Just drink the Cloak-Aid, Jerry...you know you want to.
Problem With Metalcloak Track Bar
- Thread starter g.hayduke
- Start date
Just drink the Cloak-Aid, Jerry...you know you want to.
My Metalcloak front track bar heim joint started to fail somewhere around 10k miles. I didn't notice it until I was doing other work that required adjusting the bar. But after that, I realized it was plainly obvious during a dry steer test. It can't be seen by grabbing and shaking.
I guarantee that many who thinks their's is fine really isn't.
I guarantee that many who thinks their's is fine really isn't.
They sent me a free unsolicited replacement when I publicly asked how common this was. That was appreciated, but it still doesn't fix a design or a price point problem.
And then I researched how to build my own Johnny Joint replacement end. That is the plan when this current MC joint wears out.
Ok, I will go back to my first comment on this=heim joint, if it is a common thread, swap it to a johnny joint in single shear...problem solved.
Blaine and I discussed it a while back. There are clearance issues with the standard housings. I forget the specifics, but there is a reason that the Currie track bar has the JJ offset on the bar. They do sell the weld on housing with a specially sized JJ to build your own track bar.
A newb suggestion....You might could use a Johnny Joint to replace the heim joint on the end of your trackbar. I did this when I had a Skycrapper Track bar. I still have the joint (i eventually replaced the trackbar with a Currie item). The joint I have is CE-9112N75-12. I only used the end for a couple of thousand miles. I sell and ship it for $25. You would need to verify that it fits your application.
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Blasphemy. The Church of MetalCloak demands your obedience.
Even if it was easy, you'd be stuck with a MetalCloak track bar. Is that what you want?
My normal suggestion would be to remove it and then install it in the dumpster, but if I said that, my bias would be showing.
I haven't found reason to complain about the rest of the bar other than the not-heat-treated-but-solid-cromoly. Though I am open to suggestions.
I haven't found reason to complain about the rest of the bar other than the not-heat-treated-but-solid-cromoly. Though I am open to suggestions.
2 years ago, when I bought my 2004 Rubicon, I was pleased that it was already lifted. When I started having some driveability issues, I asked for advice and shared some pics on the Rubicon Owners forum. I was ridiculed for having a Skyjacker (Skycrapper) lift. It made me mad. I decided I could fix the issues without changing the lift. I spent several hundred dollars on things like the Johnny Joint that I shared in the previous post. I was reasonably successful. The Jeep drove OK for a while. When I started noticing some play in the new Skycrapper Control Arm bushings, I decided to fix everything once and for all. I switched to Curry steering, front track bar. and control arms about 6 months ago. The difference in how the Jeep drives is amazing. It makes me wish I had listened to the guys on the ROF and gone to Currie 1st.
Skycrapper
Currie
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