I was under my truck the other day ,and got someone to shake the steering wheel, and noticed that the track bar had some play in the ball/socket end of it, but what confused me , was the play didn't appear to be in the ball/socket itself , or where it bolts to the truck. It looked the entire socket was moving inside the track bar end. I'm going to have to go look at this again and make sure i'm not seeing things...

Whats the best (read cheapest) fix here? lukes link? lifetime warranty Napa track bar?

 

I used a Napa bar and have been happy with it but would have probably used a Luke's if they had been available way back then. Have installed several Luke's, problem corrected for several years on quite a few rigs.

What I've found interesting is that I've come across several rigs with over a quarter inch of play in the joint that steer and stop perfectly. Good friend has had lots of slop for several years with no symptoms.
Guess the moral is don't replace it unless you it's giving you problems.

 

I do have some slop in the steering , which is what i am trying to correct.

 

Cheapest??? Lukes Link.

Permanent.. 03TBK or the Thuren bar. Personally I went the 03TBK route and the rig steers like a sportscar..

 

I'll probably go with the thuren bar the next go around , but for now i need a cheap quick fix. Looks like the truck will only be on the road another month or so , then it will be parked in storage for the entire summer while i am out west working.

 

Hey, that sounds like my 99. The steering is tight as can be, with 104K on it. I only replaced the right side ball joints because they did not pass inspection. The steering has always been tight. I checked the track bar a while back and found that the ball end has lots of play, up and down, when you wiggle the steering wheel. Still though, the steering is tight as can be on this truck. I have a Lukes Link for it, but haven't been very worried about getting it installed.
I wish I knew why my steering was so tight, so mayb eI could offer assistance to other who aren't as lucky.

Chris

 

The track bar has realy nothing to do with the steering of the truck. The track bar is there to keep the front end in the center of the truck. If the bar starts to loosen you will likely feel the truck start to wander, if it gets to bad the death wabble

 

Well, sort of. When a worn bar allows the axle to shift back and forth it causes the wheels to turn slightly in the process causing pull or wobble.

More like the bar isn't part of the steering system but it sure can effect steering.

 

That is true

 

Good call Bill.....

jabber, try steering the truck with no track bar, you'll convince yourself it is a steering part.

 

The track bar act's as a locator. Kind of like leaf spring do. Yes, If you remove the track bar it would push the body around, but it is not considered a steering componant. The steering componants include drag links and TRE's.

Yes, if you removed the track bar it would push the body around rather then turn the wheels. That's because of resistance, it takes more force to turn the tire then to move the body. The track bars is there to center the front end. Standard leaf spring do the same thing. Just a differant design. When you are talking about steering componant's you have a steering box,pitman arm, drag link and tie rod asym. But you can't have one with out the other.

 

Who cares if it is technically a steering component or not , i think we all understand what it does .

does anyone have a picture of a lukes link? i have no idea how it works. I also need to know the cheapest place to get one online.

Thanks guys!

 

http://www.lukeslink.com/

 

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