Skyjacker Jeep Wrangler TJ Track Bar Install

Jan. 10, 2012 By Josh Burns

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The Skyjacker Adjustable Track Bar for our Jeep Wrangler TJ includes a new adjustable track bar, rod end, steering damper and all necessary hardware.

Wanting to replace our stock track bar with a more durable and adjustable piece for the trails, we turned to Skyjacker for its Adjustable Front Track Bar Kit for our TJ Jeep Wrangler. This adjustable piece also fits the XJ (’84-01 Cherokee), ZJ (Grand Cherokee ‘93-98) and our TJ (’97-2006 Wrangler).

The adjustability of the track bar helps keep tracking aligned during articulation on the trail during serious suspension travel. Offering up to 24 inches of total travel, Skyjacker’s Adjustable Front Track Bar Kit relocates the track bar to the top of the axle. It features a three-piece, Teflon-lined spherical rod end as well as a heavy-duty replacement steering stabilizer.

For the kit, Skyjacker calls for about one to two hours of install time. Required tools are: safety glasses, metric/standard wrenches and sockets, measuring tape and a torque wrench.

To get started, park the vehicle on flat, level ground and set the emergency brake. Follow along with the process in the pictures below:

Once the vehicle is secure, we started to remove the stock components. To install the steering stabilizer mounting bracket in the kit we needed to remove the sway-bar disconnect on the passenger side from our 4-inch Skyjacker lift that was previously installed.

Next we began to remove the steering stabilizer.

With the steering stabilizer off, the stock track bar was removed from the passenger side of the axle.

The steering stabilizer didn’t come off easily at the ball joint, so having some extra tools on hand will help in a pinch, such as this ball joint service tool that helped us pop it out.

By far the most difficult portion of the install was the removal of track bar from the frame side. Due to limited space, we couldn’t get the ball joint service tool in place, so we turned to a ball joint separator tool. We even added an extension onto the tool to get some extra leverage – this joint did not want to come out.

The steering stabilizer mounting bracket is installed to help relocate the mounting location higher on the passenger side.

Before installation of the new components, we greased and installed the polyurethane bushings in the track bar and the bushings in the steering stabilizer.