Should you remove Track Bar? Jeep YJ - More FLEX, SOFTER Ride, Pros & Cons

Merch: flawedoffroad.com/
I see this question literally every day online. Should I ( you ) remove track bar (s) on a jeep yj? So I'm giving you my experience with removing them, and the biggest Pro's and Con's I could think of from all the threads I've read on it over the years.
I forgot to record the part about why Jeep/AMC even put trac bars on a YJ, so here is a link - www.hemmings.com/stories/2019...
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Flawed Offroad, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Flawed Offroad assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Flawed Offroad recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Flawed Offroad, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Flawed Offroad.
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[@SquareLyfe]

Haha this is an excellent explanation; I will be sharing this video every time the topic comes up. Trac bars are like titties on a boar hog...useless!

[@FlawedOffroad]

agreed! But I wanted to at least share the few credible cons I could find to make it fair haha

[@vinson6337]

I got rid of the track bars on my YJ and I DON’T REGRET IT.

[@dstry_mrdr_kill1795]

Sub’d because you’re clear and straight to the point. Sold the jku and bought a stock yj this morning. Then realized this evening the rear track bar bracket is broke. Glad your video is the first I came across. Great vid

[@FlawedOffroad]

Glad you liked it

[@p8nflnt]

Good job with this video. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it, and I appreciate it. Well done.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Thanks!

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

Thank you for this video. The video answered a great number of questions for me. Keep making great videos. Carry On Sir

[@FlawedOffroad]

Thanks for stopping in, glad it helped, and I’m trying! 🤙

[@piasprojects]

I totally agree removing track bars was a great thing when I first got my YJ!

[@mustangmang1]

I just got my first Jeep ever (always had fords). I bought a 1991 and aside from a little parking lot road test, i never really drove it. When I did, i immediately was like "wtf is going on with the steering? Any up or down on the highway or bump and it was steering left and right, it was skeeeeeetchy!" I cant believe they released them new with the track bar! I live in the rocky mountains of BC and i thought it was sketch as hell.. i pulled both track bar and sway bars and it is night and day difference now. Totally different rig now, and while it has body roll, it feels actually planted now. I can actually take my hand off the wheel at 50mph and dont feel like its going to lose its cool on its own. Hands down, best mod yet 👌

[@FlawedOffroad]

Like I said in the video as long as your other steering and suspension components are in good shape it makes everything better. If that stuff is wore out things will get worse

[@wesbarcus3761]

Long time no see. The YJ has really grown, looks great. You did a great job on the video. Keep up the information flow.

[@FlawedOffroad]

been awhile since I saw you name pop up. this video is pretty old but it stays relevant haha

[@wesbarcus3761]

@@FlawedOffroad Yes it does. So does using disconnects on sway bars and greasable shackles. Cheap upgrades that smooth out spring eye movement and help to quiet the ride. Plus allows foruch better axle articulation and less need to rely on lockers.

[@BusyHands53]

New subscriber Bro! Love your info!!

[@andrewsapp856]

Thank you for the video! You are awesome man. This is the first video I’ve seen of yours. New sub

[@FlawedOffroad]

Awesome Im glad you liked it! There's a bunch of videos on my Jeep, tools, and all kinds of stuff on the channel. Thanks for watching and the sub!

[@andrewsapp856]

@@FlawedOffroad gotta love the quality yj content🤝 thanks for sharing I appreciate the time you put into this video

[@adamshartley]

Good video man. I removed my track and sway and im running the teraflex revolvers up front nice flex and ride. Stay safe man jeep looks great

[@FlawedOffroad]

I have not heard a lot of good things about revolvers on the front so I’m glad it’s not giving you a fit

[@adamshartley]

@@FlawedOffroad i did have a failure on a set. And went to the boomerang ones but went back to the revolvers because the flex i get. The rear didnt work for me they gave me wicked axle wrap. But the fronts work great. Thanks for the reply man stay safe. So nice seeing orher yjs out there. Leaf springs party harder! 😆

[@ukjeeper]

91 YJ on stack axles (D30/D35) RE SOA springs, Rancho shocks, for over 20 years. Never had, or seemed to need Track bars, sway bars and wrap bars. Works great without.

[@cadenwilliams5851]

very informative video I removed mine with the lift because it was pushing my axle to the passenger side, but it definitely rides three times better!

[@FlawedOffroad]

Thanks! I see the question so often I figured id make this and just start posting it as an answer when people ask haha

[@cadenwilliams5851]

@@FlawedOffroad ya every time someone asks about it in the yj Facebook page we can just post this video and not have to explain it!

