Made it home!

[zith]

I'll have to post pics later when I have time, but just got dropped off at home. No trouble getting a tow from AAA. :sad1:

Thanks for everyone who helped or just waited for me to ratchet strap the axle in place and slowly get down Chinaman's.

 

[xj-grin]

I'll have to post pics later when I have time, but just got dropped off at home. No trouble getting a tow from AAA. :sad1:

Thanks for everyone who helped or just waited for me to ratchet strap the axle in place and slowly get down Chinaman's.

that sounds like some interesting details yet to come!:shhh:

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Brian was playing around on Double Whammy and tore the T.B. bracket off the axle. If you all know Chinaman's Gulch, you'll know that there's quite a lot of trail left to be driven beyond Double Whammy to get back down. The strap setup held together until the last downhill or there abouts....

I have my own carnage to the BOR rig as well.........

 

[in4aride]

cool glad they got ya towed back!
they get ya dropped off at your door?...

 

[xj-grin]

I can ususally get AAA to drop me IN the garage!

 

[in4aride]

he was worried about the distance being over the 100 mile limit

 

[Rockken]

Man what a bummer, the last day of wheeling. I guess it's better it broke on the trail instead of the highway on the ride home.

 

[zith]

At my request they dropped me at the bottom part of my driveway. Thought it was easiest given my driveway, and we had already proven I could drive 100 yards or so up the hill into the garage.

Turned out to be about 78 miles, well within the 100 miles. The 100 miles would get anyone in the springs awfully close to home. Took them about a half hour to get the truck there to pick me up.

Definitely a bummer that it happened, but Ken's right... I got a solid four days of wheeling in and not being on the highway is VERY fortunate.

 

[zith]

So I took a few pictures this morning...

The ratchet strap 'x' that got me off the trail and to the truck stop. one strap loops from the track bar frame bracket to the passenger inner C and back. The other goes from the passenger motor mount, around the drivers side inner c, to an unused UCA mount on the passenger LCA.


Where the bracket used to be and what's left of the coil spring bucket where it tied in.


The offending bracket.

 

[Frank Z]

I've got a JKS OTA TB in the garage. You're welcome to it if you don't want to wait for one from JKS.

Just replace it when you have the time/funds to order one.

 

[zith]

Thanks for the offer Frank, I'll keep it in mind if I decide the JKS bracket is the way to go.

Right now I need to take some measurements and figure out if there is a pre-fabricated bracket that will work with my setup without buying too many (or any) new parts! I'm also concerned about a bracket that uses the front of the coil bucket for support (like the JKS) given that it's now ripped to shreds and needs to be reconstructed, although if necessary I can reinforce any off the shelf bracket.

 

[Frank Z]

If you opt to use the JKS bracket I recommend adding a gusset on the back side.

 

[in4aride]

knowing where yours needs to mount and what not is it possibly to have it made here locally to the specs you need?

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Shit, Brian can fab it up himself - he's fabbed most of what's under his rig as it is. I imagine he's looking for a time saver.

Yeah, the JKS bracket leaves a little to be desired - now that I've installed 4 of 'em - I've learned that their position on the axle isn't ideal for custom steering applications - they mount too far to the pass. side and out too far forward.

 

[Frank Z]

I kinda like 'em when used with a TNT (style) frame side mount and a straight T/B.

 

[zith]

Shit, Brian can fab it up himself - he's fabbed most of what's under his rig as it is. I imagine he's looking for a time saver.

Actually I'm frustrated that a part I fabbed had such a catastrophic failure, especially when it's such an important part. I am considering buying a bracket so I have something that's tried and true, and designed by someone who understands the forces of a track bar better than I do. Saving time would be a nice bonus, since I've got a deadline of mid-September to get this repaired, but not my primary motivation.

I was able to swap the threaded end out of my Kevins Jeep Parts track bar for a Johnny Joint and instantly have a shorter track bar. The bend doesn't seem to be a problem. The joint at the axle end is 1.6" wide (pretty much stock width) and uses a 14mm bolt. Looks like I need a bracket that brings the mount about 3" forward from stock, and up 5".

I've been looking at T&T Custom's bracket and might have to ask them a few questions today. It's certainly not the cheapest out there, but it's got a lot attachment to the axle and doesn't rely on the front of the spring perch. JKS, T&T and JCR are the only companies I found that have mounts for the trackbar well in front of the axle to line up with the factory frame mount. Ruff Stuff and BTF are only mildly offset forward, not to mention are designed for 3/4" heims.