Stock track bar measurement anyone?

[mvusse]

The old thread seems to have dropped off the front page, so here's a new one:

 

Can anyone measure their stock track bar length? Either end to end, or preferably center of tie rod end to center of axle end bolt hole.

 

I need to find out what exactly is bent or out of wack causing my front axle to be 3/8" off center.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have a couple in the corner of the garage. I can go measure in the morning. if no one else beats me to it.

 

Can I ask, how did you arrive at the 3/8" measurement? (Guess I just did huh ;) ) Its likely either the vehicle is higher or lower than stock. Higher could obviously be from a lift or if you had recently jacked up the truck and let the suspension "hang". it could just need to settle. OR and my most likely scenario the suspension is or has sagged.

 

CW

[mvusse]

I bought this truck about 6 weeks ago. Looks like stock height to me, no lift. I noticed from the very beginning the ds front wheel seemed to almost stick out of the wheel well. Since my Suburban tracks wider on the front than the rear, I didn't really think about it. Then last week I noticed the ps sits inside the wheel well.

 

So I dropped a plumb bob from 2" outside the top of the fender flare on each side, and measured from the line to the hub center on both sides. 3/4" difference.

 

Just looking at it, it looks like a lot more.

 

I guess when you pay $400 for a truck you know has problems, there will be problems with it you didn't know about.

[CWLONGSHOT]

If you think about the ergonomics of the track bar. You'll find out that as the vehicle is lifted the axle moves to the DS. Conversely to the PS as it is compressed.

 

I don't know about different lengths of TB's in the jeep line as the width of the axle is the same for all that use the D30 solid axle. There are definitely different bends, I think the first change happened with the HO motor in about 91/92. I also know the TJ bar will fit, but is also bent differently. I am unsure if either of these would produce the problem you are experiencing.

 

For this to happen your TB would have to be too short for the height of the vehicle.

 

Just for $#!&s and giggles, what is the height in inches of your front end. Measure from the center of the hub to the edge of the flair directly above it.

 

CW

[92comanche4x4]

mines about 32 end to end hopefully that helps

[Eagle]

I have posted before and I will repeat here -- one boring Saturday morning, the parts guys at the dealership and I pulled out two brand new track bars -- one of the old part number and one of the new part number -- and laid them on the counter, side-by-side. We looked. We measured. We held them together in a variety of positions.

 

We could not find ANY difference between them, other than the part number and the price. I am running a '92 or '92 track bar in my '88 Cherokee. My axle is not off center. If your axle is off center, it's not because someone used the wrong year track bar.

[mvusse]

[mvusse]

I don't think it's the wrong year. I think it might be BENT. If the curved part got bent from an impact, the only way to tell is to lay another one on top, or check the length against a known straight one.

 

Approx measurements don't help much, as the axle is only off 3/8", If I remember correctly, my track bar measures 33" even end to end, or 31 3/16" from center of bolt hole to center of grease fitting. But I don't have any numbers to compare those to.

 

If the bar is correct, it is possible the bracket is bent, or maybe the frame isn't as square as my tape measure told me it is. This vehicle did broadside a deer at 55mph before I bought it,

 

Will go out and measure height in a minute.

[mvusse]

Height from center of hub to lower edge of flare is 17 1/8" on both sides, within 1/16".