Track Bars - Which Brand?

Juday · Post by **Juday** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:36 am

Simple question, who would you chose and why? I'm looking for people that own either/or and let me know what you like and don't like about them. Any problems with the bars, strange noises, etc.

Thuren Track Bar - $340

- Fits 2003-2012 Dodge Ram solid front axle trucks( including 2013 2500)

- Made from 1.5" OD .375" wall 1026 DOM

- Impact resistant triple layer powdercoating

- Grease fitting equipped frame bushing

- Heavy duty FK ROD ENDS 7/8" shank chromoly heim at axle

- NEW special hard 75D Durometer bushing, with stainless sleeve

- Provides much improved steering feel

- Improved suspension feel

- Adjustable length

- The ORIGINAL aftermarket 3rd gen trackbar, specifically brought to
market designed to kill DEATH WOBBLE.

- FREE SHIPPING IN THE 48 STATES!!!!

Carli Track Bar (looks to be a new design?) - $395

Specifications:

Constructed from 1.50" x .375" wall Chromoly tube
CNC bent for perfect fitment
Fixture-welded in house
Pre-loaded captured bushing
Heavy duty F.K. Uniball on frame side
Includes both 14mm and 16mm bushing sleeves and rod end misalignment spacers

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:56 am

Thuren. Frame side bushing has been tweaked over the years to be much tougher then the old designs especially from Carli. That being said their new design I dunno might not feel as tight as a solid mounted axle side bar like thurens because it's rubberized both sides technically. If you do need another rod end for thurens you can upgrade to an emf for 80$ Canadian and that gives you an adjustable tighten able replacement or just buy another xf joint from somewhere for 20$ the joints typically last a year to two years depending on abuse. I got 8 months out of my first then I went to emf because their a Canadian company and their joint has a grease fitting and color that tightens up if the joint does get play.

Personally I would stay Thuren fab. I am not sure if Carli has made their frame side rubber bushing as tough as his yet. And you can save a few bucks. Let someone else experiement with the new style Carli bar lolol

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RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:16 am

I have a Carli track bar, and I'm not a happy camper with it. About every 9,000 miles. I have to change the bushing on where it mounts to the frame. Once the bushing starts to egg shape. It's done. Getting ready to change the bushing again. Number 4.

Come spring, I'm getting the Thuren bar.

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:55 pm

I've got about 20,000km on mine and it's still tight and has some of the grease Thuren put in it lol

and I'm pretty hard on stuff but rusty does a lot more technical wheeling and probably dry steering which would eat a poor joint even faster

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Juday · Post by **Juday** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:54 pm

So, the consensus is the Thuren track bar then? Also, I see that you have the Thuren drag link 2wagons1driveway. How do you like that and did it do much to tighten up your steering?

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:15 pm

I did it because my drag link top tre started to seize but I really like the Thuren one it cycles a lot of travel no binding

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ACRucrazy · Post by **ACRucrazy** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:00 pm

The new Carli just showed up today for me.
No soft bushings in the new design. Both are spherical.

Post by **Pit Slave** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:10 am

ACRucrazy wrote:The new Carli just showed up today for me.
No soft bushings in the new design. Both are spherical.

Mind tossing close up pics of both ends?

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ACRucrazy · Post by **ACRucrazy** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 1:17 am

& bonus

06ryan27 · Post by **06ryan27** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:06 am

ACRucrazy wrote:

& bonus

azracer · Post by **azracer** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:43 am

Carli sure stepped it up a bit with that new design. EMF rod end upgrade is still an option but a Jonny Joint should last a very long time for this application.

I have the new Thuren design and like it allot. No noise and it is tight. I did not realize how much the OEM track bar allowed things to move until I put the Thuren track bar on and felt the difference. There is no shimmy over diagonal RR tracks now. I set mine at 30 1/16" to ensure no coil bucket contact on the drivers side at full jounce. Very happy with my Thuren bar and I got it on sale for Xmas last year with $50 off and free shipping.

