I have a 1988 F350 4x4 (monobeam front axle), and I had death wobble pretty bad with it two years ago. So I bought some two piece Moog track bar bushings, pressed them in and thought I was good to go. Well it started wobbling very slightly this spring and has been getting worse ever since. I just got my new tires mounted and don't want to destroy them, so I need to do something about it. Here's my idea:

1. take a piece of 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 steel pipe and cut just shorter than the length of current track bar pipe section
2. weld in some threaded bungs: McMaster-Carr
3. install some high strength ball joint rod ends with jam nuts and adjust to length of current track bar: McMaster-Carr
4. drill out current 9/16" bolt holes to accept new grade 8 5/8" bolts

Does anyone see an issue with this? I think it'll be way stronger than the original track bar and the high strength rod ends should last way longer than the junk plastic bushings. It'll cost me about $80 or so. That's a lot less than $200 for a new track bar, plus hopefully it'll be an improvement.
Lemme know what you guys think
Thanks!

 

All ready to drop right in
1988-1997 OBS Ford Adjustable Trackbar

 

Oh, cool I didn't know anyone made them. I guess I'll make it myself for half price!

 

Use heim joints. You might get a nasty surprise with those ball joints.

 

Heim joints are the way to go if you want to make it yourself.

 

Good luck even buying the right sized heim joints for half that price

 

What's the difference? they look the same as the rod ends I was going to use?
What would the surprise be?

 

Rod end and heim are two names for the same part.

I wouldn't use the stainless steel version for strength concerns, and the PTFE/kevlar inserts say they are heat treated chromolly steel housings, so I don't see why they wouldn't work as long as they are sized appropriately - the RSK kit didn't say what size the joints were. McMaster also has the high misalignment spacers/retainers that are mentioned in the RSK kit description.

 

No, Heim joints are not like ball joints. Heim joints are much stronger for this type application. A Heim joint would have the forces evenly distributed through the ball area, as opposed to a ball joint where the forces would concentrate where the "shaft" meets the "ball" on just one side. Further, a Heim allows much much more articulation, up to 45 degrees of deflection where a ball joint is lucky to get 15. Heims do require more frequent maintenance and replacement, but they also don't shear off under unbalanced loads like a ball does. And a Heim is much stronger for any given size.

The surprise you would get would be when the shaft part of the ball joint snapped off and your track bar started dragging on the ground. With the obvious implications of that.

More info on Heim joints: Rod End / Heim Joint FAQ

Also, "ball joint rod ends":


"Rod end joint"/"Heim joint":


Similar terminology, two rather different things.

 

I didn't say ball joint. From your link:

That's what is linked to at McMaster-carr in the first post.

 

No, the original poster said ball joint.

 

That's what Mcmaster calls what you are calling heim joint. If you had looked at the link I had in the first post you would have seen that it's the same thing. The actual item I was referring to is technically a rod end, that has a ball joint insert.

Thanks for the advice EPNCSU2006

 

You are going to have 100-125 into making your own, why not just buy one that is proven for 150?

 

It will cost me $60.20 for the high strength rod ends and weld bungs. Add a few $$ for jam nuts and I'm still way under $100. How are you getting $100-125? Besides it'll be a fun project for me.

 

if you have the ability go for it i used the same stuff to build the upper and lower control arms on my mustang had bout 90$ in a set of 350$ish arms had i bought them