Would you get an adjustable track bar with a 2.5” lift?

TJim

TJim

TJ Addict
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Hey!

Please let me know your opinions about my case!

I installed a 2" lift on Saturday. I chose OME light duty springs. It gave me roughly 2.8" - 2.9" lift in the front side, and 2.5" in the rear side.

REAR AXLE:
  • I did NOT use a relocation bracket for the rear track bar.
  • Rear Axle moved about 0.04-0.08” to the passenger’s side.

FRONT AXLE:
  • Front Axle moved about 0.4”-0.5" to the driver’s side.

My thinking is that I do not need to use anything for the rear track bar. What do you think about the front track bar? Is there any major advantage to buy an adjustable track bar?

If you forget about the OCD is there any other reason I would want to center my front axle after a such small movement? Please let me know any possible reason, either small or important!
 
Aside from the housing being either to the left or right slightly, did you cycle the suspension to make sure there are no interference issues? This will help answer your question with real data.
 
That much is not going to affect anything but you are probably going to buy a new one anyway sooner or later so why not now is the way I looked at it. That is the Jeep trap.

A new adjustable one like a JKS unit is likely to be stronger and offer better flex compared to OEM so there may be other benefits. But like I said, the obsession will be strong until you do it.
 
Irun said:
Aside from the housing being either to the left or right slightly, did you cycle the suspension to make sure there are no interference issues? This will help answer your question with real data.
Click to expand...
Yes, no interference issues at all. I was just wondering if there are any other issues with the axle being off center, even by this little
 
primetime4 said:
That much is not going to affect anything but you are probably going to buy a new one anyway sooner or later so why not now is the way I looked at it. That is the Jeep trap.

A new adjustable one like a JKS unit is likely to be stronger and offer better flex compared to OEM so there may be other benefits. But like I said, the obsession will be strong until you do it.
Click to expand...

why do you think that I would buy a new one sooner or later?
Because of a future bigger lift? Or because of ocd?
 
TJim said:
why do you think that I would buy a new one sooner or later?
Because of a future bigger lift? Or because of ocd?
Click to expand...
Because of the upgrade bug. Now that you have the lift it will never stop there. It hasn’t even been a week since that was done and you’re already moving to the next component that may or may not need to be touched. I am the same way as are a lot of people and that’s part of the fun. There’s an element of OCD in there but it’s mostly why it’s also considered a fun hobby.
 
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My jeep also has a 2.5" lift and I put the JKS adjustable track bars front and rear just for that reason, my OCD!
Once I noticed the slight, and I mean slight offset, its all I saw when looking at the jeep! I'm sure it wouldn't have caused any issues and surely NO ONE else would have ever noticed it but......
 
egclassic said:
My jeep also has a 2.5" lift and I put the JKS adjustable track bars front and rear just for that reason, my OCD!
Once I noticed the slight, and I mean slight offset, its all I saw when looking at the jeep! I'm sure it wouldn't have caused any issues and surely NO ONE else would have ever noticed it but......
Click to expand...
Did you, by any chance, measure how much were your axles off?
 
If the axles are perfectly centered, your Jeep will have a noticeable improvement in ride and handling, particularly on pavement at highway speeds. Depending on tire size and wheel offset, you also need to be mindful of the driver side rear tire contacting the spring perch.

Having experience with 2 Jeep’s (TJ and LJ), as well as multiple suspension setups, adjustable trackbars are more necessary than helpful at 2.5”.

My current LJ setup is the DPG Ultimate Kit with Metalcloak aluminum control arms and 31” tires. Expensive, but great ride and handling.
 
AjRagno said:
If the axles are perfectly centered, your Jeep will have a noticeable improvement in ride and handling, particularly on pavement at highway speeds. Depending on tire size and wheel offset, you also need to be mindful of the driver side rear tire contacting the spring perch.

Having experience with 2 Jeep’s (TJ and LJ), as well as multiple suspension setups, adjustable trackbars are more necessary than helpful at 2.5”.

My current LJ setup is the DPG Ultimate Kit with Metalcloak aluminum control arms and 31” tires. Expensive, but great ride and handling.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Rear axle is almost perfectly centered so I am not worried about tire contacting spring perch.

Do you think that I would experience improvement in ride and handling just by "correcting" the 0.4-0.5 off center front axle?
 
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