(If you have questions or a comment... post it below, and we'll answer you ASAP!)
Death Wobble Cures: KOR-9001 Trackbar Conversion for Jeep XJ, MJ, ZJ
Imagine a fully adjustable track bar that eliminates the weak/worn stock upper tie rod end on ZJs and XJ/MJs factory track bar and will allow for AMAZING amounts of droop and tighten up your steering responsiveness at the same time. This kit includes a modified upper track bar mount and the highest quality track bar that exists, custom built specifically for us to KOR's specifications, and fully adjustable to center your front axle perfectly. It won't interfere with any existing suspension components and will allow MAXIMUM articulation out of your front axle assembly and a larger resistance to Death Wobble. It's been designed to work with XJs and ZJs from 0"=>8" of lift.
ARTICULATION INCREASES:
From the factory, your passenger front tire can only droop approximately 8" from stock height due to the upper tie rod end on the factory track bar. Now, subtract the height of YOUR lift from the maximum of 8", and that's how much passenger side droop you have before the tie rod end binds causing wear and then Death Wobble. You can test this yourself if you don't believe me. Just remove the lower bolt on the stock track bar and allow it to hang. Pretty scary, huh? Bet you didn't know that!! That's the maximum it will go before it binds on itself, which is a future failure in the making!!! Other track bar manufacturers use Heim® joints and Johnny® joints in a vertical orientation, which allow the track bar to drop a bit further than stock, but still not as much as you need.
DEATH WOBBLE RESISTANCE:
Due to the superior strength and thickness of our custom bar (.156 wall 1.25" OD tube), my custom interference-fit ultra-thick bushing inserts and the 1/2" Grade 8 hardware that comes included in the kit (50% more strength than stock bolts so that you can really torque it down without worrying about snapping the bolt off), you will see a higher Death Wobble resistance as the entire kit stiffens up the front suspension. An added bonus: There are two additional benefits you may discover as well: an substantial increase in steering response (tighter steering = less wandering) and slightly reduced bump steer, most evident on the taller rigs.
EVEN BETTER DEATH WOBBLE RESISTANCE:
Recently, I've had some SUPER-hard Rockwell Durometer bushings made by our poly molding company. You can't get these anywhere else, folks. The stock rubber bushing material that comes in the stock track bars is less than the 45d hardness of the "regular" bushings that we have used over the years. The SUPER-hard bushings are a 60d harness, or 33% stiffer, giving even better resistance to Death Wobble. Since others have asked, there is a less-than 5% increase in shock transmission to the cabin at 8" of lift, so with 4" or less, you will likely never even notice the change, but in any case, it's a very low price to pay for what MAY cure your Death Wobble completely.
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Kevin: The new track bar works wonders. I had the XXX traditional Adjustable TB and even with it, I was will getting DW. I have put over 150 miles with the new KOR bar and have not had one incident. Thanks! -Chris Miller - Sandy, UT =============== A word about the change from the factory bar and bracket to yours – WOW!!! The steering feels almost as tight and accurate as my buddy’s Boxster! And the constant clunking, shaking, and imminent death-wobble that plagued nearly every minute of travel, gone! There is a HUGE difference; the truck feels better than new! In all my years of playing with cars, I don’t think I’ve installed anything that’s made as significant a difference as your track bar conversion! Definitely money well spent. As always, I will continue to shout your name and website from the rooftops to every Jeep person I find! Greg Dubbe - Longmont, Colorado. =============== About the track bar.....I was considering the =============== Your Adjustable Trackbar w/ super hard durometer bushings ROCKS!!! Cured my DW! The manufacturing and powder coating is top notch. James Stott - Ventura, CA =============== Hello guys, I would like to thank you for a great product!! I purchased the TB conversion and installed it last week end. HUGE difference!!! I had a XXXX bar and was having problems with it eating bushings. Come to find out a weld had broken in the stabilizer mount that the XXXX bar uses. (Poor design on their part) Now all the "popping" is GONE!!! -Brian Schoonmaker - Meriden, CT |
Here's what the kit will look like under your Jeep:
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This item has a "core-charge deposit" attached to it, which will be applied to the price in the shopping cart. I NEED THESE BRACKETS BACK FROM YOU GUYS!!! I don't want to keep your "core-charge" money...I want the brackets back, and if you don't send them back to me, I have to buy them somewhere else, and that costs me time and money, which eventually gets passed back along to you guys. So, when you get the kit installed, simply take your old bracket & mail it back to us, and we'll pay you for your core! WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION and I will promptly send you a check back for the core charge. Alternately, if you want more parts from our Manufacturing Division, I will put your core charge credit on file for you to use ALONG WITH $10 EXTRA, compliments of Kevin, to be put toward the purchase of another "KOR Manufacturing Division" part (ONLY) in the future. SURFACE RUST IS OK, BUT IF YOUR BRACKET IS PITTED OR BADLY RUSTED, WE CAN'T USE IT!!!!!!!! *THOUGH YOU ARE WELCOME TO PURCHASE PARTS FROM OUR PERFORMANCE DIVISION IN THE FUTURE, THIS $10 ADDITIONAL OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR PERFORMANCE DIVISION PARTS* |
Kevin's Horizontal-Mount Track Bar Conversion Kits |
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For those who did not order a TBC but want to send me your extra brackets (must be from a ZJ or '87+ XJ), I can give you cash (price varies, depending on how much stock we have) or $10 more in credit (than what we are paying cash) per bracket. SURFACE RUST IS OK, BUT IF YOUR BRACKET IS PITTED OR BADLY RUSTED, WE CAN'T USE IT!!!!!!!!
