Measure Once, Cut Twice: A Story of Excitement and Impatience

Installing the new JJ end for my Currie track bar and found some concerning things. @mrblaine Have you ever seen stress cracks in a JJ centering ball?

3EC15140-EC8B-4D20-A378-37F5A79F99D5.jpeg


8E8ABC68-30C1-4EFA-8F6F-0A3C93643C5E.jpeg

My track bar came loose in 2021 in Moab while with Josh and Matt. We tightened it back up on the trail and I retorqued once I got back to where I was staying. However, this side of the centering ball has certainly seen some movement to wear off this much material.
1B4BAEC2-0EBF-41EA-B119-5776B7F38AB2.jpeg


Looks like I’ll be ordering a JJ rebuild kit for the frame side.
 
Installing the new JJ end for my Currie track bar and found some concerning things. @mrblaine Have you ever seen stress cracks in a JJ centering ball?

View attachment 348594

View attachment 348595
My track bar came loose in 2021 in Moab while with Josh and Matt. We tightened it back up on the trail and I retorqued once I got back to where I was staying. However, this side of the centering ball has certainly seen some movement to wear off this much material.
View attachment 348596

Looks like I’ll be ordering a JJ rebuild kit for the frame side.

From death wobble probably?
 
From death wobble probably?

Perhaps…I should have removed and inspected my track bar rather than just checking torque spec on it. Maybe I would’ve caught it sooner. I don’t know. Aside from the time it came loose in Moab it has always been at spec torque when I checked.
 
Ok. Here’s my theory. There are a couple times I’ve let a shop do the work on my rig—both times they fucked something up. I thought maybe one of the dumbasses used an impact on my track bar bolts and severely overtorqued them, leading to stretched bolts that will never hold spec torque.

So, to test that theory, I installed new hardware frame and axle side and took for a test drive. Results, no DW no matter what bumps or series of bumps I hit, nor on the known areas that always provoke it. Surprisingly, I’m not even getting the slight shimmy I was getting. As of now, it seems to have been solved. I’ll be changing my sub name now.

In light of the condition of the centering ball, I’m still ordering and changing it.

7689DF78-6415-4AA6-98CA-B524C5275792.jpeg


37928354-B933-47C3-9EC9-04A7346DF719.jpeg
 
Ok. Here’s my theory. There are a couple times I’ve let a shop do the work on my rig—both times they fucked something up. I thought maybe one of the dumbasses used an impact on my track bar bolts and severely overtorqued them, leading to stretched bolts that will never hold spec torque.

So, to test that theory, I installed new hardware frame and axle side and took for a test drive. Results, no DW no matter what bumps or series of bumps I hit, nor on the known areas that always provoke it. Surprisingly, I’m not even getting the slight shimmy I was getting. As of now, it seems to have been solved. I’ll be changing my sub name now.

In light of the condition of the centering ball, I’m still ordering and changing it.

View attachment 348628

View attachment 348629

Did you replace the centering ball as well?
 
Installed the BMB tie rod with new ends and gave it an alignment.

6D63F2DB-A47B-4356-8581-71E25D721341.jpeg


Had some clearance issues with the sway bar and ram mounts and the clamps. (Edit: Issues because I wanted to face clamps rearward up out of the way but not necessary to do this). Had (Chose) to face driver side clamp forward and passenger side down, respectively. Need to find time to install BMB raised mounts and do the flip.
AE052BFB-9CFD-4AF1-AE37-52D2413A1CCB.jpeg


5A6FAC8B-904D-4309-8556-7C1E52F64E98.jpeg


BAFDFC6B-1E6D-4CB7-A4F0-2DB6745D9E54.jpeg


Also waiting on TB centering ball to finish repairing the track bar issues.
 
Last edited:
Installed the BMB tie rod with new ends and gave it an alignment.

View attachment 349592

Had some clearance issues with the sway bar and ram mounts and the clamps. Had to face driver side clamp forward and passenger side down, respectively. Need to find time to install BMB raised mounts and do the flip.
View attachment 349597

View attachment 349598

View attachment 349599

Also waiting on TB centering ball to finish repairing the track bar issues.

Why did they not work pointing straight down on both sides?
 
Why did they not work pointing straight down on both sides?

It would but was trying to keep the clamp up out of the way as much as possible. Maybe not necessary though.
Edited post for clarity on the self-imposed clearance issues.
 
Last edited:
I would have had the same thought process on the clamp mounting. That is exactly how my ZJ tie rod bent, right at that clamp. A rock hit the clamp bolt and turned it, then bent the tie rod right at the threaded portion as it goes into the sleeve.