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Track Bar Ball Joint Keeps Failing After Lift

18K views 48 replies 9 participants last post by  ZMANN 
#1 ·
As the title states, I keep having the track bar ball joint fail after installing a lift. I get on average 4-6 weeks at best. The symptom is a single 'clunk' when starting to turn the wheel either direction. No other grinding or noise throughout the steering cycle, and it only happens when leaving center. I replace the ball joint and all is fine for a few weeks, then it happens all over again. This is on a 2013 F250.

As for the lift, it is primarily a Carli 4.5". I say primarily, because a buddy gave me a crazy deal on a brand new Pure Performance adjustable track bar, so I used that instead of purchasing the Carli track bar. I guess my question is, could the PP track bar be causing my ball joint failures? The only reason I could see this being the case is if the bend in the track bar, or the angle in which the hole is bored into the ball joint end of the track bar, is slightly off then maybe it's putting unneeded stress on the ball joint. I have no way of proving this other than to go out and buy a Carli track bar.

Another alternative is that I have a 4" track bar drop bracket and a 4" drop pitman arm that I bought to combat the bump steer I have post lift, but I've never installed them. So a second question would be if I should try the Carli track bar, or should I try the drop arm and bracket and use the stock track bar?

Either way, I'm open to suggestions.
 
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#2 ·
Is the trac bar adjusted properly? is it forcing the axle one way or the other? if its off any more than a 1/4 of an inch it will not last long
 
#3 ·
That was my first thought, but I've remeasured several times (now I keep second guessing myself), and it's perfectly centered.
 
#4 ·
how did the lift address the radius arms? drop brackets? did it twist the axle either up or down? how is the ball joint breaking- is it shearing off? how is the axle stabilized?

when it breaks, are you turning to one side in particular? are you sitting still and turning when it happens or are you moving? (moving even slightly allows for traction to break enough to take stress off wheel ball joints/drag link/steering box).... have you checked ball joints on the knuckles?

do your springs lean one direction or the other front to back?

a picture (or a few) are worth tons of time, man...
 
#5 ·
Even if it is adjusted too long or 2 short it wouldn't cause that factory style joint to fail that early as there are tones of guys running level kits with stock track bars that are offset quite a bit.

When you say "fail" do you mean that it's snapping off? Or it just starts to develop a clunk as it wears out quickly?

Are you using OEM Ford replacements or some kind of aftermarket part?
 
#6 ·
I am defining failure as the clunking. When I drop the track bar off and move the joint by hand, you can feel grinding. I am using Ford parts for the replacement.

@drewactual, the Carli lift uses radius arm drop brackets to reset the axle position. When the problem starts, I do notice it typically starts when turning left at a stand still or crawling speed (i.e. parking space) and only does every once in a while. It eventually progresses to where it does is either direction and almost everytime I turn the wheel. Also important note is that it is pretty much only when turning from center. In other words, if I turn all the way to the left, as I turn the wheel right (back to center) it does not clunk. Hope that makes some kind of sense. Its like it onle does it when the front end is under the right pressure.
 
#7 ·
That's pretty weird,

I ran that same track bar on my last Ford that had 4.5" of lift and the stock ball joint lasted far after I sold the truck. Generally the only thing that causes that ball joint to wear out prematurely is extreme angle or extreme use. But even in those cases you can get 20K+ out of that joint.

Even if the taper was bored into the bar a bit off it wouldn't have any effect on the internal ball and socket of the OEM joint wearing out.

I know that mhatlen on here has run that same bar on his truck now for years as well.

Post or send me a pic of the bar installed on you truck showing the angle of the factory joint both side to side and front to back.
 
#8 ·
when you're turning left, and w/o a track bar at all, the steering box and drag is trying to push the axle right- toward the passenger side... because the axle is anchored (w/ a track bar installed) the pivots give and the axle stays in place- the wheels turn.

if the axle was rotated, evidenced by the pinion pointing up or down at an angle not as it was pre-lift- it could be allowing a bind on that particular and isolated joint (axle ball joint) that wasn't there before- and the reason why I asked him if it originally broke while turning one specific direction and if moving or stationary.... moving, the tires grab traction to the left of their current track/contact as the steering wheel is turned left- stationary, the contact patch of the tires has to be leveraged free in order to turn the wheel- which places hella more leverage on that joint.

