Track bar?? Hi everyone btw

ANDREW W CHESTNUT said:
My u bolt plates are factory Ford plates with shock attachments. Guess I'd have to use the rear axle tube design.
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That's why I typed "fab a ubolt plate". One that will accomplish both needs.
I've made them before for this sort of application. It'll be much easier and just as effective as one mounted to the axle tube (if there's even room).
Good luck. Cool project!
 
Jody Treadway said:
That's why I typed "fab a ubolt plate". One that will accomplish both needs.
I've made them before for this sort of application. It'll be much easier and just as effective as one mounted to the axle tube (if there's even room).
Good luck. Cool project!
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Ahh i see gotta use my imagination :). And thank you! It was a challenge.. obviously by my questions, but really fun none the less! Just a few odds and ends to wrap up..Well besides this stuff
 
Just for laugh, that is how much they compressed and they are rated for a diesel weight...
 

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What are the springs meant for? You could always call up somebody like Alcan and have a set of springs made.
 
If you ever noticed the front of a SD, the springs are pretty much flat with weight on them. If I were you, I'd see if I could pull some spring mount measurements off of an SD truck and try to mimic that.

Ford also had several different front springs they used and identified with different codes. I'm not sure which ones you have, but they look to be a pretty soft spring rate. You'd like need something in the mid to upper 400 lb/in range. Scroll down to post #8 in this link and it shows them all. The good thing is you can buy new springs pretty damn cheap, like 200 bucks a pair.

Super Duty Front Spring Code and Capacity Chart - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
 
They are pro comp 4 inch lift springs for a super duty. So that is how i was basing my total lift from the truck 4 inch plus crossmember bracket mounting put me in the 6ish lift catagory
 
We had 3 Ford's, all lifted, in the group and we pulled the track bar off of everyone of them. They drove better. It was mentioned above,but at stock height the leaves are flat and do not have a pile of travel. So are the track bar and drag link, roughly. You get a decent amount of lift on there then the springs start to move and you have a pretty good angle on your track bar/drag link. The front end is noticeably fighting itself and it rides like shit.

If you are having death wobble issues check your caster and your leaf spring bushings. Up until 98/99 Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep and Toyota never ran a track bar on a leaf spring set up. If there is an issue with your setup a track bar is a band aid. Fix the problem and you will be set.
 
BigGreenMonster said:
We had 3 Ford's, all lifted, in the group and we pulled the track bar off of everyone of them. They drove better. It was mentioned above,but at stock height the leaves are flat and do not have a pile of travel. So are the track bar and drag link, roughly. You get a decent amount of lift on there then the springs start to move and you have a pretty good angle on your track bar/drag link. The front end is noticeably fighting itself and it rides like shit.

If you are having death wobble issues check your caster and your leaf spring bushings. Up until 98/99 Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep and Toyota never ran a track bar on a leaf spring set up. If there is an issue with your setup a track bar is a band aid. Fix the problem and you will be set.
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Oh i was going to run a track bar just for road manners on the highway, but the sway bar came into the equation. I know the wobble is something completely unrelated to the bar.
 
So i went and kinda half mocked a track bar point of travel..and it looks like if i welded a tab to the top of the shock mount, and a frame mount near the engine crossmember...im gonna have to cut the bottom half off the crossmember and basically make it flat and weld some plate to square it off to get the clearance i need...

Think the reasonable thing to do is, dial in my alignment, install the steering stabilizer i ordered...and take a drive and see where am at and see if one or anything is needed..

No sense in creating work if i MAY not need it right? Logical thinking yes no?
 

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That'd be the way to do it, but I'm fairly certain that you won't need one if you get everything set up properly. Did you ever check to see if the truck moves side to side before the front wheels start to turn?

Are those upper plates/shock mounts cast iron? If so, they might be a bit of a bitch to weld tabs on to.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
That'd be the way to do it, but I'm fairly certain that you won't need one if you get everything set up properly. Did you ever check to see if the truck moves side to side before the front wheels start to turn?

Are those upper plates/shock mounts cast iron? If so, they might be a bit of a bitch to weld tabs on to.
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I never got a chance to check for any type of movement nor align it. Why im gonna dial it in first and drive it before i commit to more fab work. I drove it around to check turn radius *like around the yard* and felt no shiftiness or anything like that. Actually fairly soft on the crater filled dirt plot i was on
 
ANDREW W CHESTNUT said:
I never got a chance to check for any type of movement nor align it. Why im gonna dial it in first and drive it before i commit to more fab work. I drove it around to check turn radius *like around the yard* and felt no shiftiness or anything like that. Actually fairly soft on the crater filled dirt plot i was on
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The simple test to do, have a friend watch the frame/suspension while you turn the wheel back and forth on concrete, to see if anything moves side to side.
 
Just a quick update. I put a steering stabilizer on it and brought the toe in a bit...it was pretty close but I brought it in anyway. Helped ALOT. I can now drive past 30 got up to 50 " I didn't wanna romp hard, all new drivetrain" drove alright but a bit squirrelly driving. Have a little shake at 35 but no where near the death wobble.

Driveshaft was at about 10 degrees so no issue there. Caster was about 4ish? Degrees.

Any thoughts to this? Also btw the tires are military mts if that enlightens anyone...
 
ANDREW W CHESTNUT said:
Oh yeah ive done it before, i just dont have that many people willing to help haha
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Just hang out the drivers window enough to look down the drivers fender to a spot on the ground. Turn the wheel back and forth slightly and watch for the body to shift in relation to the front driver tire. Not that I’ve ever done it before lol
 
skyhighZJ said:
Just hang out the drivers window enough to look down the drivers fender to a spot on the ground. Turn the wheel back and forth slightly and watch for the body to shift in relation to the front driver tire. Not that I’ve ever done it before lol
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Hahaha sounds in genius. ..ill do it tonight .

Im also starting to think there's a reason every dodge owner gets a steering brace.....
 
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