track bar question- trying to diagnose DW

[txj2go]

My case of DW has gotten pretty bad- most roads will trigger it when I'm between 40 and 55 mph. I have just under 50k miles and do mostly highway driving but take 2 or 3 trips a year to do trails. The way it behaves and the ways I've tried to get it to stop have lead me to believe it is a track bar problem. If I'm on a road that doesn't trigger DW, or when I'm driving out of the speed zone where it occurs, the steering seems to be good with no looseness detected.

I did some checking today- ball joints, tie rod and drag link check ok. With the track bar I don't detect any movement at the frame end but at the axle end I detect a small amount of movement, not even 1/8", when turning the wheels hard left and right. I have not checked shocks yet. I expected to find a lot more slop in the track bar ends so I'm wondering of the people who discovered DW caused by track bar- how much movement could you detect?

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[AC77]

Hi
First thing make sure your lug nuts are all torqued to the correct spec

If you are on stock steering damper. Check for leaks and compression. By removing it and press it down with your hands. It should be super tight /solid (just be careful ) !

Are you lifted ? Or stock - Check your front and rear sway bar links. Check all control arm front and rear. Uppers and lowers

check your steering box make sure all 4 bolts are torqued to specs

If you don’t have a sector shaft brace. Get one it will make a very notable difference

my suggestions for now

also if you are lifted make sure your adjustable track bar is torqued on both ends

if stock. Still make sure the bolts are torqued

check your upgrades drag link. Or your factory one check it all out

 

[txj2go]

This is a JLU Sport. I have Rubicon takeoff springs, shocks and tires, plus Mopar LCA. The Rubicon springs lifted my front 1.5" and 2" in the back.

 

[GoatHerder]

Study the mopar rubicon lift kit, seems like there is more than just springs. I am not the expert, but I think maybe a different trackbar and different control arms. Not sure what else, if you start replacing parts, try and determine if the lift kit needs different ones.

edit, just read post again and noticed that you have the control arms. back to checking torque specs.

 

[Catiajockey]

measure the outside of your fenders to the edge of your tires on both sides. Try and determine if your front axle is centered or biased to the driver's side.

 

[Jeep Wick]

My case of DW has gotten pretty bad- most roads will trigger it when I'm between 40 and 55 mph. I have just under 50k miles and do mostly highway driving but take 2 or 3 trips a year to do trails. The way it behaves and the ways I've tried to get it to stop have lead me to believe it is a track bar problem. If I'm on a road that doesn't trigger DW, or when I'm driving out of the speed zone where it occurs, the steering seems to be good with no looseness detected.

I did some checking today- ball joints, tie rod and drag link check ok. With the track bar I don't detect any movement at the frame end but at the axle end I detect a small amount of movement, not even 1/8", when turning the wheels hard left and right. I have not checked shocks yet. I expected to find a lot more slop in the track bar ends so I'm wondering of the people who discovered DW caused by track bar- how much movement could you detect?

I solved mine with a JKS track bar and Fox stabilizer. Consensus is the factory track bar is too thin, and I found JKS was stout and reasonably priced.

 

[Remorseless]

With trackbar-induced DW you'll see a good amount of play if it's a bushing failure (should be, generally, an obviously failed bushing - rubber tore up or bushing separating from the pocket or the bushing sleeve separating from the rubber). The other traditional cause of trackbar-induced DW is a wallowed out trackbar bracket bolt hole, but you should see it clunking around or the hole will be obviously oval shaped when you pull the track bar.

IMO, one of the tough things with the JL that I've noticed - at least anecdotally - is that the ball joints seem to pass pry tests even if replacing them with upgraded aftermarket ball joints resolves the issue. So I wouldn't be too quick to assume it's the trackbar, especially if you're on the OE ball joints and trackbar - the OE trackbar bushing is pretty soft and moves a lot even when in good condition, but the OE ball joints are junky.

 

[yokramer]

Hows your caster

 

[Bill007123]

DW is usually caused by combination of small wear / play at many or all components. Even if you don't see visible movement doesn't mean there's no wear. If your serious about fixing it right start by changing ball joints and any and all bushings tie rod ends, drag link ends, etc. . Trac bar will have some small movement in the rubber bushing, that's why it's rubber, however, any excessive movement will have to be corrected. When you fix the problem by just changing 1 component this is usually short live fix because now all of the movement is being supported by the 1 thing you changed and will quickly fail.

 

[GoatHerder]

I was eyeballing synergy’s front end parts last night, would be a couple thousand for a complete ball joint control arms, links, steering bracket, build.

anybody done this?

 

[jc1003]

I was eyeballing synergy’s front end parts last night, would be a couple thousand for a complete ball joint control arms, links, steering bracket, build.

anybody done this?

I recently did sector shaft brace, drag link, track bar, tie rods, and ball joints but I did Steer Smarts and Dynatrac ball joints. The difference is night and day. The tie rods are shot at 27K miles and ball joints you could move with one finger. My wife doesn't do any off road driving so I know the OEM isn't very good.

 

[txj2go]

My wife doesn't do any off road driving so I know the OEM isn't very good.

I do a lot of offroading so mine have a good chance to get beat up, how can she beat them up so bad just on pavement?

 

[yokramer]

I do a lot of offroading so mine have a good chance to get beat up, how can she beat them up so bad just on pavement?

those curbs at the mall didnt stand a chance.

 

[txj2go]

I recently did sector shaft brace, drag link, track bar, tie rods, and ball joints but I did Steer Smarts and Dynatrac ball joints. The difference is night and day. The tie rods are shot at 27K miles and ball joints you could move with one finger. My wife doesn't do any off road driving so I know the OEM isn't very good.

I've been trying to reason out what happens during DW. Considering the steering geometry- the track bar allows the entire axle to move to the right- the drag link pulls on the tires and turns them to the left, this pulls the axle back to the left. When the axle moves too far to the left the drag link pulls the tires to point to the right, this moves the axle to the right. Now the drag link pulls the tires to the left and the axle moves back to the left, and it basically vibrates back and forth. If there is slop in the drag link, tie rod, ball joints that should reduce the tendency to DW, basically allowing all of the parts to flop around on their own rather than acting in unison. The axle will vibrate back and forth at a certain resonance frequency. For me that is 40-55 mph. I have a friend with a completely stock Sahara who only drives highway miles and his started DW in the 70-75 mph range.

 

[Nvdardx28]

The tie rods are shot at 27K miles and ball joints you could move with one finger.

This is about the only way to test the ball joints and if you made it that far you might as well change them.

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