Anyone have issues with teraflex front track bracket?

[KurtP]

Getting ready to install my lift, and was going over my parts with my local shop and ordering up adjustable track bars.

They said they wont install a front trackbar relocation bracket because, quote, “they always come loose and put the truck into deathwobble. We will only install adjustable track bars in the front.”

I guess what i am curious to know is, has anyone experienced this first hand? Not read about it on the internet, saw it on youtube, heard a guy talking about his brother’s buddy....actually seen it first hand?

Thanks.

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[Wicknalter]

Getting ready to install my lift, and was going over my parts with my local shop and ordering up adjustable track bars.

They said they wont install a front trackbar relocation bracket because, quote, “they always come loose and put the truck into deathwobble. We will only install adjustable track bars in the front.”

I guess what i am curious to know is, has anyone experienced this first hand? Not read about it on the internet, saw it on youtube, heard a guy talking about his brother’s buddy....actually seen it first hand?

Thanks.

Just buy an adjustable trac bar and it’s case closed shouldn’t need a bracket. I’ve yet to see a trac bar that even comes with a bracket for these.
On that note I received a bunk Teraflex trac bar and I’m not happy about it. I’m not the first one either. Company I bought it from won’t deal with it. Told me to contact Teraflex and make them handle. Well if you know anything about Teraflex the cs is a joke. Should have bought the synergy adjustable but it was out of stock.

 

[KurtP]

Just buy an adjustable trac bar and it’s case closed shouldn’t need a bracket. I’ve yet to see a trac bar that even comes with a bracket for these.
On that note I received a bunk Teraflex trac bar and I’m not happy about it. I’m not the first one either. Company I bought it from won’t deal with it. Told me to contact Teraflex and make them handle. Well if you know anything about Teraflex the cs is a joke. Should have bought the synergy adjustable but it was out of stock.

Im going to do brackets and track bars both. I have the teraflex front bracket, but thats all for them.

The rear bracket handles the roll center, the front will prevent bump steer..

 

[Wicknalter]

Im going to do brackets and track bars both. I have the teraflex front bracket, but thats all for them.

The rear bracket handles the roll center, the front will prevent bump steer..

The adjustable track bar will do everything you need listed in the front with the factory brackets. I mean unless your going with a 5” lift brackets aren’t a must.

 

[KurtP]

Ive been talking with a couple builders on this. In talking with them on what my goals are, and I think at 3” over rubicon height, with a drag link flip, the bracket+bar will better prevent bump steer than an adjustable bar alone.

 

[Gren71]

I was told from a couple of members from a local club, as well as some friends, to avoid the brackets. Even in the back because they come loose easily, even when loctite is applied. I didn't ask them to elaborate so I'm not sure exactly sure why.

This flipped drag link thing is new to me though. What's the goal for that maneuver?

 

[KurtP]

I was told from a couple of members from a local club, as well as some friends, to avoid the brackets. Even in the back because they come loose easily, even when loctite is applied. I didn't ask them to elaborate so I'm not sure exactly sure why.

This flipped drag link thing is new to me though. What's the goal for that maneuver?

Yeah im getting opinions all over as well and its a bit confusing. Shop that did my gears and our folks above are anti bracket. AEV uses them in the rear; and another shop i trust uses brackets and says with loctite theyre fine and that none of the jeeps he’s built have had one go loose. Im still trying to find someone who has actually had it happen to their jeep personally.

What im thinking right now: Nothing moves with green locktite. Nothing. Green locktite holds the brake rotors together on motorbikes....the bolts would have to be ground off to remove the bracket in the future. I could install with red, run them for a while to make sure any bolt stretch that is going to occur does so, and then re torque with green. I cant in my head imagine that bracket coming loose at that point; but im still researching. Part of my wonders if people dont re torque the brackets a bit after install, they get loose, and wallow out the holes? Not sure yet.

Without the brackets, the roll center wont be right and the geometry of the track bar to drag link wont be correct, and bump steer gets introduced. On rock crawling trucks it probably doesnt matter much, but on a loaded down vehicle at speed it does.

The drag link flip flips the drag link over to keep the geometry tighter and the steering better.

 

[Wicknalter]

Yeah im getting opinions all over as well and its a bit confusing. Shop that did my gears and our folks above are anti bracket. AEV uses them in the rear; and another shop i trust uses brackets and says with loctite theyre fine and that none of the jeeps he’s built have had one go loose. Im still trying to find someone who has actually had it happen to their jeep personally.

