Rick Péwé
Editor-in-Chief, 4Wheel & Off-Road
Back when leaf springs reigned, there were few uses for a track bar. But with link suspension and coilovers, something has to keep the front (and rear) axles from moving side-to-side. That’s the function of a track bar.
There are a plethora of factory and aftermarket track bar offerings for many vehicles. When we built the Ultimate CJ-7 for the 2010 Ultimate Adventure, we took a stock CJ-7 with leaves and threw some coilovers under it. For a track bar, a simple stock JK Jeep unit was used, as they are big and beefy and have a curve to clear the front diff cover. Plus, we already had one.
The problem is that the stock bar is not adjustable for different suspension heights, and the bushings in either end are stock rubber units. With death wobble impending on our 4x4, we looked for something a bit better to keep the axle centered.
Currie’s Rock-Jock JK track bar is made from 4130 chromoly steel tubing, with a 11⁄4-inch diameter and a 1⁄4-inch wall thickness. This is far stronger but lighter than the stock JK bar. It’s also adjustable for different heights of lift, and greaseable. The close-ups show the major difference between the worn stock rubber bushing and the special skinny Johnny Joint.
Currie Enterprises is known for its custom 9-inch Ford axles as well as unique Jeep suspension products and involvement in all sorts of racing. One of the things Currie is known for is the Johnny Joint, a specially made style of spherical rod end bearing that is rebuildable, greaseable, and far better than any other on the market. The joint offers 30 degrees of movement instead of a standard 22, and the inside is a special urethane that is tougher than normal stuff. These joints have been used for years in all sorts of suspension applications, and we have a bunch on many of our own Jeeps.
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