[@AIHTube1]

I have a 95 YJ Wrangler and I just noticed that the bracket on the driver side rear track bar was broken so I think I’ll take it off the right side as well and see how it works out. It would be a pain in the butt to try and get a new bracket and weld it on. Thanks for the info

[@FlawedOffroad]

Well if its already broken then youre already driving without it technically. Its a paperweight

[@elivoight4526]

i like the dirt lifestyle sticker. also love the jeep

[@FlawedOffroad]

Thanks!

[@SWBCrawler]

Lol. My inspection shop gave me a hard time every year over the track bar. Passed me anyway... Pennsylvania.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Commie😅

[@holdfast4588]

My 93 yj with 4 inch spring under kept my front track bar ditched the rear track and sway bar. Drives way better on the freeway with my front still on. It wanders all over without it.. it’s a daily driver mild trail rig though.

[@FlawedOffroad]

There is a ton of factors to that, and its impossible to cover everyones setup. you could have worn out shackle bushings or sloppy steering box or toe in could be off, theres a million reasons for why it does that.(not saying you do im just guessing) But in general if everything is set up correct, most people dont have issues! Thanks for watching!

[@mmc5909]

I have an 89 with a pro comp 5 and a half inch lift with a coil spring conversion kit. I'm assuming removing my track bar is a bad idea. First Jeep!! New world to me!

[@FlawedOffroad]

yeah you get an exemption lol have to keep yours

[@DaddyJeepGarage]

At least now we have a video to link to when someone asks that question. I know back when I was poor and still had leaf springs ( ha, ha, sorry I couldn't resist) mine rode and flexed so much better after I ditched my track bar.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Yeah I know there’s a large portion of the jeep crowd that would rather watch a video then read a forum so I figured it couldn’t hurt! I think it turned out pretty good for a 1 day video. Write,record, edit and post in 1 day, that’s rare for me lol

[@theronwolf3296]

I did this experiment accidentally on a mostly stock YJ. The bracket broke on the rear bar and I never even knew it. No noticeable change. However a while back I noticed steering was a little (not dangerously) imprecise and the wheel would not center consistently. I started looking for a loose tie rod end but found the bolt at the axle was missing. I put a new bolt in and the centering came right back where it belonged. This applies to stock suspension only. There are ways around that which decent lift kit providers can design.

[@FlawedOffroad]

I would say if you didnt feel a dramatic change in ride quality then you might have old seized up bushings or too tight of shackle bolts. when mine was stock I did new bushings and grease first, it was better but when i pulled the tracbar it was like a dream. granted it went back to being rough on the lift springs I installed shortly after. Shocks play into that as well

[@davidjessee7701]

My 92 has a 4” spring lift and road like a log truck! After ditching both track bars and the sway bar it rides way better! Has a little roll on the curves on the highway but I just grab the wheel and rip it! Well as much as a 2.5 will rip😂

[@FlawedOffroad]

It’s the American thing to do 🤘🤘😅

[@eldenswordable]

A clean video that jumps right to the point - Subscribed and thank you! I run mostly washes and 3-6 level trials, definitely highway and streets but my Bucket of Bolts isn't a daily driver. I'm going for the trackbar removal - No commie state, so one less con. Thanks again!

[@FlawedOffroad]

Good call! You will feel a difference, and the difference is mostly the suspension not being bound up anymore. If you get anything sketchy, it’s not the track bars fault. that means you have other problems like I said in the video, so just watch out for that. Leaf bushings, etc.. good luck

[@eldenswordable]

@@FlawedOffroad Thanks, man!

[@chumpchange1846]

I've wheeled my 4.0L YJ from Colorado to Palo Duro, Pine Barrens, Tug Hill, Ma Bell, Tellico, Rausch Creek and multiple Jeep Jamborees...and done it all with 4 inch spring under lift with boomerang shackles front and rear with mostly factory axles. I run Interco 34x9.50 Narrow SS, with Trac-Lok rear and Lockright front. The rear track bar was removed two decades ago, and the front track bar has been replaced with a JKS telescoping/locking trackbar (telescopes when loosened for crawling) along with their latest anti-sway bar two piece quick disconnects. I've cut sheet metal and installed GenRight fenders. If you run a tire any bigger, you'll need to replace axles. I'm the first owner of the '92 YJ, and I know how to play to its strengths and weaknesses...the YJ is a great Jeep...and I've shown it no mercy. Yes, I've lunched the rear 35 ring and pinion and I'm sure that I'll kill it again. Dana 60s and 4 links front and rear are under construction along with a GenRight cage and Atlas. 40s will fit under with the 5.38s and Atlas @ 4.3 with stock Ansin.

