I had to remove the bolt from the axle side of my TJ's stock rear track bar (panhard rod, not anti-wrap bar). In doing this, the threads of the bolt got flattened out. I tried putting in a new Grade 8 bolt, and those thread screwed up too. Then I noticed that the split-sleeve in the bushing is too small for the 1/2-inch bolt. I could not drill out this sleeve - it is hardened or something - I messed up two drill bits. 
I had to press the sleeve out of the bushing and use a shock bushing sleeve as a temporary fix to get it back on the road - it works but it is sloppy (the rubber bushing was bonded to the old sleeve, so it ripped out part of the bushing when I pressed out the sleeve, plus the shock bushing sleeve is a smaller OD).
I thought someone had just messed up that sleeve or something. So my friend gave me a stock TJ rear track bar that he didn't need anymore that looked to be in good shape. But I tried sticking a new 1/2-inch bolt through both the upper and lower sleeves, and it doesn't fit this track bar either! The holes aren't off by much - they measure at like 0.484 inches instead of 0.500.
What is up with this? Should it be a metric bolt? I don't think so, as the bolt I took out of my track bar was 1/2-inch, and the holes in the axle bracket are 1/2-inch. Someone got a 1/2-inch bolt through that sleeve at some point.
Do the sleeves get crushed when tightened, so they can't be re-used? I don't want to have to deal with this every time I need to unhook my track bar for something. Is there some trick to making this work? Do I have to replace the stock bushings each time?
Oh yeah - I thought of getting an aftermarket bar, but I don't really need the adjustment, since I have a drop bracket on the frame side and raised bracket on the axle with my 3.5-inch lift.
Right now the "spare" track bar is with my dad at his shop - he's going to ream the sleeves to 1/2-inch (or use something better than plain drill bit) if I can't find another alternative.
Thanks!
Richard
I had to press the sleeve out of the bushing and use a shock bushing sleeve as a temporary fix to get it back on the road - it works but it is sloppy (the rubber bushing was bonded to the old sleeve, so it ripped out part of the bushing when I pressed out the sleeve, plus the shock bushing sleeve is a smaller OD).I thought someone had just messed up that sleeve or something. So my friend gave me a stock TJ rear track bar that he didn't need anymore that looked to be in good shape. But I tried sticking a new 1/2-inch bolt through both the upper and lower sleeves, and it doesn't fit this track bar either! The holes aren't off by much - they measure at like 0.484 inches instead of 0.500.
What is up with this? Should it be a metric bolt? I don't think so, as the bolt I took out of my track bar was 1/2-inch, and the holes in the axle bracket are 1/2-inch. Someone got a 1/2-inch bolt through that sleeve at some point.
Do the sleeves get crushed when tightened, so they can't be re-used? I don't want to have to deal with this every time I need to unhook my track bar for something. Is there some trick to making this work? Do I have to replace the stock bushings each time?
Oh yeah - I thought of getting an aftermarket bar, but I don't really need the adjustment, since I have a drop bracket on the frame side and raised bracket on the axle with my 3.5-inch lift.
Right now the "spare" track bar is with my dad at his shop - he's going to ream the sleeves to 1/2-inch (or use something better than plain drill bit) if I can't find another alternative.
Thanks!
Richard
