I am looking to purchase an adjustable front track bar, I have searched older threads and it’s up in the air, this is my wife’s Jeep, no rock climbing, heavy off-roading etc.., we do light trails only. The cost is roughly 140 and up from what I found. I don’t need overkill just a good reliable track bar. It’s lifted 3.5 with 35’s. I seen the forged rough country being the cheapest cost but has anyone purchased and installed one lately with great results or failures? Cost isn’t a purchasing factor but I don’t want to install one that’s overkill for our needs.

 

I know you mention not offroading or anything, but a good TB is way more about on road driving (most death wobbles are TB related), and is one of the most important components you have. I've been through a few TBs in 6.5 years (Synergy, then Rock Krawler, now MC). I'd get Metalcloak as a first option, Synergy as a second, Teraflex probably as a third. I would not get bogged down in HOW they adjust but what the joints are in each end. Keep in mind you're not going to be adjusting this all the time. Who cares if you have to dismount one end and twist it a couple times vs. being adjustable while installed. Also, if you're replacing yourself, make dang sure you torque those bolts down to 125 ft lbs. and inspect the holes in the bracket while you have the old one off.

 

Yes I don’t want to pay for the convenience of the adjuster, I want a bar that will help with driving and stability, whether it is adjusted while on the Jeep or by removing one end to be adjusted. I have no death wobble or anything, but on uneven roads I notice what feels like shifting of the body/axle, a jerky feeling. Interstate and good roads you could not ask for a better ride. It does appear the Factory bar is flexing a little sitting still while turning left and right, plus the front axle is 5/8” out to the left. Not sure if that would make it handle worse on uneven roads. Thank you for the reply

 

If you have factory ball joints, it's a good thing to check those occasionally as well as they are the 2nd most common issue on the D30/44 axles once bigger tires are added. You can do a simple test with a shovel and a floor jack. Jack up one side so the tire is a few inches off the ground, put the shovel under the tire and step on the handle using leverage to create upward pressure. Look for movement where the knuckle meets the C. You shouldn't see much vertical movement.

 

I feel a positive difference with a trackbar that flexes less, especially on uneven and winding roads. I'd avoid TB's with solid heim joints, and like the shock absorption of rubber. As resharp mentioned, proper torque is absolutely necessary. The steel faces on the inside of the brackets do the holding, clean and take off any burrs, etc.

 

Out of curiosity, which mfg, and which specific components are installed? (Rear raised trackbar bracket? No DL Flip /High Steer / Drop Pitman?) How much actual lift height did you get? And if you have had it aligned, post the specs.

Better to get a big picture view of the situation before indiscriminately throwing parts at it...

 

rough country 3.5 full kit they offer with drop pitman, lower control arm correction brackets etc, I also added a 1" teraflex coil spacer to the front to get rid of the visual rake. I don't remember the exact alignment spec but it was within rough country specs

 

One issue with stability is the way RC designed their lifts to be cheap. They use drop pitman arms and frame drop brackets to flatten out the track bars and steering links. This lowers the roll center of the jeep and increases body roll. This paired with their soft coils and shocks and on-road stability suffers. While the factory track bar is not real robust it is not going to solve the issues with a poorly designed lift.

I would recommend either metal cloak or synergy for the link you are looking for.

 

I like my Teraflex adjustable Monster Track Bar. It uses factory style joints (ie maintenance free), it can be easily adjusted using the adjustment sleeve while still mounted. It wasn't available when I got mine, but I would look at the SteerSmarts XD Yeti series track bar which can also be adjusted while mounted and costs less than the TF. When it comes to steering components for the the JK, Steersmarts is typically at the top of most everyone's list similar to how MetalCloak is at the top for lifts.

Compare the Steersmarts XD Yeti adjustable front track bar to the MetalCloak, and Synergy where they're all at similar prices. The MC and Synergy are fine parts but the Steersmarts is just a much better design overall and becomes a no brainer.

Here's some comparisons pics of the Teraflex, and SteerSmarts XD Yeti to the stock TB.

 

Just to answer your question.

I care! Because the reason you're adjusting the length in the 1st place is because the axle is shifted over to driver's side about 1in with the stock length TB, so you just mount the TB and adjust the sleeve until the axle is perfectly centered and it takes out all the guess work. If you have a choice, easier fine tuning adjustment during install is always preferred over guess at adjustment, install, uninstall, re-adjust, wipe, rinse, repeat. Nobody, re-adjusts their TB once they get it installed. It's all about the ease of adjustment during your initial install.