Front Track Bar on SOA? (1 Viewer)

[youpers]

Hi all, I have a question Id like to field to the community. I notice some of the older jeeps on leafs had front track bars. I also noticed a lot of Jeep people remove them and there seems to be a little bit of debate as to whether they belong on a leaf sprung vehicle at all. Im curious though, if setup properly, meaning the track bar is similar in length and angle to the drag link could it assist in on road handling on a SOA FJ60. Now I must say my 60 is sprung over, and handles as good as anyone would expect from this type of vehicle, Im just wondering if a track bar could assist with on road manors without binding off road. Just looking for a constructive conversation on the topic. Thanks for making it through my post.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

It should help in highway handling...

 

[boots4]

I think a sway bar would buy you more points in better handling on road.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

A track bar doesn't bind offroad. It is meant to prevent axle wrap and keep your pinion angle from changing and crunching ring and pinions.

If you want road manners you need sway bars and good shocks. I've ran stock leaf packs up to thick leaf packs and never felt the need for a track bar on or off road.

What road manners do you want to improve?

 

[tmxmotorsports]

@Randy88FJ62 i think you are referring to a traction bar. I agree sway bar front and rear along with good shocks will definitely improve road handling a trac bar will also it will help with wander and improve the steering basically when you turn your steering wheel with larger and wider tires the body and chassis will move some at first then the tires will turn with a trac bar it will not that being said off road with the suspension travel the axle will be forced one way on up travel and the other on drop out also in suspension travel the axle will move forward and back in up travel and drop out you can use heim joints with misalignment bushings to keep tge trac bar from binding going forward and back there isn't much you can do about the axle being forced left to right in the suspension travel with the trac bar besides keeping it as flat as possible at ride height but needs to be as close as you can get with the angle of the drag link high steer x over will help so the drag link is close to flat at ride height that will also help the steering the angle puts more of a downward force and will make the steering move the body chassis first then the tires.

 

[cruisermatt]

What the OP is referring to is more commonly known as a panhard in the coil-sprung world...

If you set your drag link up properly, nice and flat at ride height, you shouldn’t have any issues. I’ve never seen anyone run one on a Cruiser with leafs.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

I'm confused why we are talking about coil suspension in the 60 series area. I think I need some more coffee.

 

[cruisermatt]

I'm confused why we are talking about coil suspension in the 60 series area. I think I need some more coffee.

We’re not. We’re discussing using a panhard in a front leaf spring setup like a Jeep does.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

ok, i'm caught up.
Why track bars are useless on leaf sprung axles - Jeep Wrangler Forum

 

[tmxmotorsports]

They are also on ford trucks with leaf springs

 

[youpers]

@Randy88FJ62 i think you are referring to a traction bar. I agree sway bar front and rear along with good shocks will definitely improve road handling a trac bar will also it will help with wander and improve the steering basically when you turn your steering wheel with larger and wider tires the body and chassis will move some at first then the tires will turn with a trac bar it will not that being said off road with the suspension travel the axle will be forced one way on up travel and the other on drop out also in suspension travel the axle will move forward and back in up travel and drop out you can use heim joints with misalignment bushings to keep tge trac bar from binding going forward and back there isn't much you can do about the axle being forced left to right in the suspension travel with the trac bar besides keeping it as flat as possible at ride height but needs to be as close as you can get with the angle of the drag link high steer x over will help so the drag link is close to flat at ride height that will also help the steering the angle puts more of a downward force and will make the steering move the body chassis first then the tires.

I agree with this. The reason I mention this, even though it seems out of place and likely contrary to the point of these vehicles (being primarily off road and on road secondary), is because its not as clear as panhards/track bars are a coil spring thing. They appear on many leaf sprung vehicles, just not leaf sprung Land Cruisers.

My thoughts: A track bar travels in an arch parallel to the axle, while leafs travel vertically parallel to the axle. Im curious at which point that matters because leafs dont have a lot of vertical travel as compared with coil setups. I think it would be interesting if there was a way to model this and see at which point binding would occur, and if you could determine that point, and it was outside the limits of your setup, a track bar would only help on-road manors (eliminating bump steer) and not limit off road articulation.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

@youpers all of it depends on the actual travel both coil springs and leaf springs suspension at some point something will bind

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Bump steer is caused by people running s***ty lifts without addressing geometry. (ie I did a cut and turn).

Soooo, what is the main benefit of running this on our wagons? Other than guessing and playing around?

Why invest the time in one when you could dial in other aspects of your suspension?