Synergy Jeep JL / JLU / JT Front Track Bar and Sector Shaft Brace

[oceanblue2019]

Well I get my heat gun ready, but hopefully like someone said the factory only went crazy on red loctite after MY19, mine is an 18.

undo that first as it determines the entire project. A

I don't wanna scare anyone from doing this mod, but I had a tough time getting the track bar bolt holes to line up. I tightened it, I loosened it, I beat on it with a hammer but the holes would never line up. What I finally ended up having to do was use a step bit to enlarge the hole (about 1/8 larger) on the actual frame so the bolt would finally go thru. I figured no harm since the Synergy bracket would be what the track bar was actually using for support and fastening. But still it was a little disheartening I was having so much trouble. I watched countless installation videos and noted some had to tap it in or use a impact, but none seemed to have the issue that I was encountering.

Oh and for the pitman nut, mine broke fairly easy (to my surprise) and once I got about half-way, it started to get tight from the thread locker but nothing you couldn't handle with a ratchet

If you had to enlarge the factory mount holes you have an alignment issue somewhere or something out of spec. I've helped do several Synergy braces and have a Rusty's on mine and in all cases the trackbar bolt slides right through once you have everything fitting right.

It could be some welding crud keeping the brace from fitting properly against the frame causing the issue - which should have led to grinding the flash off for a proper fit and not enlarging the mounting holes.

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[Cookie Monster]

I got my sector shaft brace installed today, in the middle of my lift install. I only had to file some minor welding spatter. I found the hammer to be my friend during the install. I used a wood block to prevent paint damage. A couple taps on the bolts helped line things up. The other tip is in the instructions, don't tighten anything until all bolts are in place.

I had no issue with the sector shaft bolt. I waited for the compressor to be over 100 PSI and hit it with the impact.

 

[plex]

All right, I finally installed my brace since it is a long weekend, but what a @#$@$#@ major PITA.

First my shaft nut won't come off. It is weird I can actually loose it using my impact wrench, but after the initial loosen up, it won't budge again. I thought it might be red loctite, so after a round of heat gun and PB blaster, I took it off using breaker bar. What was weird is there was no loctite at all, but there were a lot of metal shavings, so I carefully cleaned it up.

I did have to sand the weld a little bit, then the second problem came. The bolts holding steering box closed to the spring were hard to reach using any socket. In ponyboy's video, he showed this step super easy because he has a coilover, so there is no spring in the factory location. And then when I went back to put the bolts back, it is hard to line them up, again a lot of swear words I am not proud of. Almost all the bolts and nuts are super inconvenient to torque, and fuck these allen bolts.

Finally, I have a question, my shaft brace seems having one additional holes in the underside (red circle in the pic), all the videos and pics I saw only have one hole for that tiny flat head. What is that second hole for?

Also when I greased it, I went a little bit trigger happy so there was grease coming out of bushing, is that okay for now?

 

[Roky]

All right, I finally installed my brace since it is a long weekend, but what a @#$@$#@ major PITA.

First my shaft nut won't come off. It is weird I can actually loose it using my impact wrench, but after the initial loosen up, it won't budge again. I thought it might be red loctite, so after a round of heat gun and PB blaster, I took it off using breaker bar. What was weird is there was no loctite at all, but there were a lot of metal shavings, so I carefully cleaned it up.

I did have to sand the weld a little bit, then the second problem came. The bolts holding steering box closed to the spring were hard to reach using any socket. In ponyboy's video, he showed this step super easy because he has a coilover, so there is no spring in the factory location. And then when I went back to put the bolts back, it is hard to line them up, again a lot of swear words I am not proud of. Almost all the bolts and nuts are super inconvenient to torque, and fuck these allen bolts.

Finally, I have a question, my shaft brace seems having one additional holes in the underside (red circle in the pic), all the videos and pics I saw only have one hole for that tiny flat head. What is that second hole for?

Also when I greased it, I went a little bit trigger happy so there was grease coming out of bushing, is that okay for now?

My guess is that little bolt in the red circle is insurance that the bushing doesn’t work it’s way out, being it’s just pressed in. And the grease is ok, it will work itself out.

 

[plex]

My guess is that little bolt in the red circle is insurance that the bushing doesn’t work it’s way out, being it’s just pressed in. And the grease is ok, it will work itself out.

All right, so I took a test drive, and there is a lot, a lot of creaking and clunking sound when I steer. I have to check the shaft brace bushing later tonight. Not very happy.

 

[Roky]

All right, so I took a test drive, and there is a lot, a lot of creaking and clunking sound when I steer. I have to check the shaft brace bushing later tonight. Not very happy.

