I have the solid steel 03 bracket and regular 03 trac bar for a 2" lift. Works great just add spacers and nothing else needs to be done. Now that im going up in the world though I had to get the adjustable trac bar. We have 2 trucks both outfitted with solid steel products. ones at 70k the others at around 350k miles. I'd do it again if giving the choice.

 

You ever heard of something called, a good deal???

Solid steel products are great, and I regularly tell people that the DSS is pretty much MANDATORY for a great steering dodge. Their retro-bracket is great also, but if you want to say that because my products are "inexpensive" they are low quality, I WILL have something to say to you......

Now, we know the 03 track bar does the job of keeping the axle under the truck, but PLEASE explain to me how RUBBER bushings are to be used in a steering part. Yes, I said steering part.... think about it. Actually, standard "poly" has no place on the track bar either. I use a VERY HARD, more like nylon bushing in my trackbar. Would you use rubber for your tie rod ends??

Don


waiting to discuss......

 

Just thought I post that I've been impressed with my moog track bar, I off road alot, lost of wash board roads.

A note on ball joints, I was told by a shop that my ball joints were worn, and needed replacement. That was 100k ago, and they haved worn much since.

It seems like most shops will tell you your whole front end needs replacement, I think this is mostly due to the fact that the more parts they replace, the higher the profit.

 

I certainly do not want to start a thread war here Don, but I would like to say a few things myself.

I have read many good things about your track bar and it definately has its place, I am not here to bash it.

Just a few points on our Solid Steel Ind. DAT-Dodge Adjustable Track Bar

We have designed our track bar with rubber bushings to eliminate road noise and vibration being sent back up through the cab and steering wheel ending up in the drivers hands.

We also use rubber bushings to eliminate a wear point in the track bar - we find that steel on steel, heim joints, rod ends, etc., or hard polyurethane bushings create a wear point, whereas the rubber bushing absorbs this wear within itself. Rubber by nature deflects abrasion, especially since our bushings are fully bonded to the inner and outer steel sleeves, there is no wear between the rubber and any other part of the track bar or bushing.

Our DAT - Dodge Adjustable Track Bar is also adjustable while installed on the truck, just bolt in and turn the adjustment sleeve til your axle is centered and tighten the jam nuts, done.

Our Track Bar is also manufactured out of solid steel shaft and DOM tubing for the adjustment sleeve, this thing is heavy and will not bend.

Our track bar and conversion kit is designed to clear the mag hytech diff covers.

There are many manufacturers of the same products everywhere you look, each has its good points to address certain aspects of that particular product. We designed our track bars differently and the buyer is welcome to choose what is best for their truck, their style of driving and their peace of mind.

Regards,
Russell Tessier
Solid Steel Ind. LTD
www.solidsteel.biz

 

Hi Russell...

Much respect..... Just a good ol' discussion...

I feel the exact same way and point people your direction every day..

I've had different findings on this and I'll explain my reasoning.. Although, If this were control arms or leaf spring bushings I would agree with you to a point.
From my experience, the reason a track bar won't transmit a huge amount of vibration into the cab regardless, is because it's moving in a 90% verticle motion. If the truck has a HUGE lift you will feel a tad more as the motion will now be about 80% verticle.
Now to be 100% honest, I feel that a rubber bushed track bar will transmit more feedback than heims or a sliding bushing(poly-nylon-delrin), which could be seen as "vibration" but I think it's worse. When you hit a bump, pothole, expansion joint, lean into a good corner, or get hit with a good gust of wind, the rubber bushings will absorb the massive shifting weight IN A BAD WAY. In doing this, the axle has shifted, which is directly related to the truck steering itself... I don't like this feeling and like to have my trackbar holding the axle 100% center in the truck at all times. Just the way I do things....

I agree with you on some of this...
I feel that you have a valid point with the rigid "steel-on-steel" impacts, and my soon to come out 3rd gen track bar, will have a large teflon heim on one side and my standard POLY-NYLON bushing on the other... If it were not for the smallish bolts Dodge uses for the track bar I'd probably make my bar with heims on both side but I won't in fear that the frame bracket/axle bolt holes would get "egg-shaped". I like to refer to it as a "hammering effect" when the small bolt is allowed to shift. Say you try to dent some thick steel and so smack it with a hammer... you get a nice dent. Now try the same thing with a super hard piece of plastic between the hammer and steel... No dent since the plastic is hard, but softer than steel so IT takes the impact. No "hammering" effect... Same as adding just one "softer than steel" bushing in the track bar system no matter what it's made of.. IMO...

