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I had an interesting dilemma the other day. I was up front and negotiating trees down the side of a ravine and I attempted to straddle a rock as there was no way round it. I managed to clear my front axle but the track rod received a full on blow, which bent it into a wishbone shape. Both front wheels then pointed opposite to each other facing outward. I realised there was a problem as I could neither move forward or in reverse. The front end was jacked up, wheels off, track rod off, then the biggest of our group bent the rod against a tree into the most straight position that he could, then in reverse order everything was put back together. I was back in the mud in less than an hour.

That evening we had a discussion about the pro's and cons of having a HD rod. The general view was that it was not a good idea as a rod is easier to bend back than having the mounts at each end ripped out.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Paul

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^^^^

What he said, even a HD trackrod will bend before the TRE's fail, but it will give you a much bigger margin for error so you'll be able to keep going much longer. Remember, even if you can get a bend rod back 100% straight, it remains severely weakened and is likely to bend again on the first test. Not something you want happening at any speed!

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Thanks,

I will have to get one when I get back as too big and heavy for hand luggage, or I will try and get one couriered over, although after the trouble ex-eng had getting stuff to me maybe not.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Cheers,

Paul

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alternatively, use the standard track rod/drag link bar and 'sleeve it' with a nice thick close fitting tube.

i happened across a 3mm wall tube with an OD a spit wider than the standard bar. No idea where it came from, as it was on my garage roof and i've lived there for 7 years and never noticed it before..... :blink:

Anyway, i cut the tube to length and removed one track rod end, greased the drag link and slid the tube over it and refitted the track rod end.

so if i do bend it, the outside tube is disposable junk and i only need to source a new drag link - easier and cheaper than sourcing a new HD bar!!! PLus as the tube is not in any way attached to the drag link and its all greased up inside, i'm hoping it will act like a roller bearing type thing if i do happen to slide it over a rock.

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alternatively, use the standard track rod/drag link bar and 'sleeve it' with a nice thick close fitting tube.

i happened across a 3mm wall tube with an OD a spit wider than the standard bar. No idea where it came from, as it was on my garage roof and i've lived there for 7 years and never noticed it before..... :blink:

Anyway, i cut the tube to length and removed one track rod end, greased the drag link and slid the tube over it and refitted the track rod end.

so if i do bend it, the outside tube is disposable junk and i only need to source a new drag link - easier and cheaper than sourcing a new HD bar!!! PLus as the tube is not in any way attached to the drag link and its all greased up inside, i'm hoping it will act like a roller bearing type thing if i do happen to slide it over a rock.

Unfortunately I didn't roll over the rock but landed straight on it!

IMG_4181600x400.jpg

IMG_4182600x400.jpg

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have you not got one of the wee retainer things that bolts on to the diff. stops your track rod being banana-d backwards if you hit it or catch it on something. alas it does sweet f-a if the rod bends the other direction (forwards)

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there is stainless steel tube size, with a 5mm wall thickness, that slides very nicely over the standard track rod/ drag link.

I did this on my old defender after bending both bars.. the stainless tube actually straightened the trackrod as it slid over...

I'm not sure how much a 6m length would cost you from a stainless stock holders, but we did two defenders, and had enough left for a monster extension tube for my breaker bar out of 1 x 6m length!

I've got a set of Paddocks heavy duty trackrods on my disco at the moment, but would certainly do the stainless tube trick again.....

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Just out of interest, do you remember what the inner diameter of the tube was?

No, sorry, but if you measure your track rod, and round it up to the nearest imperial tube-bore size, that'll be it....

Im 40 miles from my tools at the moment, but next time I pop to my folks i can measure the breaker bar extension if you don't have any luck...

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