eastsideauto
Full Access Member
With a lift is it better to get a drop bracket for the track bar or get an adjustable track bar or both?
Track bar??????
- Thread starter eastsideauto
- Start date
Do you have a drop pitman arm? As far as I understand it the track bar and drag link need to be at the same angle to avoid bump steer. I built a drop plate for my stock bracket that is the same amount of drop as my drop pitman arm.
Using an adjustable arm along with it would help get the axle 100% centered.
Using an adjustable arm along with it would help get the axle 100% centered.
eastsideauto
Full Access Member
No drop pitman arm. I hit 2 deer on the way to work Friday morning and one of them bent the crap out of the stock track bar. Now that the insurance co is gonna pay me to fix it I wanna do it right(the way I should have done it to begin with).
So
1. Adjustable track bar with drop pitman arm
2. Adjustable track bar with drop bracket
3. Adjustable track bar with drop bracket and drop pitman arm
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
So
1. Adjustable track bar with drop pitman arm
2. Adjustable track bar with drop bracket
3. Adjustable track bar with drop bracket and drop pitman arm
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
^ THis. You may have to adjust your track bar bracket height. Get an angle finder and make sure the angles of track bar and drag link match. Then adjust the track bar length until axle is centered under the frame.
X2
eastsideauto
Full Access Member
Thanks guys
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
LCAM-01XA
Full Access Member
Generally yes, if you lift a truck you get both a drop pitman arm and a drop tracbar bracket. Adjustable trac bar will help keep the axle where it wants to be when suspension is loaded, instead of pushing it to one side, but that could be handled thru the drop bracket as well.
Thing is tho, factory geometry kinda blows to begin with. For best driving experience you want both the drag link and the tracbar to be as horizontal as possible at normal ride height. With the factory ride height that's nearly impossible, but with a lifter truck you should now have enough space to do a crossover steering setup. This is when the drag link goes straight to the passenger-side steering knuckle of the axle, said knuckle then steers the driver-side one via the factory tie-rods. You will need a special aftermarket steering arm that bolts on top of the passenger-side knuckle, kingpin D60s are a piece of cake in that department but IIRC there is at least one arm available for ball-joint axles like yours as well. Then when you're done with the steering you remount the tracbar so it also stays horizontal - I seem to recall seeing mounts that are integrated into the passenger-side plate that holds the leaf spring to the axle, this puts the trac bar end above the spring which is where the drag link runs as well (only obviously on the front side of the axle).
Thing is tho, factory geometry kinda blows to begin with. For best driving experience you want both the drag link and the tracbar to be as horizontal as possible at normal ride height. With the factory ride height that's nearly impossible, but with a lifter truck you should now have enough space to do a crossover steering setup. This is when the drag link goes straight to the passenger-side steering knuckle of the axle, said knuckle then steers the driver-side one via the factory tie-rods. You will need a special aftermarket steering arm that bolts on top of the passenger-side knuckle, kingpin D60s are a piece of cake in that department but IIRC there is at least one arm available for ball-joint axles like yours as well. Then when you're done with the steering you remount the tracbar so it also stays horizontal - I seem to recall seeing mounts that are integrated into the passenger-side plate that holds the leaf spring to the axle, this puts the trac bar end above the spring which is where the drag link runs as well (only obviously on the front side of the axle).
IIRC the F-Superdutys have a trackbar mount that goes from the passenger leaf spring plate...the other end is on the left side of the engine cross member. I was looking at adapting this to my truck but not 100% sure about pinion clearance.
LCAM-01XA
Full Access Member
Unfortunately this is not the case - F-Superduty track bar has it own mount on the front axle, it does not use the passenger-side spring plate. If it only did... But it doesn't. You are however correct that the bar is longer and its bracket hangs off the driver side of the engine crossmember, the closer the bar is in length to the drag link the better the suspension/steering will work. That's why on the '99-up trucks the track bar reaches all the way over to the driver-side frame rail, IIRC it mounts there pretty much right behind the pitman arm (which also requires it to be moved to the front of the axle so that it can clear the diff housing).
Coincidentally, I was able to verify that older F-Superduties do in fact have reinforced shock towers in the 2-bolt mounting style that your truck uses.
I did locate a set, just need to go grab them. You can definitely see the difference in strength and reinforcement. I have a long term plan to fabricate a longer track-bar and mounts similar to the Super-duty style...just need to finish a few other things first.
