Track bar build for WJ knuckle swap

[yj_evolution]

I have a '98 XJ with ~8" lift that I did the WJ knuckle swap on over a year ago. I moved the axle side track bar mount above the axle, and I'm using a straight piece of 1.5" DOM tubing with heims at both ends. Everything came from RuffStuff (top-notch in my opinion).

It seems to pop and rattle whenever I wheel it, so my question is this: what have other people used to build their track bars? Would Johnny Joints be any better (quieter) or should I build another track bar with a rubber bushing at one end?

Any experience or opinions would be appreciated, I'm tired of people looking at my XJ funny whenever I drive past them on a trail and it pops and clunks. Thanks in advance.

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

quality heims should make enough noise for bystanders to hear...

id start elsewhere... take a look at where your trackbar bracket and steering gear meet the frame for cracks. how do those areas look? fasteners tight?

 

[srb531]

have 6 hiems on my 3 link , never makes a sound . on or off road.

 

[yj_evolution]

I've looked for cracks but everything looks good. I think most of the noise is caused from the track bar rolling back and forth. When it rolls, I think the heim body is tapping the mounts. That's why I was wondering if a rubber bushing on one end would be better, that way it couldn't roll forward and backwards.

It's kinda hard to explain, I'll try to get some pics taken and uploaded.

 

[iluv83vettes]

I have a rubber bushing on the axle side and a heim on the frame side. I did it to absorb a little bit of vibrations from the road. Do you wheel around Victoria?

 

[srb531]

I've looked for cracks but everything looks good. I think most of the noise is caused from the track bar rolling back and forth. When it rolls, I think the heim body is tapping the mounts. That's why I was wondering if a rubber bushing on one end would be better, that way it couldn't roll forward and backwards.

It's kinda hard to explain, I'll try to get some pics taken and uploaded.

put a thick rubber bushing on one side of the heim at each end of the track bar so it cant roll enough to hit metal to metal & see if the noise stops. if it does just leave it in there as a bump stop of sorts.

 

[yj_evolution]

I have a rubber bushing on the axle side and a heim on the frame side. I did it to absorb a little bit of vibrations from the road. Do you wheel around Victoria?

Ehhhhhh, not much around here. There's a creek I wheel in some locally. I usually go to Hidden Falls, I've only been to Canyons once, and I've taken this XJ to CO and Moab once. It's my newest Jeep so it hasn't been out too much yet. Wolf Caves looks like it might be fun, but most of the wheeling is a few hours away from us.

put a thick rubber bushing on one side of the heim at each end of the track bar so it cant roll enough to hit metal to metal & see if the noise stops. if it does just leave it in there as a bump stop of sorts.

That is a simple and awesome idea. Do you know of anywhere to get big rubber washers? Maybe Lowes or a home improvement store? I guess I could cut something out of the sidewall of an old tire.

It twisted the track bar enough the last time that I wheeled it, it broke one of the jam nuts loose.

 

[xcm]

If youve got noisy heims, you can take a peice of 1/4 thick rubber roughly 3"x2"x.25", drill a hole big enough for the misalignment spacer to fit thru it, then when bolting up the heim, include the rubber peice on one side of the joint.... Should cusion the heim body hitting the sides of the mount.

I use this quite a bit on piggyback shock reservoirs. On a shock you dont need that many degrees of misalignment, and it results in the shock body flopping around. But on something like a 3-link, the rubber should be soft enough to deform, yet rough enough to last a while at least. Keep an eye on them, and replace when they start to get destroyed.

 

[xcm]

Looks like you guys above have the same idea, a round bushing would definately look better!

 

[srb531]

put a thick rubber bushing on one side of the heim at each end of the track bar so it cant roll enough to hit metal to metal & see if the noise stops. if it does just leave it in there as a bump stop of sorts.

ive cut rubber washers out of a old piece of radiator hose before, you can even double it so its a little thicker. something a little tougher would be better. probably just buy something made of rubber & cut out what you need. good luck.