Take the sector brace off and make sure that the grease zerk and the hole in the brass bushing is lined up. The grease you seen coming out, is it coming out from between the bushing and pitman nut sleeve or is it coming out between the bushing and the brace? If the grease holes line up, then grease the brass bushing with your finger before you put it back on. Most likely the grease didn’t get to the back side of the bushing.

 

[plex]

Take the sector brace off and make sure that the grease zerk and the hole in the brass bushing is lined up. The grease you seen coming out, is it coming out from between the bushing and pitman nut sleeve or is it coming out between the bushing and the brace? If the grease holes line up, then grease the brass bushing with your finger before you put it back on. Most likely the grease didn’t get to the back side of the bushing.

Will check later, thanks for your help. I had a long day dealing with this thing, now off to beer.

 

[4xFUN]

Will check later, thanks for your help. I had a long day dealing with this thing, now off to beer.

It looks like you used blue loctite (they now suggest red and that is what comes with the newer kits) so check to see if the binding loosened the pitman arm nut. I for one am really starting to second guess this 'fix' (my bronze bushing was off by 3/8"+) at least as far as sector shaft bearing goes...Since I already have mine and modified it to work with the Teraflex IR trackbar, I may just leave the bearing assembly out. If I do this, my OCD will force me to remove the Synergy brace, cut off the ears that hold the bearing assembly and powder coat the brace black to disappear...

 

[plex]

It looks like you used blue loctite (they now suggest red and that is what comes with the newer kits) so check to see if the binding loosened the pitman arm nut. I for one am really starting to second guess this 'fix' (my bronze bushing was off by 3/8"+) at least as far as sector shaft bearing goes...Since I already have mine and modified it to work with the Teraflex IR trackbar, I may just leave the bearing assembly out. If I do this, my OCD will force me to remove the Synergy brace, cut off the ears that hold the bearing assembly and powder coat the brace black to disappear...

I used blue loctite, since I wanna make sure it works before commit to red loctite. Ponyboy also used blue loctite instead of red ones too. I don't think that 185 ft-lbs of torque applied on the pitman arm nut can be easily loosened with or without loctite.

I am actually okay leave the sector shaft bearing out, cause I did not find any major improvement to my steering. If I can make it work without creaking and clunking, otherwise I will just take the bearing off and just use the track bar brace part.

 

[plex]

How can I tell if my zerk fitting hole and bushing are not lined up? I can dame sure this thing is not "bushing" at all, it is hard like a rock, that is probably why the pitman arm nut is creaking like heck, metal to metal contact.

 

[oceanblue2019]

How can I tell if my zerk fitting hole and bushing are not lined up? I can dame sure this thing is not "bushing" at all, it is hard like a rock, that is probably why the pitman arm nut is creaking like heck, metal to metal contact.

First does the hole in the bushing look like it's inline with the zerk?

You can also remove the zerk and probe it with water.

 

[plex]

First does the hole in the bushing look like it's inline with the zerk?

You can also remove the zerk and probe it with water.

You mean this hole (circled in red)? No it is way off to the zerk fitting hole.

 

[plex]

Anyway, I took the shaft brace off and did a test drive, no more creaking. I guess either my brace bushing was shot or the bushing is not taking grease. The pitman arm nut is still rock solid. I don't have a press so I can't make do with the bushing.

I will email Synergy and see if they can send me a new shaft brace.

@AllJumpStyle

 

[Roky]

Anyway, I took the shaft brace off and did a test drive, no more creaking. I guess either my brace bushing was shot or the bushing is not taking grease. The pitman arm nut is still rock solid. I don't have a press so I can't make do with the bushing.

I will email Synergy and see if they can send me a new shaft brace.

@AllJumpStyle

Yeah.... that’s the problem, your not getting grease on the bushing. Synergy will most likely step up. But you can fix that one pretty quick and use it until you get the new one. Just drill through the hole the zerk screws into with one size smaller bit than the hole so you don’t damage the threads. Put it back on grease it and turn your wheels back and forth several times, not just once each way like ponytail did. Also grease it real good with finger before installing.

 

[plex]

Yeah.... that’s the problem, your not getting grease on the bushing. Synergy will most likely step up. But you can fix that one pretty quick and use it until you get the new one. Just drill through the hole the zerk screws into with one size smaller bit than the hole so you don’t damage the threads. Put it back on grease it and turn your wheels back and forth several times, not just once each way like ponytail did. Also grease it real good with finger before installing.

Thanks, I am not going to put it on for now, the hex bolt to the back of the brace stripped, and I am not risking to put it on and never be able to remove it.

Shouldn't there be a better way of bracing the pitman arm nut, you know, some low maintenance option like rubber bushing. I can see this thing easily shift position in the future, and once run out of grease you are SOL.

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