Track bar bracket after suspension lift??

[Bundy]

Hey All-

I am planning on doing a 4.5"-5.5" lift up from an ancient existing 3.5" setup. new coils, bushings, shocks in the front (springs in the rear with an inboard shock mount) and for steeering i want to go with BC heim TRO kit.

Here is my current setup; i was told that with 4.5" lift, for mostly offroad but still onroad capabilites, a drop track bar bracket with a new (adjustable) trac bar are needed.

it looks like i already have one, is it low enough and will it work?

 

[DirtDonk]

You have a drop-bracket, but not an adjustable trackbar. One or the other is "supposedly" enough, according to some of the people that sell them, but I like using both.
And since you're running a '76 or '77 Bronco with the "inverted-Y" steering setup, you're right to factor in a new steering link system as well.

In the case of a 5.5" lift though, you should be prepared for the drop bracket not being enough and perhaps a lower mount raising bracket will be called for as well. Maybe. It depends on the drop of your pitman arm and where you mount your tie-rod also. Since keeping the trackbar and draglink as close to parallel is just as, if not more, important as the overall angle itself.
I can't see the pitman arm in the pic, but it sounds like you might still be stock there. If your new pitman arm stays the same as one for a 3.5" lift, then your drop bracket "might" be useable by itself, but...

Basically, no matter what you do, you're probably going to have to tweak one thing or another, once the lift is on, to get your best match.
After all, it all has to stay one big happy family under there.

Paul

 

[TBS-POPS]

Going with a 5.5 lift and tro steering, a drop bracket and an axle riser might both have to be used to get the geometry right. adj track bar is a must.Put steering in first, then mount trac bar to match steering geometry.

 

[73stallion]

ryan, that's more like a track bar relocator bracket than a drop bracket. i'd go with a riser on the axle though, a drop bracket also has more chance of hitting the tie rod at full compression also. an adjustable track bar will help to center the axle along with the riser for geometry.

BTW, i see you're still sporting some borrego dust on your undercarriage too! ;D

 

[TN1776]

I run a 5.5" lift and run a trac-bar riser on the axle with a beefed up (stock location) frame mount for the trac bar, using the stock trac bar (not adjustable). My riser was a custom creation built by the guy I got my axle from and my front end geometry is perfect, running the BC heim steering mounted on top of the knuckles. The tie rod and trac bar are almost perfectly parallel and very close to the same length, and I have absolutely no bump steer or other adverse front-end handling problems.

This being said the adjustable trac-bar is a nice thing to have if you're not building your riser totally custom like mine.

 

[Bundy]

Thanks for the info guys- now that i re-read chuck's suggestion i think he is referring to the axle riser mount and not the upper drop down bracket.

I am kinf of torn on whether or not i want to go 4.5" or 5.5"... being as i have no body lift at all and i want to retain SOME onroad drivability.

do they make a quick disconnect sway bar like currie does for the heeps, as i foresee the body roll as being my biggest nemesis in a 5.5"

 

[Grizzly4x4]

The upper track bar bracket is what was offered with the Rancho 3" lift kit. That was the first lift I bought for my Bronc back in the day. It relocates the track bar to center the axle but it is not enough of a drop to work with a 4.5" lift imo.

If you use a drop pitman arm that upper bracket will not get your track bar parallel to the drag link, assuming you switch to a T style steering.

The adjustable trac bar is only good for centering your axle, it doesn't do much to help you get the angles correct.