firewalker

I have been looking at the OTK track bar kit from ruffstuff and I wanted to see if their is anyone out their that has tried it. It comes with the axle side bracket, frame bracket and a straight track bar with heim joint ends. I was thinking of trying to just keep my rubicon track bar and order the axle side bracket and welding it on. Not sure yet if my track bar will fit in the bracket until I talk to the company tomorrow. What do you guys think of a track bar with heim joints. I don't know how a straight track bar would work. Any input.

firewalker

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/PANKIT.html

sandaddik2

Dan is a great guy at Ruffstuff so is Ramsy which is who you'll most likely talk to. Their stuff is good for the price.
A strait track bar is strongest but with 1/4 inch wall tubing its so strong it shouldn't really matter anyways

firewalker

Thanx for the info. I am calling about this tomorrow. I guess it will be fine for road use. I drive it daily. Do heim joints hold up as well as bushings?

sandaddik2

Better than bushings. A bushing is usually rubber or polyurethane which allows for some movement still. A heims is steel/chromoly which allows for no movement and id never put bushings on a track bar again. With heims on the entire steering its like driving a new jeep with no play in the steering wheel

firewalker

I plan on putting heims on the steering some day when it's a trail only rig but I heard that DOT requires TRE on the steering. I may just go with this whole set up and try to sell all my rubicon stuff when I'm done. I could prob get my $$ back for the kit by selling the stuff I got now.

PingPong

What I did was I use some 1.5 tubing and the flex joint from the re trac bar , and a re adjustable upper sontrol am bushing to make mine. I tried selling them for the cost of the joints.. had no takers... so I cut them up.

sandaddik2

Its because supposedly the heims come apart when they wear out which iv personally never seen it happen but I'm not gonna say its impossible. I run washers on both sides of the heim in case it happens its still sorta held together to prevent loss of control. I wouldn't worry about dot. Technically your lift is considered altered suspension and that isn't dot approved...


A RE track bar is the only track bar I've seen collapse. They are built out of .120 wall tubing with bends which are a weak point. A. 250 wall strait track bar won't bend id be willing to bet that tea bracket would break first which would take a lot to do anyways lol.
Just my $.02 based off what iv experienced.

Gee oh Dee

What are you doing for steering, if I may ask....

firewalker

Idk I'm trying to figure that out now. I've made some calls but not sure what to go with yet.

Gee oh Dee

I know Serious Offroad makes a kit, as does JCR if I'm not mistaken.

I have been looking into OTK for awhile, just not very hard.

I like this trac bar bracket though. I will want something very similar when I go to a 3 link.

sandaddik2

Gee oh dee got me thinking about what you want to do with the steering. Imo you should try and do the entire setup at once so you can match the track bar length and angle of the drag link so you don't have bump steer cuz bump steer sucks lol.

firewalker

Here is a link to what looks like a good way to go. They make a axle bracket and some sort of a flex end to fit it. The guy said I would need to cut the end of my track bar and weld their flex joint on to match up with the bracket. http://www.tntcustoms.com/trackbarbracket-axleotk.aspx

What do you think. Good or bad

Gee oh Dee

Cheaper and but doesnt come with the trac bar. Looks beefy tho.