adjustment has little to do with it... i didn't suggest that. i don't suggest that now. what i suggest is the caster is altered which moved the ball joint's angle.............

if you were sitting on the deck facing the drivers hub from the lugs side, the ball joint should be located somewhere around nine o'clock, with the post of the joint pointing slightly toward the rear of the truck. I suggest that his castor is off enough that the joint mount is pointing (if nine is accurate) at 8 o'clock or 10 o'clock (exaggerated for explanation purposes)...

otherwise, i can't think of anything that would leverage that ball joint (which is pretty friggin' tough) to be isolated enough to break/dislocate it- given the knuckles are properly attached w/o loose connects and the drag link and tie rods have functional ball joints that allow just the titch of pivot/give they're required to give (and the reason they are ball joints to begin with)....
 
#9 ·
if he is indeed wiping out the trac bar OEM ball joint at that interval
then something is in a bind / installed wrong or he is misdiagnosing

I agree with Skyd Ram you could push the axle over two inches and not have this accelerated wear pattern ( BJ's are made to hold parts in position side load or not ) and if the caster was whack enough to bind the BJ
i think it would be impossible to drive ?

like mentioned

 
#13 ·
Appreciate everyone's input. I'm confident it is not the caster. Besides Carli's reputation for quality, I've had the truck aligned and double checked. Caster is 3.7(L) and 3.9(R). I've gone back to check some dates in order to be more accurate. I wrapped up the installation of the lift around the 3rd week of July. I ordered my first set of replacement ball joints on 8/28. I ordered a 2nd set of replacements on 9/30. Last week I got the first clunk on this ball joint (yes, on a left turn at a crawilgin speed in a parking lot). It has only clunked once so far, but I'm anticipating it declining.

Here are a couple of pics as requested.
 

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#14 ·
i see your tires pointing slightly left which accounts for the right lean on the ball- and it doesn't look too severe.

your castor should be between 4.4 and 4.6, with even more (up to 6*) being even better... you start binding stuff beyond that, and it becomes harder and harder on the steering box beyond the OE point, but other than that positive castor hurts nothing.

I'm the last person to throw parts at a problem, but it's the same (and what a PITA) changing out the ball joints every quarter- get some cams and slip them in the bosses to add to your castor.

i just installed PMF 3 links... I have my factory (4.4 driver 4.5 passenger) back. I JUST changed panhard rod ball joints, too... (I went with Moog serviceable type)... My ball joint is still leaning aft with the tires pointing dead straight, but adjusting the panhard centered the axle and adding castor back to it though leaning aft it is dead vertical as viewed from the front (you can't see it from the rear).

just a thought. I'm not sure a half a degree would cause that- it doesn't make sense anyway- but at some point it HAS to abruptly stop functioning properly... it may be 3.7*? I don't know.
 
#16 ·
I installed the track bar as it came out of the box. Should there have been sleeves with it and where would I get them?

I'm open to the possibility that the clunk I heard last week is somethieng different, but the first two times replacing the ball joint it was definitely the culprit. Before changin it, I could spin the ball joint shaft about 90 deg and the clunking would stop. That's how I cam to the determination it was causing my problems. After replacing it (both times), all clunking went away for a period of time.

BTW - I got a 2nd clunk this evening turning left into a parking lot.
 
#17 ·


that is the only pic I can find... it's a readylift bar, but the PMF or any other that uses a heim at the frame also have them... it's the last two items above the bar.. they slip into the heim's eye on either side, with the taper inboard and the flat outside... it makes it a pretty tight fit into the bracket, but also ensures the eye is always centered.

the stock bolt has a bad reputation... people either do these taper bushings, or, they use a new bolt (with a shank through the eye instead of it resting on threads). the little spacer/bushings usually come with the bar.

i know it can cause an audible clunk if these aren't in there, but i doubt it could wipe out a ball joint on the axle.. those things are tough..

i went and pulled some data on OE alignment specs- and they are pretty forgiving with caster, stating that anything from 1.5 to 5.5 is good, so long as there isn't a full degree difference from side to side.. most lifts- check that- ALL lifts impact caster, though it can be recovered... the easiest and 'right' way is to get an adjustable radius arm- one that independently adjust distance between the top axle to frame, or the bottom axle to frame.. an 1/8th of an inch accounts for a pretty good alteration- like in the neighborhood of two and a half degrees... Carli DOES have a hard earned and well deserved reputation- but if those drop brackets aren't precisely tapped and mounted, they can cause issues.
 