One more thing on rubber bushings....
since they are "bonded" to the outer housing AND the center sleeve, something has to give when the suspension moves.... I don't like such a small bushing have to take such a twisting motion and heavy load... If you look at the control arm bushings there is about 1/2" of rubber material to take the twisting when the suspension move but the trackbar bushing has only about 1/4" of "meat"... Mark my words, from designing suspensions for a while now, I bet it's not long before we start to hear of many 3rd gens with busted up stock track bar bushings. Add longer travel suspension to this scenario and it doesn't help.... we'll see...

That is a nice feature.....
I chose to keep costs and moving parts to a minimum. Just a different way to do it...

Again, just a different approach.....
I don't like using solid material for bend areas as it tends to stretch the steel a lot... I like to rely on the material outside diameter for strength and hollow tube tends to "bend" rather than "snap" if the truck were in an accident of something... The stock bar is forged so it will bend when it takes a hit... I've seen an aftermarket solid trackbar snap. It was hitting the differential but it still just snapped in half...

Hence the reason I send people your way all the time... The DSS is mandatory on a Dodge and my track bar will not clear the MagHytec...


Thanks Russell...... I am with ya' 100%....


Don Thuren...

 

Great thread!!!

Very nice to see a polite, factual discussion between two manufacturers/suppliers. Good professionalism!

Wish we could have this same "tone" more often between truck owning members discussing their upgrades!

RJ
Proud Donator to New Server Fund for this FREE web site! To date, only 250 members, out of 19,000+ have given anything????
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...ad.php?t=56509

 

Now which of you two champs wants to send me a "loaner" trac bar to "test" out for a while????????????

 

B.A.Ram,
There are two different manufactors and only one of you. I will also volunteer myself to be a test dumby for the other setup. I will even let you pick your posion. I would hate for one setup to be tested and have good feed back without the other setup being tested.

 

Hi Dodge Demon...


Still waiting to here your opinion of the faults with my "monkey track bar".. I am VERY willing to answer any questions as to why I designed it the way I did...


Don Thuren...

 

Mr. Thuren
I did not say or insinuate that your products was in any way shape or form inferior or was a bad design. The point of it is, lets say you buy a certain wrench thats made in Japan or maybe Tiwan,we have all done it, and then you buy a wrench made by Snap-on, of course we all kno that the one from Snap-on in all probability costs twice as much or even more than the ones from China,Japan or Tiwan but in all probability Snap-on tools will not break or bend and last forever compared to the others, so the moral of the story is one probably gets what one pays for,now we all know that this is the case of most products, be it vehicles,machinery,household stuff and just about anything you can think of. So the more something costs, its usually better than the cheaper model but in your case this may not be so, I was merely stating my opinion,I have seen your trackbar and I dont like the bushings you use but that is my own opinion which may or may not be right but it is right for me.

 

My Thuren Fab track bar is holding up great! Top notch work and I have seen alot of satisfied customers.

 

Right on.... Thank you for your honest opinion...


Truthfully , in the past, I had thoughts of throwing on some super shiny powder coating and charging 100's more for my products just for this mere fact..... Sometimes when things cost more it implies that there are "better".... I chose to keep costs down AND put out a very high end product... Just the way I am doing business, which who knows, may change in the future, but for now STRENGTH in my products takes all priority over "saving costs"... If you have to paint it yourself to save $150, I think that "most" people are OK with that....

Don

 

This is a very good Thread, bringing this back to the top.
I just ordered a Thuren 0-3" track bar, From what I read and my off-road experience and my budget the Thuren Fab bar is best for me.

Mike

PS I love my DSS I also think every Dodge should have one.

 

I've had bad BJs since 29K. I'm waiting to replace them until they cause tire or handling issues. For now, they are fine-- but junk.

 

Is this some kind of steering stabilizer? Just curious because the KORE SS isn't any better than the stock unit on my truck. But...it could be that I need to hurry up and get a Thuren track bar on my truck. Problem is-actually being able to get hold of him.