Lil Dog

Oh brother... JUNK??? I would like you to explain to me how that is the only rubber bushing in the front end and I will not bother to talk about the track bar. Lets see, the sway bar brackets, sway bar links, control arm bushings (4 per side) need I go on???

Plus... If you had all the information, if you order the 03 bar from Solid Steel it has its own bushings that are NOT RUBBER...

Sorry but calling any product Junk is a little pompus in my books.. I never disputed that the Thueren bar was good or not, but never stooped to call it junk... It has short falls just like all the rest that I won't get into now...


J-eh

smokindog

I have to side with Lil Dog here;

The SSI '03 Adjustable track bar is rock solid, but the bushings are rubber. "We have designed high quality rubber bushings that exceed the factory OEM specs.", taken directly from the SSI website. They have a sleeve between the bushing and mounting bolt and are very easily replaced "if", I repeat "if", they ever wear out.

I can't understand why anyone would want to replace an articulating ball and socket joint with an articulating heim joint. The range of motion is inherently too much. Any one of the aftermarket track bar options is better than the stock unit, but why purchase one that has a $45 joint that will wear out? How many times will that joint need to be replaced? It's a question of spending the $$$ now or later and as most of us who have many miles on our trucks know, the sooner the better or you will be spending a lot more in the end.

It's up to each one of us to choose the best option for our own trucks. I'm just trying to help, but it's your choice.

Cowhand

Yup. CA bushings and sway bar links are not steering components. CA bushings and sway bar brackets and links do not cause death wobble when they get soft.


Yeah, I read that too. Maybe you should read it again. SS puts different bushings in the adjustable track bar, not the factory bar that I see most folks are buying.

Copied directly from Marv's site: "This product will allow use of the virtually "bulletproof" OEM 2003 Dodge trackbar on your '94 - '02 pickup. The '03 bar uses a rubber bushing on both ends; thus eliminating the frequent failure of the "tie-rod" style upper joint on your original trackbar."

And from Darrin's site: "This kit will allow you to utilize a 2003 and up factory Dodge trackbar on your '94 to '02 Ram pickup. The 2003 trackbar features two rubber bushings and should never wear out. As usual (and since we wouldn't have it any other way) it bolts right on in a few minutes. No drilling, welding, or other nasty stuff for you to do. It comes with all necessary hardware, but you will have to supply your own '03 trackbar.

Track Bar Bracket models fit 1994 to 2002 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 Series 4x4 pickups.

The factory track bars on '94 to '02 Ram pickups have a ball joint on the upper end that is proven to wear out prematurely, using this bracket will allow the truck to take a 2003 track bar which has rubber bushings at both ends."

Still rubber. Adjustable track bar has higher durometer rubber in it, BUT IT'S STILL RUBBER!

I never said the bracket was junk, on the contrary, I said the bracket was a nice piece of work. The track bar is junk. Find me someone on this site that doesn't think the original 94-02 track bar is junk. Is calling DC's original design junk pompous?

If the Thuren bar has any shortfalls, I haven't seen them yet, and I've put that bar through more than 95% of the folks on this site ever will. Perhaps in your infinite wisdom you'd like to elaborate, and educate all of us......

Lil Dog

I am not going to bother with this anymore.. I would rather have technical information passed on for the originator of this post to evaluate than to have "JUNK" being used as a technical term.

When you have 200,000 km on your bar, come back and fill us in.. At least the SS bar setups have been on the road that long...

So, you don't think that the rubber bushings in the CA wouldn't cause bump steer or play in the assembly for the onset of Wobble?? This fix doesn't just eliminate wobble, but improves steering feel, as does the Thuren bar very well..

I am going to take my chances with rubber bushings Vs. Salt/sand/water as opposed to an open socket joint.. But thats just me.

I will agree that the Thuren bar is a viable alternative and it is up to the consumer to purchase on the merits of each product.

Cowhand

200,000km.....that's like 60K miles American, isn't it?

Settle down there Lil Dog, I'm not panning our brothers to the North, but based on the extensive homework I've done over the last 3 years, rubber is a bad idea in a steering component. Would you set your tie rod ends in rubber?

Personally, I would have no issues whatsoever if the 03 TB had a replaceable nylon-poly hybrid bushing, something with a higher durometer that doesn't break down like rubber does. That would be the best of both worlds because there would be NO parts to wear out. The nylon/poly bushing is also more resistant to salt than rubber.....

