

[87manche]

I thought about that last night and went back online to look - the instructions say to use the stock hardware; bolt and nuts. As far as I know the bolt/nut was in good shape to reuse.

I dropped it off at the shop to verify. That bolt is solid. just a couple hundred miles and the bushing is shot though?? that's just sad...
Talked with a RC rep and he had no explanation. Was going to send a new bushing but the system was down so I have to call back; ugh.

check the rest of the front end.

death wobble will nuke that bushing in a hurry. The bad trackbar bits may be a symptom, not the cause.