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

[DCBlake]

A few appropriate four letter words, a floor jack, jack stand, and a little bit of heat from a torch and the back allen head screw came out.

You can see the hole is about 3/8" out of alignment.

I don't see the bushing lasting long without seals. But hey, I didn't notice this support doing anything for my steering either.

Drilling rather than pressing out and back in.

Yours looks like it may have rotated after install sad thing is none of us know since we didn’t expect to do engineering and quality control of our purchased product. Maybe we should see if these have a QC stamp as if that would do any good.

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[roaniecowpony]

The job just got more complicated. The bushing seemed like it had moved in depth from when I installed it. I distinctly remember it being right against the little retaining screw head. But it was setting much deeper. I decided to push it out and found it shows signs of rotating in the pillow block bore and on the O.D. of the bushing.

The bushing appears to be oilite, a porous, oil impregnated cast bronze. I'm soaking it in acetone and have my wife picking up some red loctite to lock it in. Did I say I hated aftermarket stuff?

This size of bushing needs about .003" press fit to hold something with a load like this. When I pressed it out, it felt like .0005" or less. But of course it has rotated.

 

[plex]

This is where my shaft brace going.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Almost no chance. The bushing is about 1/8 wall. Needle bearings like they put on the JK version are low load bearings. They have line contact and require very high quality finish and high hardness on the mating surface. Actually a bushing is best. It just needs protection from the elements (seals).

 

[roaniecowpony]

This is where my shaft brace going.

I'm almost there.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I'm almost there.

Thinking about this some more, the pitman arm/steering box can generate over a thousand pounds of force, maybe two. That means the tires banging into rocks with the weight of the jeep can generate similar force or more back into the pitman arm. Those two little 1/4" tabs that hold the aluminum pillow block/bushing can't support that. Why'd I buy this thing?

 

[DCBlake]

The job just got more complicated. The bushing seemed like it had moved in depth from when I installed it. I distinctly remember it being right against the little retaining screw head. But it was setting much deeper. I decided to push it out and found it shows signs of rotating in the pillow block bore and on the O.D. of the bushing.

The bushing appears to be oilite, a porous, oil impregnated cast bronze. I'm soaking it in acetone and have my wife picking up some red loctite to lock it in. Did I say I hated aftermarket stuff?

This size of bushing needs about .003" press fit to hold something with a load like this. When I pressed it out, it felt like .0005" or less. But of course it has rotated.

I totally agree. mine was tight but not enough to trust it won’t spin as it should have seals and if anything they could have put a locking screw to hold bearing in place. i will say if it is out of place in the near future it will be time to drop in trash, grind off ears, paint, call it a day, and a lesson learned.

 

[roaniecowpony]

This is where my shaft brace going.

Thanks for bringing me to my senses.

 

[DCBlake]

Thinking about this some more, the pitman arm/steering box can generate over a thousand pounds of force, maybe two. That means the tires banging into rocks with the weight of the jeep can generate similar force or more back into the pitman arm. Those two little 1/4" tabs that hold the aluminum pillow block/bushing can't support that. Why'd I buy this thing?

because like me it looked like a quality product with a well known company plus various support videos from trusted sources. I would be curious now if they are having issues.

as a matter of fact I went back and checked a well known Jeep persons video and noticed when they applied the grease nothing came out from the bearing either.

 

[4xFUN]

I have had the Yeti PRo with the poly bushings installed since last October. Never heard a squeek or any other noise from it.

Damm! Wish I had known you had one and it was quiet...

 

[Rodeoflyer]

Well, at least you can retain the track bar bracket reinforcement even if you don’t use the steering box brace, correct? I had a bad feeling about it after watching an installation video and decided I wouldn’t be buying one.

 

[MarkY3130]

Damm! Wish I had known you had one and it was quiet...

I also use the pro series poly bushing. Originally had the standard version, but in my hunt to stop death wobble, I identified the frame side track bar bushing as having too much play. Pressed in the poly bushing and haven’t had death wobble since. This is how all their trackbars should come, the normal bushing lasted about 6 months for me. I do off-road frequently, but I thought that was insanely short.

I haven't noticed any noise coming from it.

 

[4xFUN]

Thinking about this some more, the pitman arm/steering box can generate over a thousand pounds of force, maybe two. That means the tires banging into rocks with the weight of the jeep can generate similar force or more back into the pitman arm. Those two little 1/4" tabs that hold the aluminum pillow block/bushing can't support that. Why'd I buy this thing?

Yup. I was thinking the same thing, why the hell did I not think this through before buying the hype...I plead temporary insanity due to the ChinaCoronaFlu...

 

[Aceman]

Yup. I was thinking the same thing, why the hell did I not think this through before buying the hype...I plead temporary insanity due to the ChinaCoronaFlu...

I’m with ya. I pulled the Damn thing off too. More money down the drain.

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