What im thinking right now: Nothing moves with green locktite. Nothing. Green locktite holds the brake rotors together on motorbikes....the bolts would have to be ground off to remove the bracket in the future. I could install with red, run them for a while to make sure any bolt stretch that is going to occur does so, and then re torque with green. I cant in my head imagine that bracket coming loose at that point; but im still researching. Part of my wonders if people dont re torque the brackets a bit after install, they get loose, and wallow out the holes? Not sure yet.

Without the brackets, the roll center wont be right and the geometry of the track bar to drag link wont be correct, and bump steer gets introduced. On rock crawling trucks it probably doesnt matter much, but on a loaded down vehicle at speed it does.

The drag link flip flips the drag link over to keep the geometry tighter and the steering better.

35’s and 2.5” lift and your past the Rubicon’s by 3”. I’m having zero bump steer with my lift and tire set up. Just buy a quality lift like the aev 2.5” dual sport and your golden. The aev comes with geometry correction brackets which in itself is what completes the ride of the lift. Add a beefier steering stabilizer. My axles are square and the ride is right. Don’t over analyze it your not going 5” into the air. Going to spend money you don’t need to.
Unless your rock crawling everyday everything you listed is over kill. Don’t fall in the rabbit hole or let them sell you an extra $1000 of stuff you don’t need. Im here to help with real world experiences that I’m currently having. I wheel mine a few times a month with zero issues.

 

[Gren71]

The drag link flip flips the drag link over to keep the geometry tighter and the steering better.

Heh, interesting..ya think it’s worth it for smaller lifts? Haven’t done any searching but this seems like an interesting project.


As for the green loctite...call me crazy but i dont like to do things to my truck that i cant undo if they’re wrong or break with use. I get that brackets will work but why not just get the adjustable bars that will also work, and can be changed if needed? The cost may be higher but if ive learned anything with jeeps its that one should pay for quality and not convenience, if you even have to spend money at all.

 

[KurtP]

Heh, interesting..ya think it’s worth it for smaller lifts? Haven’t done any searching but this seems like an interesting project.


As for the green loctite...call me crazy but i dont like to do things to my truck that i cant undo if they’re wrong or break with use. I get that brackets will work but why not just get the adjustable bars that will also work, and can be changed if needed? The cost may be higher but if ive learned anything with jeeps its that one should pay for quality and not convenience, if you even have to spend money at all.

I can grind a bolt off.

The parts do different things. I'll be in for adjustable track bars either way to center the axle and the cost of the relocation brackets is negligible. I think I'm less than $200 total for both front and rear brackets. Is it "needed"? no....technically the control arms weren't either, but they do help articulation. The brackets aren't needed, but the more you can reduce the angle of the track bars and drag link, the better the truck will drive.

I realize what I'm doing is chasing the last 1/10 of handling dynamics. I guess I'm trying to figure out where the "track bar brackets always fall off" is coming from.....

 

[DOOKEY]

The brackets do come loose because they are bolted into place. If you weld the bracket in place it won't come loose.

Same thing always happened in the rear of TJ's with the bolt on brackets. They come loose. There is a bunch of force put on that setup. Even more so in the front since the track bar provides the necessary force to turn against.

If you add a track bar bracket up front you have to adjust the drag link up as well. Or you are are creating the bump steer issue. I agree with the others stating don't use the bracket unless you plan to cut and weld the new bracket in place. Providing you'll align the drag link after.

 

[KurtP]

The brackets do come loose because they are bolted into place. If you weld the bracket in place it won't come loose.

Same thing always happened in the rear of TJ's with the bolt on brackets. They come loose. There is a bunch of force put on that setup. Even more so in the front since the track bar provides the necessary force to turn against.

If you add a track bar bracket up front you have to adjust the drag link up as well. Or you are are creating the bump steer issue. I agree with the others stating don't use the bracket unless you plan to cut and weld the new bracket in place. Providing you'll align the drag link after.

On the track bar brackets youve had come loose, how were the bolts locked into place? Was it the nut backing off or bolt stretch?

 

[DOOKEY]

On the track bar brackets youve had come loose, how were the bolts locked into place? Was it the nut backing off or bolt stretch?

Sometimes the bolt was completely fine. The bracket just starts working back and forth until the bolt wallers out the hole. Sometimes the bolt hole stays completely normal and the bracket just rotates back and forth around the bolt.

If your desire is to move the track bar bracket you should cut the stock bracket off and weld a heavy duty bracket back in its place with the bolt hole where you want it. If the bolt on bracket comes loose you can't steer. And steering is #2 most important function on your vehicle after stopping.

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