Metalcloak Rear Track Bar 7046 Questions

Halsey

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I have an 03 TJ, 2.5” lift, fixed aftermarket lower control arms, stock uppers, no SYE or BL. Stock rear track bar with straight relocation bracket. It’s rubbing on the fuel tank crossmember and skid plate stud. I recently discovered the relocation bracket is dangerously close to the fuel and evap lines and has broken the retaining clip on the evap line (already addressed the clip).

I’m looking at the Metalcloak 7046 track bar.

Has anyone installed that track bar with a similar sized lift without the relocation bracket they send with the track bar?

I also see they sell 7096 without the bracket but it specifies it’s for long travel suspension. Would the 7096 work with a short arm lift?

I understand the relocation bracket helps with roll center but I have also heard at smaller lift sizes it’s not much of an issue.
 
I wouldn't waste my money on the MC trackbar. Just get a JKS if you don't want to pony up for a Currie.

It sounds like your issue is that you only used rear lower CAs to adjust pinion and I will assume in doing so you rolled your axle back pushing the straight TB mount into the tank. If you adjusted your pinion angle to be higher then the angled trackbar bracket is what you'd want.

You shouldn't have to relocate the lines.
 
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Also, does anybody have any pictures of how they relocated their fuel and evap lines above the rear axle?

For what reason? I didn't start moving that stuff until much deeper into the mod hole.
 
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For what reason? I didn't start moving that stuff until much deeper into the mod hole.

I’ve heard several people say they slightly relocated the quick connects above the axle side track bar mount. I’m just trying to avoid smashing a fuel or evap line with the track bar relocation bracket without adding additional bump stop. The bump stops I have will stop the axle movement about an inch after contact with the evap line.
 
I wouldn't waste my money on the MC trackbar. Just get a JKS if you don't want to pony up for a Currie.

It sounds like your issue is that you only used rear lower CAs to adjust pinion and I will assume in doing so you rolled your axle back pushing the straight TB mount into the tank. If you adjusted your pinion angle to be higher then the angled trackbar bracket is what you'd want.

You shouldn't have to relocate the lines.

I guess I should elaborate, the track bar itself is rubbing the crossmember above the fuel tank, about midway on the track bar. The track bar relocation bracket is hitting the evap lines at full bump.

I’m not dead set on a Metalcloak track bar. And I was under the assumption that the angled relocation bracket is only for adjustable control arms with SYE.

The Jeep came with these control arms when I purchased it last year. It doesn’t seem like my pinion is abnormally higher with these arms. I don’t have any vibrations to speak of.

If I’m able to use the angled bracket that would be great. I think the angled bracket paired with an adjustable rear track bar would solve both my contact points.
 
I’ve heard several people say they slightly relocated the quick connects above the axle side track bar mount. I’m just trying to avoid smashing a fuel or evap line with the track bar relocation bracket without adding additional bump stop. The bump stops I have will stop the axle movement about an inch after contact with the evap line.

If that's a thing, I never had to do it. Nor am I aware of it. When I eventually had to roll all of that mess on top of the frame rail, I just worked at it little by little to bend it where I needed it to be.
 
If that's a thing, I never had to do it. Nor am I aware of it. When I eventually had to roll all of that mess on top of the frame rail, I just worked at it little by little to bend it where I needed it to be.

I've not had to either, but I'm in an LJ. But I don't think that matters for this specific issue.


I think the angled bracket paired with an adjustable rear track bar would solve both my contact points.

Seems like an answer :) Pictures always help us see what you're describing to know.
 
I ran Metalcloak parts for almost 10 years and didn't have a major issue with them. Except for the track bars. They use spherical rod ends, a.k.a Heim joints, on the frame side. In 10K miles I had to replace two. They did the first under warranty, but I had to pay for the second. It's a bad design and there are better choices, like @rasband mentioned. Currie is the preferred, but expensive. JKS is a good alternative, if you don't need the best.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TTZOU8/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
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I ran Metalcloak parts for almost 10 years and didn't have a major issue with them. Except for the track bars. They use spherical rod ends, a.k.a Heim joints, on the frame side. In 10K miles I had to replace two. They did the first under warranty, but I had to pay for the second. It's a bad design and there are better choices, like @rasband mentioned. Currie is the preferred, but expensive. JKS is a good alternative, if you don't need the best.

The front is worse than the rear because the Heim is laying horizontally and lets dirt work into the bearing interface. Mine didn't last 15k miles, twice.

Nevermind that the mere presence of a Heim joint on a Metalcloak arm of any kind undermines their entire claim of reducing NVH through their bushings.
 
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I've not had to either, but I'm in an LJ. But I don't think that matters for this specific issue.




Seems like an answer :) Pictures always help us see what you're describing to know.

Have you heard of anybody having luck installing an angled track bar bracket without adjustable control arms? This isn’t a great picture, but you can see the straight bracket. I’m not sure how much angle the angled brackets have, but it seems like it would put the axle end of the track bar in a bind.

E29744ED-11D4-488D-878F-1BA35875D31F.jpeg
 
The front is worse than the rear because the Heim is laying horizontally and lets dirt work into the bearing interface. Mine didn't last 15k miles, twice.

I had to do both twice.
 
On the rear? They are worse than I ever imagined! I never had anything but a stock rear track bar.
The rear twice, the front twice. The first time was the front, when a case of death wobble reared its ugly head. That was soon followed by a rear, which developed a noticable clunk coming from slop in the joint.
 
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I ran Metalcloak parts for almost 10 years and didn't have a major issue with them. Except for the track bars. They use spherical rod ends, a.k.a Heim joints, on the frame side. In 10K miles I had to replace two. They did the first under warranty, but I had to pay for the second. It's a bad design and there are better choices, like @rasband mentioned. Currie is the preferred, but expensive. JKS is a good alternative, if you don't need the best.

[URL]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TTZOU8/?tag=wranglerorg-20[/URL]

With the track bar you linked, do I need to use a relocation bracket? The Q/A on Amazon says no, but I know how reliable that can be.
 
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Have you heard of anybody having luck installing an angled track bar bracket without adjustable control arms? This isn’t a great picture, but you can see the straight bracket. I’m not sure how much angle the angled brackets have, but it seems like it would put the axle end of the track bar in a bind.

View attachment 335445

It's always hard to tell in pics, but it looks like yours could benefit from the angled bracket with the one set of adjustables you have. That would return the trackbar to a more neutral starting position.

The angle on the bracket isn't as severe as it seems.

PXL_20220607_025308257.jpg


PXL_20220607_025300419.jpg
 
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With the track bar you linked, do I need to use a relocation bracket? The Q/A on Amazon says no, but I know how reliable that can be.

I ended up using a Currie on my 2" lift, with the relocation bracket. It helped put the track bar in a more neutral position. This picture is full stuff, with zero bump stop. There is no contact or bind, but it's as close as you can get. I added a 1" bump stop to match my shocks, so there's extra clearance room.

20210331_162040-jpg.239328


20210331_162141-jpg.239329
 
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Could you just add a washer or two to the bumpstop to gain a little clearance at full bump? If it's contacting the tub, it would be good to compensate with a slight adjustment.
 
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