[@FlawedOffroad]

My jeep has had a few different phases as well, I dont want to say its unstoppable now but its damn beefy and performs awesome! If you want to see a better look at it besides sitting in my garage, check this video out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGPQeYiseM2tfqs

[@chumpchange1846]

@@FlawedOffroad Thanks for the video link. All I have to add is for you to consider going with a more aggressive tread...Super Swamper TSL or if you want better wet road manners, the SSR. Yes, they are noisy going down the road and you basically don't bother balancing them...but aired down to 8 PSI or less, they grab everything. The TSLs are serious 'tater diggers ;-)

[@FlawedOffroad]

@@chumpchange1846 I went with the humvee mtrs because they were $100 each and I was broke from buying all the other parts lmao. I think a front locker would help alot instead of the truetrac(it came with the axle so I ran it)

[@chumpchange1846]

@@FlawedOffroad You nailed it...better tires and a locker up front will help...altho I did see both front wheels spinning nicely together. I understand the broke part ;-)

[@7t2z28]

Trac bars are absolutely worthless on a leaf spring vehicle. It was a knee-jerk reaction to correct a roll-over problem that is mainly caused by bad drivers. This is achieved much more effectively by two things: 1 - the wider frame and wider leaf springs; 2 - the front sway bar. There are no cons to removing it from a YJ. If you take it off and have handling issues, it's because bushings or other joints are worn out. To get around inspection, completely removing the mount brackets from the frame are usually a safe bet. The safest bet is to keep it handy for inspection and throw it back on when it's that time.

[@FlawedOffroad]

I agree, I was trying to keep the video less biased for the people that are coming in from the other camp, and give it a fair analysis. The cons I mentioned were merely stuff ive heard people say as the argument to keep them

[@spymaine89]

yes if you have leif springs

[@-_-John-_-]

✅

[@_JEBUS]

I recengly removed the track bars on my 92 YJ and the body roll is way more intense. I didnt notice that it was SOA conversion when i bought it. Not sure if i made a mistake or not by removing the bars on this setup.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Still have sway bar? Removing that was where I noticed the body roll.

[@ScottRidesHonda]

No trackbars no sway bars these jeeps are not fast even with the inline six just try it. If you don't like the handling characteristics you can always bolt it back on.

[@TaylorSwiftIsGod]

Love your channel. My REP 1991 jeep yj track bars so rusted up and siezed wont come iut. Can i just cut the bars out and leave the hardware on????

[@FlawedOffroad]

i mean its your jeep, aint gonna hurt anything but look corny.

[@kepaloha]

Great video!!! since I'm lazy, do I have to actually jack up my jeep? and could I just cut them off instead of wrestle with the nuts and bolts?

[@FlawedOffroad]

You can cut them, many people do because the bolts seize up. You don’t need to jack it up unless you can’t fit under there. Keep in mind it will be under a little bit of force so when you pull the bolt or cut the bar it might bang/release a little hard. I actually advise against letting the axle hang while trying to remove(like on a lift) because it will be hard to get the bolts out and then the axle will be able to drop farther if that makes since(cause the tracbar limits the down travel)

[@kepaloha]

@@FlawedOffroad Thank you So much for the great advice, I really appreciate the information.

[@FOFBASS1]

Well I’m going outside to remove my Track Bar

[@TheJakyj318]

4:00 If you change your pitman arm, you should use that tracbar relocation kit or do the relocation yourself. With the stock pitmanarm it will ruin your steering. On a street only YJ you should keep the front tracbar and a much more direkt steering. If your YJ is offroad only you can throw the front tracbar away. For everything between jks offers the telescoping tracbar, which gives you the flex offroad and the direkt steering onroad. The rear one is useless weight

[@FlawedOffroad]

Honestly myself and many other people believe the front one is useless weight as well but to each their own. It’s my belief if the track bar helps your steering then you just have steering issues either in your tierods or clapped out bushings or whatever. Probably the only thing that helps do if it’s set up parallel to the drag link is cut down on bump steer

[@brandonkelbe]

Does the JK telescopic tracbar fit on a yj specifically or do you need to get a specific one? This sounds like the perfect compromise for my daily driver, as I don’t have a desire to lift it. But I want to replace everything it rides ROUGH.

[@theezeelife292]

Does this information also apply to heavier cehicles such as my 2000 Superduty?

