I am at a loss. I am trying to decide wether I should proceed with my upgrade or not.
I am installing smart steer Yeti HD trac bar.
This is what is under my JK and I don’t know what it is???



what is this lower bracket? I bought this Jeep last week I am in the process of installing Yeti HD trac bar but this has stumped me. I plan on a new drag link and to flip it

should I continue with the install or take the lower bracket off?

 

You have a drop pitman arm paired with a lowered track bar bracket. This is a very poor combination to achieve a "high steer" set up. The much better way to achieve this is to flip the drag link to the top of the knuckle and then use a raised TB bracket on the axle side. This would require you to remove the drop pitman are and go back to a factory one and remove the TB drop bracket at the frame side. I'm guessing you have a 3.5"+ lift on that, and a Rouch Country lift at that? (they are known for drop pitmans and lowered brackets)

 

Yes it for sure has a drop pitman, I will do as you suggested. Remove the drop pitman, eliminate the bracket for TB and go with the upper holes in the bracket and order the raised TB bracket from smart steer. I will eventually order the no drill drag link flip.

can I get by for a while without the drag link?

 

Just to reiterate, keep the TB and DL running parallel. You can remove the drop pitman and the track bar drop bracket and be fine for a little bit. Your steering angles will be a bit sharper than desired but not the end of the world, and I think I'd still prefer than vs. the drop brackets currently on there. You might experience a slight bit of bumpsteer when hitting a big bump or pothole but driveability should still remain fine. When you can, add a raised TB bracket on the axle and a drag link you can flip.....the yeti no-drill if that is your preference. You might take a look at Metalcloaks products to compare. Their TB and DL are both nice units. Drilling the knuckle for a flip isn't that big of a deal if that is what you're worried about and hence wanting the "no-drill" option.

I know it's not what you'll want to hear, but that RC kit is probably one of the most dogged kits on the market. Does that axle have cam bolts in the lower control arm brackets? It looks like the control arms are factory. You likely have really low caster which isn't helping the driving experience much (assuming that lift is high enough for a high-steer kit and rocking factory control arms with no caster adjustability outside of potential cam bolts).

The dual stabilizer isn't helping much either. I realize you didn't do all this so just mentioning it.

 

Yes I know the RC is not optimal that’s why I am slowly replacing parts as I can.
So I plan on doing the stock pitman (if I can find one) and loosing the drop TB bracket. I have new Yeti HD track bar on the way. I also have a TB axel bracket for when I do get top mount DL. I won’t install yeti tb bracket until I have the drag link in hand.

so with all that said it sounds like from what you mentioned I need to go with a control arm (recommendation) and have the caster angle set. I figure it is out of spec.

 

How high is the current lift and what size tires are you running. Most of the time these things are just lifted way higher than necessary and though people might think it looks cool, it really just compounds issues keeping nice manners on the pavement. Often a nice 2.5" lift compliments 35" tires really well. 3.5" lifts are pretty aggressive, and 4"+ is kinda silly. Keep in mind that a nice 2.5" lift from someone like Metalcloak will usually net more actual lift. So, I just say that cuz depending on what you do or don't do, buying control arms may or may not make sense, or maybe you can get by with just 2 arms instead of 4, or if you don't do aggressive wheelin maybe control arm brackets are a cheaper and better option for caster correction. There are always a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Either way, caster should be corrected with anything over a 2" lift really. It makes a huge difference in pavement manners. If you have 3.5" of actual lift, which I presume you do since you have a high steer kit, and you want to keep it that way, then you are most likely looking at 4 front control arms. I'd focus on something that uses a bushing in the joints like Metalcloak or Synergy. You can certainly find cheaper out there.....one of those things you get what you pay for IMO. I personally would not pay a premium for Synergy's "adjust while installed" double-barrel system but that is just me but the bushings they use a nice, similar to MC.

 

Thank you for taking the time for this mess I have. As I have said I didn’t do the original lift and unsure of what exact lift I have. It has 35-12.5-17 on it for shoes and probably could run 37’s. Not going there! I guess it’s time to yank all of it. I appreciate your help

 

As Resharp mentioned, check for cam bolts before you throw new arms on. Not a big deal, just an added step to do something with the holes. (if they are installed, Caster could actually be in spec now)

And I'm glad you posted pics of the trackbar lowering bracket. We've known that the old RC kits included them, but I had never actually seen one installed up front...

 

[QUOTE=Mat280;4393628] I guess it’s time to yank all of it./QUOTE]

Sometimes it is simply better to start over. It typically is easier and at the need of the day can often cost less, both in headaches, time, and money thrown at it.....and is usually the end result anyhow. The jeep ain't gonna blow up or anything but I presume you were having a less than desirable driving experience and then went seeking solutions. This Metalcloak kit is actually a nice start, paired with a track bar ~$1200-1300. Would fit your tires nice, likely give you 3" lift, and also remove the need for additional high steer kit. The 2 control arms in the kit would also allow for caster adjustment.

Unrelated, ball joints are a big problem for our JKs with larger tires. That is something to keep in mind as well. Testing ball joints every oil change is not a bad idea.

 

Ok so I removed the old RC TB drop bracket and installed the TB axle bracket from steer smart. I installed the Yeti HD TB. I took a test drive a short distance down the road and thought the tires were gonna fall off it shook like a washing machine out of balance.
Lesson learned the Drag link and the new TB look very much like they are parallel and yes I center the axle