midnight92XJ

92 xj 4.5" lift. the old tie rod end on the trackbar was worn out and causing the jeep to wander.

I finally got the parts to replace it and everything went in decent. Still cant get the cotter pin in the top of the frame mount side.

I took the jeep out for a drive and my steering wheel is off center from where it used to be. The alignment is messed up somehow i believe. Heres the kicker tho...My brakes lock up with anything more than feather soft pressure on the pedal.

WTF!?!?

midnight92XJ

anybody have any ideas?

should i pop out the frame mount end of the track bar and re-center the axle back to what it was before i started all this?

what would be causing my brakes to lock up with a little pressure if it hasnt done it in the past. I didnt even mess with any of the brakes.

warthog

Are you using a new cotter pin and the right size. Make sure the hole is lined up. About the brakes that happened to me before i installed the lift and i change out all calipers rotors and pads just to be sure. i dont mess around with brake problems. i think the caliper fixed it
Good luck

Skreed

Your steering wheel is off because your track bar is a different length. Your axle is prob not centered as well. When you put the new rod end in did you make sure the same number of threads are showing past the jam nut? If not you can either try to screw the rod end in or out farther to center the wheel. Or if you think your sure your axle is centered under your truck, you can center your steering wheel very easily using the adjustment sleeve on the drag link.

As for your brakes, unless you mess with something while horsing around with your track bar I don;t see how that can be related. Are all your brakes locking up or just one? It could be a sticking caliper or fugged up shoe.

Oh I'm not sure about the cotter pin, I do know when I replaced my track bar with another stock one the cotter pin was very hard to line up and get in, try using a breaker bar to tighten in down a little more and get that little hole lined up.

midnight92XJ

Its the cotter pin that came with the tie rod. The nut isnt going on far enough to even come close to the hole in the threads.

The brakes, i have no idea. I dont think both calipers and rear drums could have messed up with me messing with the track bar. The E-brake works great now when it didnt even used to hold anything. But now i cant even drive the jeep without the brakes locking up.

Im going to take everything apart tomorrow after work and reset the tie rod end. It looks like the axle is too far to the passenger side. So that would suggest i need to make the bar shorter to pull the axle in on that side correct? I will try to lock the wheel down pointing straight and match the rod end with that. Hopefully that will fix this mess.

midnight92XJ

alright guys. I finally got the tie rod out from the mount with my friends pickle fork. that made life alot easier.

Can someone walk me through how to PROPERLY set the trackbar adjustment step by step. I have never done this before and i have the nieghbor kid turning the wheel to try to center the axle. The toe is way out and im not sure why. I didnt think the trackbar would mess with the alignment at all.

So if someone could please walk me through this for tomorrow after work so i can get it back on the road.

I can do my own alignments so that isnt really an issue. Just setting the trackbar, getting the bolt on with cotter pin and hoping the brakes arent still messed up for some reason.

19558077

i had to go back to fisher auto and swap my spicer end with a moog, cause they drilled the hole for the cotter down too far, and i couldnt get the nut on. it took me like 5 tries to get the wheel lined up. i ended up turning the wheel like 1/8 to 1/4 turn to the left past center then installing the end. cause i would get it lined up, but just a little bit of movement on install was putting it back off center again. so when it "popped" into place it was perfect, instead of a little of center where i had it. hope i explained it well enough

Skreed

The way I do it is by keeping the truck on the ground. Mount the axle side then turn the wheel until you axle looks centered. Then just screw the rod end in or out the proper distance until it lines up with the hole in the frame mount. If your axle was centered before you began then you'll prob just have the return the steering wheel to dead center to get the axle straight. As for the cotter pin im not sure why its not lining up poss do what the above poster said and compare different brand ends and see if one end has a longer stud than the other.

midnight92XJ

....not exactly. I was talking about step by step instructions from threading the rod end into the trackbar and what to do next.

ahenderl

Aim your wheels straight. It is the only way you can get an accurate measurement.

1. Get a ratchet strap. If you don't have one, you need one and you'll have other uses for it anyway. Drink a beer.

2. Attach the trac bar to the frame but leave the axle end loose. Drink a beer.

3. Wrap the strap around your frame where the trac bar attaches and the other end around the tire that is sticking further out. Drink a beer.

4. Tighten the ratchet strap. As you do, it will pull the body toward the center of the axle. Drink a beer.

5. When the body is perfectly centered over the axle, adjust your bar to fit the axle bracket and install the trac bar to the axle. Drink a beer.

6. You will need to adjust the drag ling to get your steering wheel straight. If you drank a beer at each step, I would suggest road testing later.

midnight92XJ

Skreed, I picked up the rod end from a 4wd drive center that is the direct replacement that was on there. I think what i might do is drill a hole above the one on there now before i put it back in just to be sure.

Also something i noticed tonight, is the mount hole on the frame side supposed to be tapered towards the top? What would you think about me possibly filing it out a tad to ge the rod end to fit in a little better.

So when the axle looks centered, bolt in the tie rod then worry about the steering wheel? When i line up the wheel it seems to have the ale more towards the passengers side. But that is with the trackbar not bolted in of course.

midnight92XJ

I like the post step ritual on each!

It seems like when i aim the tires straight ahead its either the axle is WAYY to the passenger side or the toe looks completely off.

I think i am going to just center the axle best i can measuring from inbetween the spring and shock on the frame to the outer most tread on both sides, bolt it in and then redo the alignment.

Hopefully then the brakes will be back to their glory of not working well so i can drive the damn thing. anyone have an explanation on why that might have happened? It just doesnt make sense that the brakes lock up(all of them) and the cable operated E-brake grabs WAY more than it used to after sitting for a day.

Thanks again guys.

draperndt

As far as the brakes go, I would look at the brake lines in the area you were working to see if you may have dented, and pinched any. Also on the track bar, install, compleatly tighten and put cotter pin in frame side before installing axle side. With the axle side of the track bar laying on the ground, it gives you more room to work on the frame side, where you need all the room you can get.

midnight92XJ

i officially give up.

I have tried and tried and tried to get this damn axle centered and the track bar adjusted with the cotter pin in it. I even used a ratchet strap to pull the axle over but dont have enough room to rotate the trackbar around to where it needs to be. So i had to take the entire mount off of the frame since i put the tie rod in for good. So if i want to rotate the trackbar to get it to fit in the axle mount i have to take off the damn frame mount everytime.

Then whenever i think its close i take it for a drive and the damn brakes are locked up.

it cannot be the lines because its even the cable operated e-brake. If someone lives close to concord i will pay you to come fix this stupid *** jeep.

I am done.

Skreed

Maybe you can post a pic of what exactly your having a problem with. With the way I explained it or the way ahenderal explained it either will work. I have used a strap, but I find it easier to let the power steering do the work, esp with your type of adj track bar. I would try the way I explained it this way you only have the rotate the small rod end to adjust it and you will have more room.