Trac Bar

[71BRONCO71]

It finally happened. I didn't rip the frame mount off like I thought I always would. I actually broke the Trac bar.

I welded in a piece of DOM into the adjustable bar. Somehow it pulled the tubing like Taffy. The welds all are fine. The tubing stretched.

Off to redesign this...
And always carry a metal hacksaw and a high lift jack. Wheeled all the way from the lake to the trailhead with this as my bar

[helbnd1]

Looks like it failed at the heat effected zone of the weld, that's a common failure point.
You gonna use 1.25 or 1.5" DOM on your new one?

[71BRONCO71]

It was a piece of 1" dom , 0.25wall that I slid into the Trac bar to gain an extra 2 inches.

I think I'm going to cut that out and redo it exactly the same for the time being. I'll take the band saw right behind the weld . Then slide another piece of 1 in inside. But when I do it, I will have it under the bronco when I tacked it. Hopefully that will alleviate any stress. Then try to weld two half sleeves over.
Maybe this winter I will switch to 1.25 dom and hiems.
I do like the idea of a bushing on the frame side l. Maybe it will help absorb any shock.

Do you think I welded it too hot? I think I did this in 2013. I was not a good welder back then....I'm still not the best today.

[helbnd1]

It was a piece of 1" dom , 0.25wall that I slid into the Trac bar to gain an extra 2 inches.

I think I'm going to cut that out and redo it exactly the same for the time being. I'll take the band saw right behind the weld . Then slide another piece of 1 in inside. But when I do it, I will have it under the bronco when I tacked it. Hopefully that will alleviate any stress. Then try to weld two half sleeves over.
Maybe this winter I will switch to 1.25 dom and hiems.
I do like the idea of a bushing on the frame side l. Maybe it will help absorb any shock.

Do you think I welded it too hot? I think I did this in 2013. I was not a good welder back then....I'm still not the best today.

Could be overheated, contamination with your prep could be a possibility.

[Action]

Nice trail fix......

[Broncrick]

Impressive, nice trail Macguyvering

[CityHick]

That's a great trail fix, Ryan!
That failure gives me some stress though. I still run my OEM track bar; axle is centered because my axle-side mount is uh.. custom. My stress comes from my "custom" features. I just got back from a real vacation (first one of those in a while). When I take more time off, I intend to spend several days examining welds all over my rig's frame. Perhaps putting it up on my dad's shop lift so it's easier to work on.

[GloNDark2]

That trail fix is awesome!! Love it.

[71BRONCO71]

Here's my Saturday redesign. .120 wall 1" slid 4 inches into the Trac bar, 0.25 wall 1.5" slid 5 inches over the 1". Plug 2elds on both sides and a 7/8 hiems with 5/8 misalignment spacers.

I want to keep the lower bushing. The failure was the rigid bushings did not allow the tube to rotate as the axle dropped and raised with the radius of the radius arms.

Over the past years, this thing has been getting twisted and that day it broke was it's last. I hoping this will alleviate that

[71BRONCO71]

All welded together

I figured the lower eye needed some reinforcement. I've seen that weld break before.

Hoping to get some paint on it this evening, then I can drive it to work tomorrow