HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.

When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
the bolt hole in the axle bracket.

I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
would allow things to line up properly....no luck.

So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.

Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
bolt holes?

What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
road.

Best Regards,

Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

The track bar locates the axle side to side. With the wheels on the floor,
bolt one end of the track bar, then have a helper push the zj's side to line
up the other end, and slide in the bolt. The springs & shocks don't need to
be removed but you might want to disconnect the stabilizer first.

"maleemi" <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:J9t3h.409$Lt4.346@trnddc08...
>I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
>bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great but
>after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back in
>place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track bar to
>line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is bolted
> to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with the bolt
> hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

The track bar locates the axle side to side. With the wheels on the floor,
bolt one end of the track bar, then have a helper push the zj's side to line
up the other end, and slide in the bolt. The springs & shocks don't need to
be removed but you might want to disconnect the stabilizer first.

"maleemi" <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:J9t3h.409$Lt4.346@trnddc08...
>I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
>bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great but
>after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back in
>place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track bar to
>line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is bolted
> to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with the bolt
> hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

The track bar locates the axle side to side. With the wheels on the floor,
bolt one end of the track bar, then have a helper push the zj's side to line
up the other end, and slide in the bolt. The springs & shocks don't need to
be removed but you might want to disconnect the stabilizer first.

"maleemi" <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:J9t3h.409$Lt4.346@trnddc08...
>I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
>bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great but
>after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back in
>place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track bar to
>line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is bolted
> to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with the bolt
> hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

have a couple of heavy friends climb in the bac and the holes should line up

maleemi wrote:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

have a couple of heavy friends climb in the bac and the holes should line up

maleemi wrote:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

have a couple of heavy friends climb in the bac and the holes should line up

maleemi wrote:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

maleemi proclaimed:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.

You have to pry the entire rear axle to the side a bit to get it to line
up. Helps if you have a really big friend to help.

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

maleemi proclaimed:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.

You have to pry the entire rear axle to the side a bit to get it to line
up. Helps if you have a really big friend to help.

Re: HELP! Can't reinstall rear zj track bar.
 

maleemi proclaimed:

> I spent the day replacing the shocks, springs, stabilizer and track bar
> bushings on my '96 zj laredo 6cyl. Everything seemed to be going great
> but after I got it all back together I couldn't get the track bar back
> in place. I can't seem to get the two eyes at either end of the track
> bar to line up with the bolt holes on the mounts.
>
> When I bolt the lower eye to to the axle bracket the upper eye is about
> 3/8' short of lining up with the upper mount. When the upper eye is
> bolted to the top mount the lower eye is 3/8" short of lining up with
> the bolt hole in the axle bracket.
>
> I've tried jacking the rear axle up and down to get it to line up....no
> luck. I tried disconnecting the shocks and stabilizer bar to see if that
> would allow things to line up properly....no luck.
>
> So now I'm stuck, out of ideas and without transportation.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas why the track bar eyes won't line up with the
> bolt holes?
>
> What can be done to get things lined up so I can get my jeep back on the
> road.

You have to pry the entire rear axle to the side a bit to get it to line
up. Helps if you have a really big friend to help.