PDA

View Full Version : Convert a JKS Track Bar from vertical bolt to horizontal?



chadjans
01-01-2005, 11:23 PM
Anyone convert a vertical bolt orientated jks front track bar with a 2.5 johnny joint to a horizontal bolt orinetation? I have comming a 1.75 inch .188 wall dom tube bushing assembly and was going to cut off the johnny joint, cope the bar to accept the 1.75 tube, reweld, attach a bracket to the track bar frame mount and call it good.

Discuss...

Chad

OverkillZJ
01-02-2005, 12:36 AM
I've been wondering the same thing...

robselina
01-02-2005, 12:54 PM
yea, no reason not to. I was looking at a buddy's JKS bar the other day and thinking that would be cake.

Just weld some tabs onto the stock bracket that are the right width for the JJ, dismantle the JJ of course so you don't cook it, then cut and reweld.

reassemble and you're done.

worst case you an get replacement JJs from RE or Currie...

EDIT, just realized you're talking about ditching the JJ and just going rubber/poly bushing that orientation. That'll work too of course, but why not reuse the JJ?

chadjans
01-02-2005, 02:21 PM
Because the johhny joint is using a special sperical ball that is offset to get the body of the joint away from the bracket on the frame. Secondly the johnny joint is a 2.5 bodied one. Even if I did get a non offset sperical it would be too wide to be able to make a bracket to accept it on the frame side.

Chad

Kraqa
01-02-2005, 06:41 PM
i did this with my RE track bar and it worked wonders. i dont' know abotu the JKS one tho. do you have binding issues? if not don't bother. but it did take like a hour to do it. so not that big of a deal.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
01-02-2005, 08:54 PM
why not just buy one?

OverkillZJ
01-02-2005, 09:17 PM
why not just buy one?

Why buy it when you can build it?

robselina
01-02-2005, 10:10 PM
Because the johhny joint is using a special sperical ball that is offset to get the body of the joint away from the bracket on the frame. Secondly the johnny joint is a 2.5 bodied one. Even if I did get a non offset sperical it would be too wide to be able to make a bracket to accept it on the frame side.

Chad

That makes sense. I was looking at the currie one that's sitting on my desk and thinking it woudln't be an issue, but yea, using your regular bushing mount would seem to be a good solution....

chadjans
01-02-2005, 11:09 PM
why not just buy one?

Because I own a welder.

Kraqa: No binding issues. But I know I can get the suspension to drop lower than it does. Because the johnny joint only has 12 degrees of misalignment and a bushing mounted in the other direction would have inifinate movement and the JJ is topping out.

Chad

Alaska ZJ
01-03-2005, 09:27 AM
why not just buy one?

LoL....Because making stuff is part of the fun....We are in this for more than just Looks.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
01-04-2005, 02:40 AM
why not just buy one?

LoL....Because making stuff is part of the fun....We are in this for more than just Looks.

i hope we are ALL in this for more than just looks. getting $hitty gas mileage is so not worth any kinda "look". I understand building is part of the fun (even though my welding skills are sketchy *see my sliders thread*) but one could find a JKS trackbar for a WJ and make a mount or something. Nevermind just welder envy i guess. :oops:

nate
01-04-2005, 06:45 AM
I did what your trying to do with the RE Heim joint bar. Made steering alot better, but then again my stock mount was all messed up.

Raacerx
01-13-2005, 01:03 AM
Hey, im right in the middle of converting my vertical JKS to horizontal, mainly to lower the pivot point a little to help match angles with my Histeer. I was hoping to just use the stock JJ but Im just cutting it off and welding on a new piece of pipe and a lower profile 2" JJ (there is enough room, I checked). I dont want to thread another piece of tubing again so thats why Im reusing. Plus the bar already has a bend in it to help space from the diff and with my diff truss it helps.

PS. Chad, I thought about just using a regular Clevite bushing like on the axle side of the bar, but would that deflect and flex to much? Could it cause death wobble in special cases? Ive got a ton of the bushings laying around and would rather save some money but I only see trackbars with rubber on one side and JJ, heim, or ball joint on the frame side.

chadjans
01-13-2005, 02:17 AM
I am going to use poly. But the very EARLY jks/orgs bars used a stock rubber bushing on the axle side. I would still be concerned with too much deflection on the frame side using rubber because correct me if I am wrong but I think there is more leverage on that side.

Chad