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Trackbar Installation

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Old Jan 6, 2010 | 03:02 PM
  #1  
kitsapfreerider's Avatar
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
Year: 1997
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Engine: 4.0
Default Trackbar Installation

Well my replacement trackbar is in the mail and should be here tomorrow if we don't get another freak blizzard. Well I have a couple of questions for installation. I know how to take the old one out and put a new one in without rust.... I live in the salt belt and need some help. I have soaked both ends for a week now. Can I just cut the unibody end with the cut off wheel? Or will it be to hard to do? I just replaced my Tierod and the unibody end of my drag link. Each connection took me 2 hours, I don't have an air hammer but I did use a BFH and a pickle fork. Is there an easier way to get the nut off when the cotter pin is rusted to the bolt and nut? It's going to be hard to get a drill into that tight spot.

What do I do if the current holes for the trackbar are elongated?

Any advise??? Thanks.
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Old Jan 6, 2010 | 09:35 PM
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
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I have a lot of tools. I was thinking if the holes are elongated I could just weld a large washer if there are any elongated holes. Any problem with this?

Should I jack up the front end? I have enough room to work with out doing that.
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 10:26 PM
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
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Well it arrived despite the 7 inches of snow. I'm installing it tomorrow morning. Anyone anything???? Can it be installed without a floor jack because mine went....well....look at the pic......


Also a good lesson on why jack stands are so important!!! No one was hurt and that was 2.5 ton floor jack with only .75 tons of weight.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 01:23 PM
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
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Well both ends are not moving. I bolts are still frozen. I also broke my 1/2inch 3/8inch conversion for my breaker bar. Does anyone have a tip for removing a rusted cotter pin?
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 02:23 PM
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From: SLC, UT
Year: 1989 2 door
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God we've been helpful for u! Lol have u tryed using heat on the bolts??? As u probably know u shouldn't need a jack for this install!
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 02:44 PM
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I hear ya, man, those cotter pins are a PTA when they're rusted frozen. The best way I found to deal with them was just forcing the nut off with an impact wrench. They're supposed to keep the nut from backing itself off but it won't take the beating of an impact gun and you can just destroy it to remove the nut. Those cotter pins are a dime a dozen.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 02:52 PM
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Year: 1998
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Originally Posted by kitsapfreerider
Well it arrived despite the 7 inches of snow. I'm installing it tomorrow morning. Anyone anything???? Can it be installed without a floor jack because mine went....well....look at the pic......


Also a good lesson on why jack stands are so important!!! No one was hurt and that was 2.5 ton floor jack with only .75 tons of weight.
That looks exactly like the toy floor jack I have sitting on my shelf in the other room!
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 02:57 PM
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From: West Valley
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Thats funny, I did'nt know it was based on a real jack. Oh, by the way, I still dont think that, Your pics either of a toy Jack or a pictue of a Jack I would never trust. The fasteners are a dead giveaway.
Attached Thumbnails Trackbar Installation-001.jpg  

Last edited by Desert Rat; Jan 8, 2010 at 03:10 PM.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 03:03 PM
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You shouldn't need the jack. If the axle is not centered when trying to bolt back up, just have someone turn the wheel one way or the other to line it up.

Did the trackbar come with a new mount? If so just cut the old one off like you said.

And yes, welding washers is the fix for elongated holes. Good Luck!
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Desert Rat
Thats funny, I did'nt know it was based on a real jack.
I thought you were just talking ****. lol!
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by rivercrazy
I thought you were just talking ****. lol!
Although I am prone to the above mentioned, this time I think not.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 03:29 PM
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I used my dremel with a round nose end mill to get that exact same cotter pin out. The vibration of the tool actually broke the rust bond.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 03:39 PM
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
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Broke college student... Yeah the jack was cheap but the stands are not. I do most of my work at work(Marine service and rental shop). We have a nice hydro floor jack and 60gallon AC with impact wrench air hammer.... but because most boats have a hard time driving on 12inches of ice they don't plow the driveway in the winter. Yeah I have been spraying it with PB blaster every hour that I am home. I couldn't find a tip for my torch...did some looking and found one. I'm going to try to heat it up later maybe tonight after I go snowmobiling.

Once I get my new adapter for my breaker bar I'll try that on the unibody side of the trackbar. I took an old screwdriver and pulled away as much rusted cotter pin as I could.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 08:41 PM
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Have you tried the simple act of taking a punch the same diameter or slightly smaller than the cotter pin to drive the pin though the hole. We do this in the shop when the cotter pins break off or are too rusted to pull out of the nut. It this fails then heat the nut red hot and use an air wrench to remove the nut and shear off the pin.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 09:48 PM
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From: Appleton Wisconsin
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There is absolutely no way I can get my air wrench in that tight of a spot.
I don't know i might be able to get a punch in but im most likely going to take the dremel to it then breaker bar. That should be enough to just shear it off. I hope... I tried to remove the bracket to no avail. I'll keep trying.
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