[@FlawedOffroad]

That I don’t know. Those trucks are heavy and probably wouldn’t do as well without them. I think it would side load the leaf bushings pretty hard

[@theezeelife292]

@@FlawedOffroad that's my line of thinking, especially with a diesel up front.

[@hammerandanail4770]

I wanna do a spring over for my yj but have no clue how to do it lol

[@FlawedOffroad]

Its a whole ordeal. Might I suggest search around on Jeepforum, thats where I basically learned everything I know about YJ's Alot of cool dudes over there including me

[@FlawedOffroad]

@@hammerandanail4770 no just jeepforum.com

[@krod2162]

I have a potentially dumb question. I know there's a track bar up front. I've seen it but I never looked at the back. Is there one back there too, and should it be removed? I have A93YJ with a 4 cylinder in it, mostly stock. Except for the slightly bigger tires and the rancho nine thousand shocks

[@FlawedOffroad]

yep they came with a rear as well

[@krod2162]

So when I remove the front should I removed the rear also

[@soundtecked]

What if you're going to add steering stabilizers

[@FlawedOffroad]

They are kind of a Separate thing, there’s nothing wrong with them but I don’t Find them as a necessity. I haven’t had one for years.

[@Daniel_kruger]

I found when using crossover steering and leaf springs, trackbar helps with steering play on road driving...

[@FlawedOffroad]

If you have steering play then you have worn steering components or box, not the lack of a tracbars fault

[@Daniel_kruger]

@@FlawedOffroad may be. I have push-fit poly-bushings in the leafsprings, and have found they slide because of the excessive force applyed by the push/pull from the steering rod. there must be a reason factory put trackbar on leafsprings, even many say its a waste. (my truck is a 83 ram w250 with converted drag-link steering to crossover. truck has more need for steering correction after this mod, before adding trackbar.) just my findings

[@donnypaige8854]

What leaf springs do you have on that?..somone told 1/2 ton chevy or ford spring are good for flex? What did you use? Plz and thx

[@FlawedOffroad]

wagoneer springs. if you run them backwards you get 2" of stretch so it adds 4" of wheelbase to the jeep. They are a bit stiff if you get new ones like I did so I removed a couple leaves from the pack and they are SOA. they also are equal to about a 2" lift spring when used on a YJ.

[@donnypaige8854]

@FlawedOffroad ok cool thx I'll look into them...I'm running g just the stock axles for now..I'm trying to get my budget ready for tons..will the work on those for now?

[@FlawedOffroad]

@@donnypaige8854 if you put them on in the stock configurations they will be equal to a 2 inch lift spring plus the stretch. Keep in mind the stretch can cause clearance issues between the rear axle and the fuel tank, and it can cause steering geometry issues also with the location of the steering box. It should be OK with stock steering but I had high steer so I had to modify some stuff

[@troymenting6854]

Hey bro, I have a 94’ YJ with a 4” lift. I have replaced the rear shocks and the rear track bar has been removed for years. When going over road bumps, the rear end bangs pretty hard. It was almost unbearable before I replaced the old shocks, but I’m still having the same issue even with the new ones with only a mild difference. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated 👍🏼

[@FlawedOffroad]

sounds like something is hitting or you could have rusted out spring hangers. Some peoples shackles swing back and hit the rear bumper/crossmember if you have longer shackles that arent boomerang style

[@troymenting6854]

@@FlawedOffroad Thanks man! No shackles back there. Gonna look into those spring hangers. I can jump on the back bumper and it feels like something is bottoming out. Rear shocks are brand new so I’ve been puzzled 🤔

[@troymenting6854]

Ok, I know what you mean by shackles now lol 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@BLACKWOLF-1911]

Mine rear one rusted on my 95 and I had no idea. Since it rode on leaf springs, needless to say when I took it out on the highway, I thought I was going to kill myself.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Sounds like you e got some other issues at hand to deal with then

[@kryptkeeper501]

What lift do you have

[@kryptkeeper501]

A video of your build would be great. I also have F250 axles, but my ride is rough. I want a soft ride. Help

[@FlawedOffroad]

I dont have a lift, I have a bunch of carefully selected parts that made the jeep bigger lol. if you go back to the beginning of my channel all those videos show what stuff I used

[@patchrockit]

remove track bars if regularly drive 65mph?

[@FlawedOffroad]

its perfectly safe to remove, but like I said in the video, if you have worn out bushings and steering and you remove it and it gets "worse" thats why. I drive mine that fast but I am on fullsize axles these days, but back when I was stock, and even had a small lift with stock axles I drove it 75-80 and never was an issue. I really went into alot of details in this video so if you didnt watch the whole thing I would suggest it. AMC added them as a kneejerk reaction to people rolling narrow track CJ's, they are 100% not neccesary on leaf sprung vehicles

[@darrianknight8974]

Maybe I missed something or somebody can explain when you do this wouldn't you get some horrible death wobble from this?

