Captain Texas
Adventurer
I really do like the SteerSmarts kit but for me at least the price is just too high. I think that the beef that those components have is great but I don't do level 5 trails and climb serious rocks on the regular.
Captain Texas Anvil JKU build
- Thread starter Captain Texas
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I really do like the SteerSmarts kit but for me at least the price is just too high. I think that the beef that those components have is great but I don't do level 5 trails and climb serious rocks on the regular.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Ordered tickets for Overland Expo West! They posted on Facebook that they were 75% sold so I had to jump on that. Getting excited little over a month now till the Ghost Divide Expedition and Expo! Still a lot of work to be done to prepare.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Gotta love that 7 slot grill.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So I think I'm getting a bump-steer issue with the Jeep... great. Whenever I drive over an uneven section of road on the highway the nose of the Jeep is moving horizontally left and right. I notice I have to correct it with steering and drive with two hands most of the time that's why I think its bump steer.
My shop when they installed the new Synergy Trackbar installed it on the upper mount for the track bar on the Ultimate Dana 44. I looked and while the trackbar is parallel to the ground its not parallel with the drag link.
Going to send a message to the shop and see if I can drop the TB one peg to see if that fixes the issue. With a little more than a month left until the Ghost Divide Expedition, I need to get this fixed.
My shop when they installed the new Synergy Trackbar installed it on the upper mount for the track bar on the Ultimate Dana 44. I looked and while the trackbar is parallel to the ground its not parallel with the drag link.
Going to send a message to the shop and see if I can drop the TB one peg to see if that fixes the issue. With a little more than a month left until the Ghost Divide Expedition, I need to get this fixed.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So I know terrible picture but I don't have a ton of room under the Jeep to take pictures.
The light gray bar behind the steering stabilizer is the new Synergy Track Bar. From what I can tell it's not parallel with the drag link. I'm guessing this is what is causing my bumpsteer?
The light gray bar behind the steering stabilizer is the new Synergy Track Bar. From what I can tell it's not parallel with the drag link. I'm guessing this is what is causing my bumpsteer?
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So worked on the Jeep this morning for about 2 hours fighting with the trackbar and bolts getting things fixed underneath.
The track bar is now in the lower hole and bump steer is essentially fixed. The only problem I have now is that the axle is no longer centered but I am not going to try to adjust it. The adjustment collar is pretty deep in the mounting bracket and the adjustment nut is rubbing against the bracket also.
Called my shop and they know that the Synergy TB and Ultimate Dana 44 is a bit tricky to get right. They said they would fix the whole setup next time I'm in Austin no problem.
Took it up to 70mph on the toll road and no bump steer or death wobble so I think we're good to go. Will recheck the bolts and run it hard this weekend to see if any problems come up.
The track bar is now in the lower hole and bump steer is essentially fixed. The only problem I have now is that the axle is no longer centered but I am not going to try to adjust it. The adjustment collar is pretty deep in the mounting bracket and the adjustment nut is rubbing against the bracket also.
Called my shop and they know that the Synergy TB and Ultimate Dana 44 is a bit tricky to get right. They said they would fix the whole setup next time I'm in Austin no problem.
Took it up to 70mph on the toll road and no bump steer or death wobble so I think we're good to go. Will recheck the bolts and run it hard this weekend to see if any problems come up.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So got to drive the Jeep again today and I think it'll be good to drive back to Austin to get the shop to sort things out. Currently plan to go back in 2 weeks. They will get the axle recentered and cut the axle bracket to clear the adjustment bolt on the Synergy trackbar.
This is currently the bolt rubbing against the bracket. I am feeling a slight vibration and I think it's from this. Honestly, I wish I would have just left the TB alone and let them work on it and I am wishing I had gotten either a Terraflex trackbar or Steer Smarts because this adjustment ring on the synergy TB is kinda a joke.
This is currently the bolt rubbing against the bracket. I am feeling a slight vibration and I think it's from this. Honestly, I wish I would have just left the TB alone and let them work on it and I am wishing I had gotten either a Terraflex trackbar or Steer Smarts because this adjustment ring on the synergy TB is kinda a joke.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Alright so I broke down and ordered a Steer Smarts Track Bar. The adjust collar is way easier to use than the Synergy one. Plus from what I can tell there is plenty of distance between the trackbar bracket and the adjustment collar so the two won't touch each other.
If that doesn't work I could try JKS because I know that for a fact will work but I should have gone with the Steer Smarts due to the ease of adjustment in the first place. Should be here Friday, planning to get it installed this weekend.
