1999-2004 Ford Superduty Four Wheel Trucks with leaf spring front ends tend to break the track bar bracket that is welded to the right or passenger side of the front housing spring perch. These brackets are weak in design and if the track bar is not the correct length it will load the bracket and eventually break it. Autofab offers a solution with our track bar repair kit. The following pictures will help you install the repair kit. The first two pictures show typically broken track bar mounts.
See our Frame repair kit
To get started jack up the front of the truck and support the front end so that you can remove the front wheels.
Remove the tie rods, drag link, and steering stabilizer shock, this will make it much easier to work with
Using a cutting wheel, torch, or plasma cutter remove the bulk of the old track bar mounting bracket that is welded to the front of the spring perch
Grind and sand the weld area to restore the spring perch. This is necessary as the Autofab track bar repair kit fits tightly to the front of the perch
Prep the top edge of the spring perch for welding. Temporarily bolt the repair kit on the bottom of the spring perch.
Now fit the key tab to the top edge of the spring perch and tack weld into position using the track bar bolt and nut to line it up.
Then unbolt the repair kit and weld the key tab to the spring perch. Clean, prep, and paint this area.
Now it is time to bolt the Autofab track bar repair kit back into place. Check the condition of your spring U bolts, especially the threads, and replace them as necessary.
Some welders prefer to weld the repair kit to the spring perch. We like a one-inch weld on both sides. This will keep the repair kit from shifting under load.
Note the steering stabilizer shock mount bolted under the track bar repair kit with 2 of the bolts.
Check the fit of the track bar itself. It should fit without any force to the front end. If there is a problem with yours, order the Autofab adjustable track bar. It is important for proper steering to feel that the track bar fits comfortably. If it is loaded in one direction it will change how the truck feels when steering from left to right. Once the track bar is bolted in, install the tie rod and drag link. We recommend having the front alignment checked after completing the Autofab track bar repair kit installation.
