'99 XJ, 4.5" long arm system, typical double shear trac bar drop bracket, adjustable trac bar has poly bushing on 'frame' end, slopped out heim on axle end... Tired of the clunk...

This may be a dumb question, but I'm trying to determine if a flex joint or heim is actually necessary on one end of a trac bar? Is there really enough axle "rotation" to bind a pair of bushings, be they poly or otherwise? It seems most aftermarket trac bars utilize some sort of flex joint at one end or the other, but I ran across the units from Iron Rock the other day and it appears they use typical poly bushings on both ends, and speak to the fact that their trac bar will not bind in their literature. Anyone have specific feedback to fact/fiction here? I'd LOVE to ditch the heim joint and go with a bushing to get rid of the damn clunk

 

I have the IRO trac bar and love it.

Heims and ball joint style (tie rod end) have travel limitations. With the IRO double shear...Since the bushing rides on a bolt it can travel on an unlimited arc. The only bind will come from other components, not the trac bar.

 

I'm going to a hiem when my bushing wears out in my iro bar but its not going to hurt to have two bushings like the iro bar

 

The axle doesn't move straight up and down, tho, because of the contol arms. Its travels on an arc, a perpendicular arc to the trac bar.

As the axle droops, it moves toward the rear in relation to the vehicle.

Because of this the trac bar must also move slightly backward. This is where bushings can be good as they flex and allow movement.

Heims and ball style joints do as well tho, I guess.

But the iro bar uses control arm bushings, which can be had for really cheap compared to heims and such.

 

Only true if the bolt in the joint is orientated vertically, this is usually only done in a single sheer setup. We run our our joints in double sheer on both the Frame and axle side.

Full bushings, weather they be poly or rubber will wear out decently quick on their own. The track bar sees a lot more force than most other suspension components. Heim joints don't wear out and become too soft and mushy like bushings, instead they start to rattle; the good news is even when a heim starts to rattle your steering will still feel tight unlike when a bushing wears.

We have the best of both worlds. We have decided to offer Currie Johnny joints on both ends of our track bars. These joins are a solid joint like a heim but also include urethane race inserts that will stop any clunking and last longer than a heim. Currie johnny Joints are the original Flex Joint and their quality proves it.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Kris Froehlich

 

I want JJs for my arms. Bought the iro off the shelf tho, so didn't mess with a custom one.

Poly may wear out as your saying, but they are cheap in comparison.

 

Yea, we are switching over to JJs on everything except steering.

 

I am wondering how they know it won't bind, when the binding depends on everything else. Whatever is in there needs some give, and either will provide that. Go for it if that is what you want to try - it won't hurt as long as it fits properly in the bracket.
BTW, Currie Johnny Joints have a great life span in my experience. I put on a Clayton kit in 2007 that has a JJ at the frame side and it was still solid and not clunking when I took it off in 2012. I only got rid of it because I was changing my track bar set up entirely and that joint was not going to work with it.

 

That's IRO for ya. Making vague generalized promises all over their site. My double shear RE track bar had a Johnny on the frame side and bushing on the axle. Held tight for the 9 months I used it. Bushing and Johnny both brand new now the joint is loose and the bushing looks decent. It would bind against the axle mounting bracket at full droop

I'd pick up an RE from seriousoffroad. I really don't like the way IRO advertises or their product claims. Probably decent products but I'm not a fan of the way they do business. I've got a heim panhard now. I've heard rumors that heims aren't legal for street use

 

Their trac bar and frame side bracket are beef, and hold up well. I run one, and have talked to several other who do as well.

But that's all I will endorse, haha. I guess their 3 link long arms are radius arms minus an "upper" on one side, which seems scary to me. Radius arms in general aren't my fav, taking support away isn't making it better in my eyes. Lol