• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Why you don't want to run a track bar drop with TRO

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
Digging through some old photos I found some where I was doing suspension clearance checking. That is take the springs out, jack it up until the bumpstop is squished, cycle the steering to make sure everything clears. You have done that, right? It is real easy to do and doesn't take that much time.

OK, so here is a picture of the very limited clearance between the stock track bar bracket and the over knuckle tie rod. At full compression and a bit of a turn. If there was a drop bracket there then it would be interfering with the tie rod. Good thing there is a riser bracker on the axle instead.

Do you have clearance when this happens?
 

Attachments

  • PB290082.jpg
    PB290082.jpg
    108.4 KB · Views: 202

mofoco1

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 25, 2001
Messages
1,474
Loc.
Clovis, CA
I think you would still have some room as you would have the spring coils that compress only so much and act as a stop as well. How much lift do you have? How about installing a taller poly bump stop, oops looks like you already did. Personally i think you would have to pop your coil out and out of the bucket if you were to compress that amount any way ....Mo
 
Last edited:

chuck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
6,474
Loc.
Ingram, Texas
With less than 3.5" using a drop bracket will bend the tie rod if you put it over.
A 3.5" lift with the drop bracket and tie rod ouder all is good.
The track bar raise bracket will hit the frame without enough lift also.
 

fungus

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
1,548
Loc.
Kaneohe Bay, Oahu
I've got a 3.5" lift, drop bracket & TRO. I've had the pass side front off the ground and driver's side stuffed in a full left or right turn & never hit.
 

toddz69

Sponsor/Vendor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 28, 2001
Messages
10,080
Digging through some old photos I found some where I was doing suspension clearance checking. That is take the springs out, jack it up until the bumpstop is squished, cycle the steering to make sure everything clears. You have done that, right? It is real easy to do and doesn't take that much time.

OK, so here is a picture of the very limited clearance between the stock track bar bracket and the over knuckle tie rod. At full compression and a bit of a turn. If there was a drop bracket there then it would be interfering with the tie rod. Good thing there is a riser bracker on the axle instead.

Do you have clearance when this happens?

I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Mr. Bowsher. Good analysis! I discovered the same thing a few months ago when I had my springs out and was doing some checking on my truck as well. Mine is closer than yours (maybe the bumpstops were a little more squished) and I have a TRO on the F150/Bronco knuckles, whose steering arms are even lower than yours (I can't recall but I *think* you had the stock EB knuckles on your truck). Mine is close enough that I plan to trim my trac bar bracket a bit. With a TRO, there's no way you can run stock bump stops in my opinion. And yes, before anyone asks, things would hit before the coils go into solid compression. I have about 2.5", maybe 3" lift on the front of my truck and tend to "exercise" it frequently so I don't want any interference.

Chuck makes a good point too - the trac bar risers make pretty good bump stops on small lifts too. That's one reason I went to the full-length trac bar - so I could regain several inches of bump travel.

Todd Z.
 
OP
OP
Broncobowsher

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
I did trim the passenger side bumps stop a lot. Little more then a little poly square is all that was left. Could not use an extended bumpstop on the passenger side, good thing they cut easy enough.

Todd, you are correct. they were regular drum brake knuckles with a Chevy disk conversion.

As for a coil going solid, you would have a very poorly set up front end for that to happen. That is what bumpstops are for. You never want to see a coil go solid. Some of the progressive coils will partially go into coil bind, A few coils will touch but not all. This gives a progressive function to them. A quick way to add up if the springs can go solid, add the distance between all the coils. compare that to the frame to bumpstop distance. I always measure about halfway into the bumpstop rubber to account for the squish factor.

As for the pitman arm, that is a Nissan steering box and I managed to get a CalMini HD steering upgrade pitman arm for a 1st gen Xterra. Then drilled the meric hole for use with heims. Almost put the steering damper extra hole in the pitman arm but never did, figured the geometery wouldn't be as good as it was on the drag link.

I find it amazing that people don't actually check the front end clearance, and it is so easy to do. and can keep very bad things from happening on the trail, where the suspension will travel a LOT more then you thought it would or appears to even on ramps. Dynamic input adds a lot to the movment. Just pulling the coils and squishing the front end will likly wake a lot of people up to where the front end actually can go.

And you thought you had clearance...
 

chuck

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
6,474
Loc.
Ingram, Texas
I've got a 3.5" lift, drop bracket & TRO. I've had the pass side front off the ground and driver's side stuffed in a full left or right turn & never hit.
I wonder why? Maybe your knuckles are lower? The next time you stuff a left front tire could you get out and see whay is llimiting the up travel? I am not trying to say your EB does not flex enough but if it compresses enough the TRO and the drop track bar will meet. There is always something that limits up and down travel.
 
OP
OP
Broncobowsher

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
Don't forget to look if the shock is bottoming out.

You may have stiff enough springs and light enough weight that it won't bottom in a static condition. It would have to be dynamic like dropping into a hole to get that little extra squish
 
Top