I'm out a couple hundred bucks with the Synergy track bar but I NEED THIS THING TO WORK. With the Ghost Divide Expedition coming in less than 30 days I need my setup to be squared away. Having the axle not centered is going to cause driver fatigue and on a multi-day overland trip that is something I need to limit as best as I can.
If that doesn't work I could try JKS because I know that for a fact will work but I should have gone with the Steer Smarts due to the ease of adjustment in the first place. Should be here Friday, planning to get it installed this weekend.
I'm out a couple hundred bucks with the Synergy track bar but I NEED THIS THING TO WORK. With the Ghost Divide Expedition coming in less than 30 days I need my setup to be squared away. Having the axle not centered is going to cause driver fatigue and on a multi-day overland trip that is something I need to limit as best as I can.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Yea no kidding. Trying to get everything fixed and tidied up with 30 days before the GDE overland trip is stressful to say the least.
Hopefully, the new TB will be installed in less than an hour this weekend.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Trackbar got delayed. Should be here Monday.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
YETI trackbar came in today and was promptly installed. Got to borrow my roommate's impact gun and wow I like it! Made my job time cut in half.
The track bar is ********** massive there are no other words to describe it. It's so big, however, that with my 2.5" lift everything is pretty close. The steering stabilizer is cutting it close so I had to rotate the mount on the tie rod a bit and now the shock is a bit close to the drag link. I'll get the kinks worked out but glad to say it made centering the axle a breeze. The adjustment ring bolts are very hard to tighten by hand so I highly recommend getting an impact.
Adjusted the steering wheel and it drives pretty well. I took it up to 72 on the toll road and it drove fine. I am going to be putting some miles in this week to shake it down to see if anything weird happens because I am due in Austin this weekend.
Also speaking of Yeti's... Picked up my 45L Yeti Cooler from REI today. Great quality that you would expect from Yeti, also came with a basket to put stuff in the cooler without getting it wet. Got it in Tan and it fits perfectly in the back of the Jeep.
Pics will be coming soon... ish.
The track bar is ********** massive there are no other words to describe it. It's so big, however, that with my 2.5" lift everything is pretty close. The steering stabilizer is cutting it close so I had to rotate the mount on the tie rod a bit and now the shock is a bit close to the drag link. I'll get the kinks worked out but glad to say it made centering the axle a breeze. The adjustment ring bolts are very hard to tighten by hand so I highly recommend getting an impact.
Adjusted the steering wheel and it drives pretty well. I took it up to 72 on the toll road and it drove fine. I am going to be putting some miles in this week to shake it down to see if anything weird happens because I am due in Austin this weekend.
Also speaking of Yeti's... Picked up my 45L Yeti Cooler from REI today. Great quality that you would expect from Yeti, also came with a basket to put stuff in the cooler without getting it wet. Got it in Tan and it fits perfectly in the back of the Jeep.
Pics will be coming soon... ish.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
Pics of both the Yeti and the YETI.
With the track bar being this big and the weird positioning of the steering stabilizer I am probably going to lose some flex before things start rubbing. Not a major issue right now because the GDE isn't supposed to be a rock crawling type of trip, more backroads.
With the track bar being this big and the weird positioning of the steering stabilizer I am probably going to lose some flex before things start rubbing. Not a major issue right now because the GDE isn't supposed to be a rock crawling type of trip, more backroads.
Captain Texas
Adventurer
So with the whole trackbar debacle, I have been feeling really anxious about driving the Jeep because I have had this weird feeling that the whole thing is going to start to death wobble while I'm on the highway and that I'm going to crash the thing.
I took it for a bit of a drive today with going up to 70mph for a bit and nothing happened (Surprising I know). Other than the wind blowing me left and right, there's nothing wrong with it that I can tell, maybe just a bit too much air in the tires.
I guess more than anything I've got some anxiety about the Ghost Divide Expedition coming up. I have never done an extended trip away from home in the Jeep and I really don't know what to expect. I've just got to work on it and realize this is going to be a killer trip.
I took it for a bit of a drive today with going up to 70mph for a bit and nothing happened (Surprising I know). Other than the wind blowing me left and right, there's nothing wrong with it that I can tell, maybe just a bit too much air in the tires.
I guess more than anything I've got some anxiety about the Ghost Divide Expedition coming up. I have never done an extended trip away from home in the Jeep and I really don't know what to expect. I've just got to work on it and realize this is going to be a killer trip.
Just wanted to chime in on your anxiety for the GDE. I've done that trip with Jake and NMBR, and he is a top notch dude and it is an epic trip. You will not be disappointed...everything about it is first rate. Let me know if you have any specific questions on what to expect. Enjoy!
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