*Note-1: The Rubicon Express Conversion uses their Heavy Duty bar and will work for added articulation, but unfortunately they are not as stiff as the JKS bar, nor is their bracket as stiff as our modified stock bracket (it flexes), so it won't give you the Death Wobble resistance that I designed my conversion kit to offer your Jeep.
**Note-2: The bar and bracket we use in our kit will *NOT* work with any other manufacturer's kit. The JKS bar we use has a special part number for only us, and the bracket is bent/folded by our machine shop, and is not compatible with anyone else's bar or anyone else's bracket, unfortunately. If you have part of a kit from another manufacturer, my only recommendation to make this work for you is to sell the partial kit on eBay or your local Jeep board.
**Note-3: When adding an aftermarket diff cover on the front axle, bear in mind that if it's thicker than the stock one, it may need to be slightly clearanced so that it doesn't cause rubbing on the track bar.
60 comments
Hello Kevin,
I have a ‘95 zj 5.2 (good old Mopar 318) 4×4 Quadra-Track with 260+k miles. I’ve had it since 60k mi – about 10 years as a daily driver – no offroad except on our farm. We absolutely love it.
It’s bone stock, no lift, no off-road goodies and routine maintenance only with oem/aftermarket parts – several tie rod ends over the years, brakes, exhaust, engine mounts and such. I replaced the track bar and the steering damper about 20k miles ago and developed the death wobble recently. It does not happen everytime but we drive it as little as possible and in anticipation of the dw breaking out any time. It’s down right now for a rear axle outer bearing investigation.
I find the only way to stop the death wobble is to STOMP on the brakes very aggressively and thus compress the front end while heading for the shoulder as running slow on a highway is not recommended with today’s iPhone generation. This means that you have to constantly watch out and make sure no one is close behind you. Most times I can make the wobble go away while still moving at about 35mph or so and don’t have to fully stop.
It’s a nice monday here in DE and I am heading out to my driveway to check my control arm and track bar bushings. I caught your youtube track bar kit video and that led me to your website.
QUESTION: since my zj is stock and no lifted, will your zj track bar kit fit without interference with the front differential? I am also curious whether there is any drilling required for the beefed up bracket and how hard is it to remove the stock bracket?
Thank you,
Ladd
Harrington, DE
Hey there Ladd:
The only reason why it WON’T work on a stock-height vehicle, is because the thickness of the beefier track bar we include, rubs slightly on the differential cover when you hit bumps. This can be remedied at least three different ways:
1) You can shorten the control arms by 1/4" in length, and that should alleviate the problem completely.
2) You can tap the cover inward about 1/8" where it rubs, so that it clears the track bar. There is nothing but air behind this portion of the differential cover, so there is no worries about it contacting anything rotating on the inside of the differential.
3) The track bar can be lengthened slightly longer (1/4" usually does it) than it’s “proper” length, which will move the axle to the passenger side slightly, allowing the differential cover to move upward/downward without contacting the big, beefy track bar. Your alignment will need to be reset after the install ANYWAY, irrespective of whether you lengthen the track bar or not, and this will NOT negatively affect the alignment of the Jeep.
4) You can add on a set of 3/4" coil spring spacers, which will raise the front of the Jeep up a bit. It may not COMPLETELY solve the possible rubbing, but it will help substantially. The part number is KOR-KJ0-9107-BK and can be found at http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_39&products_id=1112
Hey Kevin,
I have a ’92 Cherokee lifted 3" with 2" pucks, so aroudn 4.5". I was driving to work in it today and had to turn around and go home due to the slightest turn of the steering wheel causing death wobble.
I am now rushing myself to figure out what to do right away to make it road-worthy. I was reading another one of yuor aticles, and am interested to hear what you would have in mind in terms of lessening it, or fixing it.
Any help/input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Taylor.