Is there a ‘Best’ adjustable track bar?

[stino]

The general consensus would likely be that Steer Smart is the best option, but for the price I'm really happy with my JKS Track bar. Steer Smart is overkill for anything I'd ever need.

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[RubenZ]

There is some truth to over engineering and I feel the Steersmarts is way over engineered than it needs to be. I'm very happy with my Rock Krawler Front and years. The only complain I have and it could be just specific to my jeep but HOLY SHIT was it hard to get the Front Axle side joint in between the bracket.

 

[2Wheel-Lee]

There is some truth to over engineering and I feel the Steersmarts is way over engineered than it needs to be. I'm very happy with my Rock Krawler Front and years. The only complain I have and it could be just specific to my jeep but HOLY SHIT was it hard to get the Front Axle side joint in between the bracket.

Over engineered for a mall crawler or a Florida beach cruiser, but it was designed for offroad use where you can't over engineer parts.

 

[Pic18]

There is some truth to over engineering and I feel the Steersmarts is way over engineered than it needs to be. I'm very happy with my Rock Krawler Front and years. The only complain I have and it could be just specific to my jeep but HOLY SHIT was it hard to get the Front Axle side joint in between the bracket.

I ended up going with the Rock Krawler too. I hope I never need to retorque a jam nut again. I was thinking the adjustability of the Steer smart seemed worth the extra money as I was dealing with the jam nuts.

 

[RubenZ]

Over engineered for a mall crawler or a Florida beach cruiser, but it was designed for offroad use where you can't over engineer parts.

By Over strengthening one component you transfer the energy and weakness to something else. So yes even in an offload application you can over engineer something.

 

[RubenZ]

I ended up going with the Rock Krawler too. I hope I never need to retorque a jam nut again. I was thinking the adjustability of the Steer smart seemed worth the extra money as I was dealing with the jam nuts.

What was so hard about it? If you ever need to adjust it, you just loosen the axle side (1 bolt) and give it a few turns and re-torque it back. Rarely and I mean rarely does one need to be re-adjusting a track bar over and over.

 

[2Wheel-Lee]

By Over strengthening one component you transfer the energy and weakness to something else. So yes even in an offload application you can over engineer something.

Considering the "standard" level of engineering in the stock components, and their performance reputation, having an "over engineered" track bar is well worth it.

 

[sandor.g]

Rock Krawler, Steer Smarts, and Teraflex all make great options at similar price points. You can save some money with our forum discount code on any of these. The code is JLWF.

https://www.rivercityoffroad.com/SSS75040001-p/sss75040001.htm

https://www.rivercityoffroad.com/1753420-p/ter1753420.htm

https://www.rivercityoffroad.com/product-p/rk06187.htm

Marcus

Hey Marcus!
I’m torn between the Steer Smarts and the Rock Krawler bars.
The SS is easier to adjust once installed and may require less in and outs to center the front, but the spherical design of the RK is also very convincing...
What is your preference/recommendation?

 

[River City Offroad]

Howdy!

Both have their points, but I'm a fan of the strength and simplicity of the RK track bar. Jam nuts are really no big deal if you have a good torque wrench and a crows foot. The Steer Smarts is big but thats not necessarily a good thing.

The Synergy is another good option that will allow adjustment without a jam nut or removal from the vehicle.

https://www.rivercityoffroad.com/8875-01-p/8875-01.htm

Feel free to call or PM me here if you'd like!

Thanks!

Marcus

 

[wibornz]

I am a fan of Steer Smart because of this Youtube video. They are also what my shop uses on their personal builds.

 

[sandor.g]

Howdy!

Both have their points, but I'm a fan of the strength and simplicity of the RK track bar. Jam nuts are really no big deal if you have a good torque wrench and a crows foot. The Steer Smarts is big but thats not necessarily a good thing.

The Synergy is another good option that will allow adjustment without a jam nut or removal from the vehicle.

https://www.rivercityoffroad.com/8875-01-p/8875-01.htm

Feel free to call or PM me here if you'd like!

Thanks!

Marcus

Hi Marcus! reading the comments and your answer I just placed an order for the RK with you guys this morning.
Looking forward to install it. I'll do the Mopar kit w/ the RK perches and the RK track bar and hopefully there will be no bow and my front end will be properly centered.
Thanks again!
Half of our family lives 10 mins from Dripping Springs so I might even stop by next time we visit Austin.

 

[TRZ]

Keep in mind that the track bar wants to twist when flexing the front wheels. It is a slight movement but I like the way the krawler joint lets the axle move freely, and doesn’t put any stress on the bracket. Now I realize the after market track bars work just fine, but for me personally, I like the freedom rk gives the axle. And as @River City Offroad has mentioned, the jam nut is not a big deal with the right tools. You won’t have to ever change it once it’s set unless you change height of lift, and that’s not something people do that often. Here’s pic of what I’m trying to explain....

TeraFlex’s IR solution offers similar freedom (which I like for high-articulation rock crawling) with special bushings instead of heim joints. Bushings dampen vibration better than heims, but I come from Grand Cherokees with their vibration-magnifying subframe construction, so may not be as big a deal with the body-on-frame Wrangler.

Then again, TeraFlex’s IR bushings are new and unproven, so I might be regretting my TeraFlex decision in a couple years

 

[sandor.g]

Keep in mind that the track bar wants to twist when flexing the front wheels. It is a slight movement but I like the way the krawler joint lets the axle move freely, and doesn’t put any stress on the bracket. Now I realize the after market track bars work just fine, but for me personally, I like the freedom rk gives the axle. And as @River City Offroad has mentioned, the jam nut is not a big deal with the right tools. You won’t have to ever change it once it’s set unless you change height of lift, and that’s not something people do that often. Here’s pic of what I’m trying to explain....

Hi Roky,

those joints were the big selling points for the RK bar. But you guys convinced me, so it's on its way and we'll see how much I'll hate you guys when I'm installing it

 

[redsyphon]

One of the big things to consider is how much misalignment the joints in the track bar offer. As your suspension cycles, the axle moves fore and aft and in order to do so without binding and limiting flex, you need a track bar that has quality joints. Most companies are using rubber bushings or a variation of a rubber joint which will bind and not allow the suspension to move as freely as it should.

Here is out track bar, it uses spherical joints on both ends to alleviate that issue. http://rockkrawler.com/front-adjustable-track-bar/

I've used your front and rear for over a year now and they have been great... this thread did remind me that I need to re-grease them though lol

 

[sourdough]

I am a fan of Steer Smart because of this Youtube video. They are also what my shop uses on their personal builds.

I saw this youtube trail video (35:40 in) https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/steersmarts-yeti-drag-link-failure.37240/ the Yeti drag link ball joint failed. Just saying, real world test results are amazing. Bench tests not so much.

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