[@FlawedOffroad]

No and if for some reason you did it’s being caused by another component. The tracbar does not do the same job On a yj that it does on jeeps like a TJ OR a JK

[@FlawedOffroad]

Honestly all I can really say is watch the entire video and listen because I explained exactly your question right in the video

[@budwisr8559]

Alright video but you didn't cover the original purpose of the track bars. You did mention the term panhard bar which is closer to why they were used. They were used to move the roll center closer to the center of gravity, in other words to prevent rollovers during tight cornering. AMC was facing alot of lawsuits with the CJs high center of gravity, they were used to improve the Wranglers on road handing. Lifting the suspension automatically negates their intended purpose.

[@FlawedOffroad]

There was a part where I said I was going to talk about that, and I totally forgot to record it, so I put a link down in the description to that exact topic

[@FlawedOffroad]

That is why Jeep put them on there but it did very little to accomplish that. Most people in the Jeep world call them tracbars even though they are in fact Panhard bars that’s why I called it both. Most jeep people refer to a ladder bar as a traction bar and I think they just started confusing the two

[@budwisr8559]

@@FlawedOffroad The "track" bars were probably the biggest single factor in improving the handling of the YJ over the CJ. The late-model CJs came with front anti-sway bars and wider tracks (although still a couple inches narrower than the YJ) but there is no comparison of the on-road handling between a CJ and YJ. It is true that the slightly wider stance, wider springs, and lower center of gravity also went a long way toward the improved handling, the panhard bars actually move the roll center closer to the center of gravity, thus flattening the body roll that was so prevalent on the CJs. I've driven both YJs and CJs brand new and it was very apparent, but don't take my word for it check out driving test from back in the day. Here is a good all-around review with some slalom maneuvers. www.bing.com/videos/search?q=motorweek+Jeep+wrangler+1987&view=detail&mid=E0CD7E55E7A6C03F99DDE0CD7E55E7A6C03F99DD&FORM=VIRE

[@FlawedOffroad]

@@budwisr8559 you said it yourself, cjs were narrower and the spring mounts were narrower. apples to oranges. I'm not arguing that they don't slightly help you from rolling in evasive maneuvers, but these aren't race cars. and I still believe they make for a rougher ride. its all about give and take, and the "take" wins when you "take" them off lol

[@budwisr8559]

@@FlawedOffroadA wider track helps with mass weight transfer but does little to prevent body roll. I'm not debating whether someone should remove them or not, I just think the proper explanation of what they actually do, and not perpetuate the "track bars don't do anything on a leaf spring suspension" myth. A major reason the open body Jeep models are still around is due to the Jeep engineer's work to improve the on-road handling. If the risk management lawyers at AMC had their way the CJ would have been discontinued with no replacement.

[@wewsvideos6321]

Why does that look like a cincinnati reds hat on the lifted off road picture?... I definitely don't miss living in ohio...lol

[@FlawedOffroad]

Never lived there but one side of my family is from Kentucky so I grew up a reds fan

[@joshmartin7924]

I live in pa and if you remove everything then it will pass. Atleast where i go hahah

[@FlawedOffroad]

I’ve heard of you chop the brackets off so they don’t see it then they don’t notice. I wouldn’t know cuz I don’t live in a commie state! Haha jk. Thx for stopping in. I wouldn’t make it 7 miles into the state before they stopped me for tire poke

[@starshine1828]

if you daily drive it... without the track bar it will float left and right. 50mph plus will be all over the damn road.

[@FlawedOffroad]

Only if you’ve got clapped out bushings and tie rod ends

[@Kylejeepadventures]

no

[@dickbuttkiss3550]

I put a 2.5” lift on my yj recently and the steering is absolute trash now. It was almost impossible to keep it in the road until I put an aftermarket stabilizer on it.. the stabilizer only made it bearable. I put the track bars back on to see if it would make a difference and it didn’t, even replaced all sway bushings and front end components and it still drives I guess squirrelly. Has anyone had this issue? If so, what did you do to fix it? It’s bad enough that I don’t even enjoy driving my yj anymore.

[@FlawedOffroad]

does it dart to either side, and seem to not self center? if so that would be caster angle. Some cheap lift springs or really tall shackles tend to reduce caster angle and then drivability suffers