.

RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:56 am

Like that new design on the frame end of that Carli bar.

With my Carli bar. I've tried different greases to see if they have any impact on the bushings on the frame. The last grease I've used is the Hotchkis silicone chassis grease. This is the grease they use for their sway bar bushings.

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:33 pm

A Johnny joint is a spherical soft bushings it should have rubber incased spherical ball/ heim inside it unless that's a new design from currie. Let's hope these last longer then the old ones!

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2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:35 pm

azracer wrote:Carli sure stepped it up a bit with that new design. EMF rod end upgrade is still an option but a Jonny Joint should last a very long time for this application.

I have the new Thuren design and like it allot. No noise and it is tight. I did not realize how much the OEM track bar allowed things to move until I put the Thuren track bar on and felt the difference. There is no shimmy over diagonal RR tracks now. I set mine at 30 1/16" to ensure no coil bucket contact on the drivers side at full jounce. Very happy with my Thuren bar and I got it on sale for Xmas last year with $50 off and free shipping.

.

you mean 38 1/16"? Or 39 1/16" :p

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azracer · Post by **azracer** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 6:21 pm

2wagons1driveway wrote:
azracer wrote:Carli sure stepped it up a bit with that new design. EMF rod end upgrade is still an option but a Jonny Joint should last a very long time for this application.

I have the new Thuren design and like it allot. No noise and it is tight. I did not realize how much the OEM track bar allowed things to move until I put the Thuren track bar on and felt the difference. There is no shimmy over diagonal RR tracks now. I set mine at 30 1/16" to ensure no coil bucket contact on the drivers side at full jounce. Very happy with my Thuren bar and I got it on sale for Xmas last year with $50 off and free shipping.

.
you mean 38 1/16"? Or 39 1/16" :p

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39 and a 1/6th... hard to remember, but the clue is not an 1/8" but a 1/16" is the point I was trying to make.

RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 6:47 am

RustyPW wrote:I have a Carli track bar, and I'm not a happy camper with it. About every 9,000 miles. I have to change the bushing on where it mounts to the frame. Once the bushing starts to egg shape. It's done. Getting ready to change the bushing again. Number 4. Come spring, I'm getting the Thuren bar.

Just checked my bushing. It's SHOT!.

Have a little over 10,000 miles on it this time. Wife drove the PW the other day, and said it fell funny steering it.

coder · Post by **coder** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:20 am

I've had the Carli trackbar for over 80k miles never had any problems with the frame side bushings I just replaced both of them just because.

RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:15 pm

The inner hole in the bushing goes egged shaped. Once it starts, it just bigger faster. I bet this is the reason why Carli changed the design. Their bushings wasn't holding up.

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:14 pm

It's too bad you couldn't just retrofit dons basher bushing into your bar rusty

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Juday · Post by **Juday** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 1:17 pm

I ended up pulling the trigger on the Thuren track bar. The steering feel is MUCH better now! Definitely tightened things back up and the front axle doesn't feel like it's moving around at all now. So far, I'm happy.

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:40 pm

It's a wicked addition

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05PWrockcrawler · Post by **05PWrockcrawler** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 6:56 pm

Great decision. I've had mine for two years with 40" tires with zero issue. Make sure you tighten the hell out of the bolts though lol.

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Juday · Post by **Juday** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:12 am

05PWrockcrawler wrote:Great decision. I've had mine for two years with 40" tires with zero issue. Make sure you tighten the hell out of the bolts though lol.

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Oh, I did! I had the impact gun on max setting and then did a little more tightening with a 2' breaker bar. Those babies aren't going anywhere!

2wagons1driveway · Post by **2wagons1driveway** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 10:02 pm

Check em in a few weeks and make sure their good

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RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 10:22 pm

Ordered a new track bar today. New style Carli.

Anyone want a old style Carli. All it needs is new frame bushing. You can get them from Carli. $100.00 plus shipping takes it.

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Track Bars - Which Brand?

Track Bars - Which Brand?

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