Pastycrimper Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 My track rod has taken a small knock and additionally the threads have been pulled. I was just about to fit new TR-ends and decided that actually I may as well get a new track rod. I thought I may as well get a HD track rod but having just done some internet searching I don't seem to be able to find any? Plenty of the normal NRC9742 standard track rod. So can anyone point me to some HD track rods and also I've heard that some HD track rods are two wide for the small protection guard/bracket on the diff in which case I guess I may have to take this off........or would the general consensus be to just go for a standard bar? I don't do any competition off-roading but she is off road a lot on the farm and I do go greenlaning and the occasional tougher spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Gwyn Lewis here.... http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/page6.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 If you're not into heavy off roading I wouldn't bother. I fitted one, hung the truck up on a stump and it bent as easily as a standard one. The problem I see is that once it's bent you can't bend it straight, at least with a standard one you can affect a dodged repair to get the wheels pointing in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Gwyn Lewis here.... http://www.gwynlewis...o.uk/page6.html Gwyn Lewis were as far as I got.....they sell the sumo bars which look to me like a straight swap. I also noticed that they have a pretty special track rod protection kit (over the top for me I think). All I can find now are Sumo bars and Dan bars (whcih if memory serves correctly are just tubes that slide over an normal track rod). As I need to replace my rod completely it seems that Sumobar is the way forward from a HD point of view but then as Specialbikejames said maybe its just worth getting a normal track rod which are only £11. Has anyone ever bent a track rod not offroading heavily or is it always that offroad stump/rock that destroys these. I have no idea how I bent mine - obvipously its a tiny kink rather than a full banana so I must have just clipped it. Its barely noticeable although I fine eye will see that the wheels aren't aligned perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 If you're not into heavy off roading I wouldn't bother. I fitted one, hung the truck up on a stump and it bent as easily as a standard one. The problem I see is that once it's bent you can't bend it straight, at least with a standard one you can affect a dodged repair to get the wheels pointing in the right direction. I must confess I like the idea of an HD one as I'm always reading about bent ones - although that is perhaps just the hardcore heavy offroaders. At £11 for a standard track rod I'm beginning to turn back to your line of thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 It's a 'pay your money, take your choice' situation. Standards are cheap and easy to straighten so they are better in my opinion, of course you might not bend it at all with an HD one. The Glyn Lewis steering protection guard looks pretty good, better than any traditional steering guard in I think. The HD track rod I bent was behind a Devon 4x4 steering guard (the decent one which fits their bumpers) but it still allows the steering arms to get whacked as it's impossible for them to drop low enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smego Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Bent my normal one reversing over some hidden pipes that got caught, now got one of found followed his instruction to track the shells and very happy with it, never seen anyone bend one yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 One of the reasons I went for a havy duty track rod was that IMO the ends are better. The TRE screws into the track rod and is locked with a nut against the track rod. For those of you who get into wet and mud, you can cover the tre and nut easier so that the threads should be relitavely easy to und.Gwyn Lewis track rods come with greasable TRE's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 One of the reasons I went for a havy duty track rod was that IMO the ends are better. The TRE screws into the track rod and is locked with a nut against the track rod. For those of you who get into wet and mud, you can cover the tre and nut easier so that the threads should be relitavely easy to und.Gwyn Lewis track rods come with greasable TRE's Echo that Mike! I've yet to bend my Sumo bar. Really nicely made and so much nicer than the standard affair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I have had a Dan bar over my track rod for yonks, and yet to bend it (cursed that now I know). I'd like to get one for the drag link too at some point. I like the idea that you are keeping a standard item and strengthening it, (OK your track rod needs to be reasonably straight to start with), and keeping things in line with what LR intended. As long as TREs are well greased on the thread during assembly I have found them easy enough to remove. I guess it helps if you keep your truck nice and clean underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 One of my mates is an ex-LR (Australia) engineer, he was part of the Perentie design team. When I was looking to buy a Deefer about 12 yeqars ago one of his words of advice was to ditch the stupid stock tie rod and drag link + diff channel and replace with HD ones, out here at the time that meant either make your own or buy Maxi-Drive (as well as the rear lower trailing arms) Being an odd thread size it isn't cost effective to buy the taps and make just one of each, and even with jsut sleeving a stockie, you still need to run a tap down the threads when welding the sleeve on, and it isn't leagal to weld steering components here anyway. The stockies bend far too easily, in the most anemic of conditions. Never had a problem in 11 years with the 32mm OD Maxi ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I bought a set of Terrafirma ones. I wasn't expecting them to be particularly good as they were half the price (exageration for dramatic effect! A lot cheaper would be more accurate) of most others. I have a QT one which turned out to be for a series (wrong length to fit a defender). I tested both on a press and they both take the same force for the same amount of bend (I didn't bend them beyond their elastic limit). I have to conclude that both are made from the same grade of material. Thus, pretty good value! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 mine came from Gwyn Lewis. never broken or bent one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 Thanks all. Think I'll get a Sumobar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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