#18 ·
Ideas


your sure thats an OEM track bar balljoint ?

i am used to seeing a hex sticking out so you can hod the center while you remove / install the nut

I agree the other end looks like it is missing the misalignment bushings but i would be surprised if carli shorted you parts and you didn't notice the missing parts vs the directions
 
#22 ·
Yes, it is OEM. The tie rod is hiding the hex end of the spindle. @ZMANN, the track bar is the only thing not Carli, it is Pure Performance (was saving a few $$). I may have missed the sleeves if they were in the box. I honestly don't remember there being any, and I can assure I didn't put any in. So, if it should have these, where can I buy some?
 
#32 ·
The Pure bar doesn't use any misalignment spacers as they machine that joint specifically for this application.
 
#23 ·
they are made special for the intended setup to keep the heim in position
so if they are missing Pure Performance is where you would want to get them


really need to critique any movement on the heim end of that bar it should not slide up or down the mounting bolt and shouldn't have any wiggle
 
#35 · (Edited)
You are onto something there about the OEM bolt up top. I also have the Pure Performance trackbar and my OEM bolt rattled around like crazy.
I forget how loose it was but I measured the o.d. of the bolt and it was a lot smaller then the Heim joint. I ended up buying a 7/8" x 6" grade 8 bolt and machining it on the lathe to be a exact fit. If I remember right the bolt wasn't worn down. But I forget how far out it was. But I knew it was going to pop for sure so I made my own frame mount bolt.

I love the Pure Performance trackbar myself. That thing is solid steel and it's heavy. The Carli is tube I believe and if so it can't hold a candle to the Pure Performance bar.

Now looking at your trucks ball joint, it's getting yanked because you aren't running a drop down bracket. It may work and all but it's not where it really should be. I have 7" of lift and my axle ball joint is a straight as a plumb bob.
All that said regardless of the angle and what not I'd be looking at that bolt up on your frame. The top trackbar bolt in the Heim joint. I'm betting that's what you are hearing pop as long as that ball joint isn't damaged or worn.

Another FYI I tapped out the top plate of my axle ball joint for a zerk and I pump fresh grease into mine occasionally.
Pull the bolt up top and drop down trackbar and test the play in that bolt and Heim joint. I'll bet you can wrap a matchbook cover around it.

Good Luck. I'm curious for sure.

Hey great pics BTW Sky ram
 
#26 ·
A lot of people think the factory ball joint is crap. Usually, it means their lift/track bar isn't optimized for their application.

The ball joint can only swing so much; thus, pulling it to one side or the other will put it into bind and destroy it in extended travel applications. If you're running a Carli kit, it's designed for around 50% more travel than stock. Any bar claiming 0-4.5" of lift without a drop isn't going to offer any track bar ball joint angle correction as that would be damaging to a stock application. Our bar is optimized for 2.5"-4.5" of lift so you'll see that our track bar ball joint receiver is angled to alleviate the angle of the ball joint at a lifted ride height as seen here:



I just ran out and took a picture of Sage's so you can see the position of the track bar ball joint on his 4.5" lift. You can see there's plenty of droop and compression before that ball joint goes into bind where your attached picture on page 2 shows very little room for droop before binding.

 
#28 ·
@OCVeloMan, I think you're confirming what my original suspicion is, and that the bore angle of the track bar could be the route of my problems. The ball joint in Sage's is damn near verticle (left-right), where mine is definitely already ****ed toward the driver side.

That's what I get for trying to save a few $$. Looks like a Carli track bar is in my near future....
 
#33 · (Edited)
Based on the pic that you posted a a few pages back, things look pretty good to me. The angle of that joint has to be way more extreme than that to cause the issues you are having. Most of the trucks driving around with 2" level kits and stock track bars have more angle than that. On those trucks the added angle will cause accelerated wear on that joint but we are talking 10K miles or more before that joint would develop a clunk like you describe.

I went out and grabbed a Carli bar and a Pure to see if I could show the differences. It's kinda hard to tell from pics as the bends are a bit different.

Carli corrects the resting angle of the track bar ball joint using that machined part that is welded to the end of the bar.

Pure corrects the resting angle of the track bar ball joint using a bend in the bar itself and machining two "flats" on the the bar.

In both designs the angle correction is very close to each other.



 
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