Hemi Dart

I recently installed Don Thuren's track bar and I love it. It made the most noticeable improvement in the steering to date. I have a DSS and pulled out a still very tight Luke's Link'd OEM T-Bar.

See my write-up in this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...REN#post667248

Tommy93w350

I bought an Moog track bar for $174.00 with an lifetime warranty at O'Reillys. So far I'm very happy with the results.

tywebb3

Thanks for all the feedback. So far I think it is between the SSI setup and the Thuren. I like the bolt on bracket of the SSI setup but understand the drawbacks of the OEM '03 TB.

My truck is not lifted so would I end up getting the Thuren TB with the ball-type end on the frame side...right? If so, my major concern is why wouldn't that ball-type end wear out just like the OEM TB?

smokindog

My point exactly. It will wear out, I just suspect not as fast as the stocker. I don't understand why Don didn't put the same bushing on the stock height track bar.

mkubacak

The only shortfall is that I spent close to $250.00 on a Mag-Hytec front differential cover and the Thuren bar will not fit with it. I am not going to get rid of the Mag-Hytec, so that is not a solution.

In terms of the rubber bushings, is there a way to cheaply and easily replace the rubber bushings in the '03 trach bar with something that has a higher durometer like the nylon/poly? If so, then the SSI becomes a very viable alternative and really the only one for persons in my situation.

Cowhand

Same type of joint, but the one on the stock height bar is bigger because it's mounted in single shear. It's basically a ball captured by two delrin cups. The cups eventually wear out, but in the mean time you can tighten them up, similar concept to the Luke's link. When the cups wear out completely, you replace them.

I totally agree, but the 03 TB's I've seen have the rubber molded in. You would have to cut the rubber bushing out and then find a higher durometer bushing to replace it with. I don't know of a bushing with the right ID/OD that will fit. The rubber bushings are really the only big issue with the 03TBK.

And yeah, if you're running a Mag-Hytec cover on a stock height truck, Don's bar will hit.

tywebb3

When I installed the Luke's Link on my stock TB I installed what appeared to be a two piece poly bushing on the opposite end of the TB (also bought from Luke's Link). Is it possible to press out the rubber bushing in the '03 type TB like the 2nd gen. TB's and replace it with a poly bushing? If the ball end of the Thuren stock unit is similar in design to the Luke's Link then I think I'll stay away from that bar. The Luke's Link got me past inspection and at least made the truck driveable but I know the front end could be tighter.

Are the adjustable and non-adjustable TB's that Solid Steel manufactures better than the OEM '03 and up TB's? I think I read on their site that they use a different type of rubber in their bushings. I wonder how much they charge for their TB if they charge $159+ for the bracket kit only?

smokindog

Brace yourself, the '03 adjustable track bar was $295 I would gladly pay it again


Cowhand, on Thuren's track bar for lifted trucks he has a bushing that appears to be poly at the axle and the frame. I was wondering what prevented him from placing that bushing at the frame on the non lifted track bar. I'm guessing it was a clearance issue.

tywebb3

Wow...that's expensive when you figure the bracket kit is $175.......That's close to $500 all said and done!? Does SSI sell a kit that includes the adjustable '03 TB with the bracket kit that gives the customer any kind of break on price? Also...where is the best place to buy the SSI bracket and TB?

At that price I am starting to think I should just buy the Moog bar and replace it every 20,000-30,000 miles? It will probably take me 5 years to put that many miles on my truck anyway.

If the stock Thuren bar had the same set up as the bar he makes for the lifted trucks I would definately go with that. The welded bracket looks like a nice setup. Unfortunately I have a stock truck and don't want to fool with the ball end that is adjustable (like the Luke's Link) that he has on his stock bar.

smokindog

tywebb3,

Go to SSI's website to find your closest dealer. It depends on where you are located, but there are 4 dealers in the U.S. and 2 in Canada.

Unfortunately no deal on the package. I bought my TBK, DSS, and '03 adjustable track bar all at once. Around $750 by the time it got to my door. Sounds steep, right? Come drive my truck and you'll forget about the cost.

Now, since you've mentioned it will take you 5 years to put 30K on I would simply stick with the stocker. I've averaged 30K a year. Highest was 45K, lowest was about 18K (first year, I still had a desk job.) Until now I've had to replace the stock bar about 3 times, but that would have easily paid for the retro fit if I knew then what I know now.