DeepSky

Hey guys, I'll paraphrase the series of events that led to this:









On my way to work this morning I hit a dip in the road while turning left fairly hard (but no harder then I've done several times in the past) to make it through a yellow light. I immediately noticed my steering wheel was 35 degrees off center from the bounce.

When I got home from work today I re-centered my steering wheel, and drove 4 miles to the grocery store. While on the road I noticed the steering was still a bit off, in the other direction. While my wife was in the store I adjusted the track bar a bit more to compensate. When we left the store I went to make a hard right and noticed my wheel was barely turning.

I got out and looked and saw that my steering stabilizer was hitting the track bar/tie rod bracket. I drove home carefully and took another look and saw what had happened in the pic.

Advice?

possumface

looks like that bracket that holds the whole shaaabam together broke a weld and bent down somewhat causing the top to spring up, im guessing a ugly guy with a welding rod could fix it , and bring a big hammer or something to pry that bracket back into shape on the axle tube

DeepSky

Hrm...well there is a few guys in my club who can weld really well. My only concern is the possibility that there are other components that got F'ed up. For example, even though their only 40-50 bucks I already know I'm going to need a new steering stabilizer, I bled out a hell of a lot of the fluid in it when I made the tight right turn.

I'm debating whether or not to take it to the dealer, as all of it should be under warranty and I wouldn't have to pay for any additional parts.

JeepPilot88

Take it to your dealer

DeepSky

The dealer installed the whole lift, so it's under warranty. I'm thinking let them pay for it more and more.

defkon

That is not something that should brake and on road driving as well. I also agree that it should go to the dealer.

DeepSky

Update:

Well, I tried to drive it to the dealer and 1/4 mile from my house at 30 MPH the bracket completely breaks off and I finally got to experience death wobble (yay!). Anyway I had it towed to the dealership.

They try telling me it won't be covered under warranty because I installed a lift, to which I replied to them that they will be covering it under warranty because when I bought the Jeep they told me that all the aftermarket dealer add-ons are covered under 3yr/36k. Apparently the service department wasn't even aware that the salesmen were putting lifts on their Jeeps and selling them with warranty's.

They quoted me 1800, so I figure they are going to replace the entire axle assembly. If and when they do this does anyone have any ideas on how I can prevent it from happening again?

aldaman

You could either weld on reinforcement gussets to the track bar bracket, purchase a better designed track bar bracket..(see post below I found from an old thread) & lastly, you could just purchase an adjustable front track bar (& do away with the aftermarket track bar relocation bracket)...

DeepSky

Thank you, that was incredibly helpful

I know it is ultimately up to me, but what would you do in my situation? Would the adjustable track bar be the quickest/easiest and most cost effective solution?

aldaman

IMO, I would opt for the adjustable track bar....Less add-ons/modification to the existing factory track bar mount . It's lot beefier than the stock track bar & if you ever decide to go for a higher lift you wouldnt have to upgrade the adjustable trackbar