iluvmud

I just added some 1" lift spacer to my OME lift bringing it closer to the 3" mark and i was curious about my axle being off centered due to having a stock track bar and i measured and saw that it looks like im off center by about an inch. I'm kinda strapped for cash right now and was wondering what adverse effect this would have on my ride until i can buy an adjustable one?

MUD

XJwonders

I drove with a stock track bar on my 3" lift for almost 9 months before I finally got an adjustable one. You will be fine but save up money to buy one.

iluvmud

Danke

XJwonders

welcome. Have fun with the jeep

jbsjunk

Or drill a hole 3/4" over from the stock one and bolt your bar back in, centered.

El_Guapo

At 3" you can get away with running a track bar relocation bracket until you can (or want to) upgrade to the adjustable track bar.

1) Throw the hardware that comes with it away. Get new grade 8 (or 10.9 if you want to stay metric) bolts with whiz nuts (flanged with "teeth") and hardened washers. A lot of these things come with 12.9 metric bolts, but the bolts tend to be Chinese and brittle.

2) Torque the bolts to spec and pay attention to whether the spec calls for dry or lubed threads. I converted mine to 9/16"-18 grade 8 bolts and they called for a lubed torque of 130 ft/lbs.

3) Check your torque after driving a few miles and again after a week. They do tend to loosen a little as they break in.

You can square it back up for around $30 with this method. Is it ideal? No, but it is functional.

jbsjunk

I've run into bump steer with the relocating bracket on several XJ's.

XJwonders

I wouldn't re drill a new hole.

Cheddarnut

X2. I would just leave it and save up 120 bucks for the trac bar.

XJlimitedx99

X3, don't redrill, you'll be fine for awhile till you can afford an adjustable one.

sandaddik2

The two end points of your track bar have to be at the same angle as the two end points of your drag link, (the bar from your steering box to the tie rod.)
Basically if you removed the drag link and track bar, you should be able to run string across both of those and both strings be at the same angle to prevent bump steer.

Drilling a hold next to the stock hole on the axle bracket for the track bar would change the track bar angle making it not match up with the drag link.

I guess what im saying is dont do it lol.

93_xjcherokee

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the axle on a Cherokee not exactly center to begin with?

El_Guapo

As long as the track bar and drag link are parallel, the method of achieving said geometry shouldn't matter.

That said, most of the brackets I've ever seen are engineered for 3" of lift, no more. On mine we used a Skyjacker bracket and it lined up right off the bat. We string lined it and found less than .0625" of variance in angularity at standstill. I have zero bump steer consequently.

It could be related to the fact that my lift was installed by a millwright and a machinist that are **** about installing everything perfect, but I honestly believe that it is more about the components lining up without issue.

SteveMongr

I have not heard of that.
But the wheelbase is different by 10mm. And there is a small amount of 'cross-caster' in the axle.

iluvmud

drove it on my normal commute to the office (highway avge 50-70mph) hit a few bumps, no death wobble and it seemed to be fine. I will buy an adjustable track bar when i get the funds.

Oh, and there was already an extra hole drilled on the axle side for the track bar, I am not using that hole as it apparently had wallowed out (replacement axle from XJ doner).