From Kevin's Off Road:
Track Bar Conversion Install Instructions
How much time will this take? Under an hour.
How difficult is this modification? 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.
What tools do I need? Only a socket set, a drill with a 1/2" bit, and a torque wrench.
What makes the job easier? A ratchet strap or come-along and a small tube of Lock-Tite.
Where do I begin?
First, park your Jeep so that you have a solid object on either side of the front bumper. You may need to use a come-along or ratchet strap later to assist with centering the axle. Begin by removing the lower track bar bolt and the nut with the lever attached to it on the back side of the axle.
Then, remove the two vertical bolts that hold the upper track bar mount to the bottom of the frame rail. Last, remove the two horizontal nuts that are in the wheel well that hold the top portion of the upper track bar mount to the frame rail making sure to not lose the bolt-plate that comes in from the other side of the frame rail...it will fall inside the steering gear heat shield above the frame rail on the ZJ, making your life more difficult because you'll have to remove the heat shield to get it back again.
On the XJ, you'll probably have to remove the factory air box in order to get to the nuts below it. Remove the entire track bar and track bar mount assembly from the Jeep.
Now, drill the lower track bar bolt hole out to 1/2" (on the axle side). You will use the new 1/2" Grade 8 bolt included with the hardware kit. Next, put Kevin's Track Bar Conversion upper mount on the frame rail and bolt it down using the two stock nuts and two stock bolts prepped with Lock-Tite, because they will loosen over time if you don't use it. Torque both nuts and both bolts to 90 ft. lbs. of torque using an accurate torque wrench.
Prep the new track bar by greasing the bushings both inside and out (I highly recommend the sticky poly bushing grease you can get at PepBoys in the suspension section...probably Auto Zone also...rather than "normal" grease because it'll keep the poly bushings in better condition for longer) and insert the poly bushing halves into the bar ends, and then the metal bushing insert into the poly bushing on both ends of the bar. Next, insert the curved end (adjustable end goes on axle side) of the track bar into the upper mount that you just bolted to the frame rail. Center the holes and slide the 1/2" Grade 8 bolt in from the rear forward, threading the nut on the front by hand only. Don't tighten it yet. BTW, I made the fit tight, so you may need to tap it in with a wood block and hammer. DO NOT hammer the head directly or you will damage the bolt! Now thread the large jamb nut over the threaded end section, and thread the end section into the track bar.
Next, center the axle under the Jeep side to side (eyeballed is generally close enough) by attaching a come-along or ratchet strap to pull the body of the Jeep sideways without moving the axle, or you can also have a friend push the body over so that the axle is centered for a minor adjustment. You can also start the Jeep's motor and turn the wheel without the track bar installed. The power steering will move the Jeep's body back and forth over the axle without the Track Bar attached...and having a friend assist is a huge help. Turn the threaded track bar end in or out to make it the right length and insert the lower bolt and nut plate that you set to the side earlier. Now, thread the lower section back in, and check the length again, being careful to not cross-thread it, which is pretty easy to do. It should be a perfect length this time. Go ahead and insert the lower bolt all but 1/2" in and fish the 1/2" nut into the small hole with your finger tip. You can insert a flat blade screwdriver into the horizontal access hole to jamb the nut to get it tight, or a high-offset box wrench into the vertical access hole to hold the nut in place. After tightening the lower bolt to 75lb ft. with the torque wrench, go back and tighten the upper to 75lb ft of torque as well. A suggestion is to use Lock-Tite, available at any auto parts or hardware store to make sure that the bolts don't loosen over time. Last, tighten down the jamb nut REALLY, REALLY tight so that you don't get clunking when turning.
You're done! Take it out for a road test around the block before trusting it to the public roadways. Check all the bolts again to assure that they are tight, and call it a day. Enjoy the tighter steering and massive flex, limited now ONLY by your shock length!!!! Check the bolts on the track bar bracket where it mounts to the frame for tightness after each trail run and make sure that they are torqued to spec. Sometimes they will loosen over time, even with the Lock-Tite.
http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/sharedinstalls/installtbc.html
Hope that helps you out...
Later.
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