Factory front/rear track bar expected life?

[JamesgPW]

Hi everyone, I have a 19 PW and I’m currently running a completely factory suspension with 35s. The truck has about 13000 miles on it now and about 1500 of those are offroad. “Offroad” ranging from soft roads, river rock beds, rocky gate keepers, rutted out and off stuff, and in snow, mud, sand, and water. The factory suspension is quiet capable and I’m considering keeping it until I have to replace things but jumping up to a 37 with the appropriate rim offset and some slight trimming. Thuren will be the replacement: coils, shocks, and front/rear track bars.

I’ve heard the factory track bars can go out in as little as 20k miles under serious use but I’ve also heard 50k-60k as well. If the front track bar is doomed at 20k then I will do suspension first and 37s later.

 

[Trailmaker]

Hi everyone, I have a 19 PW and I’m currently running a completely factory suspension with 35s. The truck has about 13000 miles on it now and about 1500 of those are offroad. “Offroad” ranging from soft roads, river rock beds, rocky gate keepers, rutted out and off stuff, and in snow, mud, sand, and water. The factory suspension is quiet capable and I’m considering keeping it until I have to replace things but jumping up to a 37 with the appropriate rim offset and some slight trimming. Thuren will be the replacement: coils, shocks, and front/rear track bars.

I’ve heard the factory track bars can go out in as little as 20k miles under serious use but I’ve also heard 50k-60k as well. If the front track bar is doomed at 20k then I will do suspension first and 37s later.

31k on mine and no issues yet. Most things are built to out last the warranty. So maybe at the 40k mark. Fortunately I have a 100k warranty on mine.
If your wife is reading this and you want her to sign off on the Thuren goodies soon then I will edit my post to say: “ oh man I’m at 31k and I had to replace mine twice already. They just don’t hold up”. I gotcha man.

 

[JamesgPW]

31k on mine and no issues yet. Most things are built to out last the warranty. So maybe at the 40k mark. Fortunately I have a 100k warranty on mine.
If your wife is reading this and you want her to sign off on the Thuren goodies soon then I will edit my post to say: “ oh man I’m at 31k and I had to replace mine twice already. They just don’t hold up”. I gotcha man.

lol. Ok I will probably run stock for a bit

 

[SeppW]

Thuren recommends replacing at 20K.

 

[Scotts26]

Thuren recommends replacing at 20K.

I believe that’s if you are running Thuren components with the factory bar. You should definitely expect more than 20k out of the OEM track bar if you are on OEM suspension. From Thurens site:

With the release of the new platform, we've concluded that the OEM 2013+ trackbar can go about 20,000 miles, and function just fine, with our suspension components. The OEM 2013+ Track Bar has been upgraded from the previous 2003-2013 design, and is not "mandatory" to replace right away like before. That said, if near 20,000 miles, you are getting close to needing our trackbar as an upgrade.

 

[Trailmaker]

lol. Ok I will probably run stock for a bit

I just don’t see it going out. In my off road experience, I never had to replace one do to it wearing out. IMO there are plenty of things to mod before the track bar(my build page gives my opinion of order) obviously you do you, but you asked.

 

[JamesgPW]

I just don’t see it going out. In my off road experience, I never had to replace one do to it wearing out. IMO there are plenty of things to mod before the track bar(my build page gives my opinion of order) obviously you do you, but you asked.

Yeah I kind of agree with this. At first I felt like upgrading suspension and track bars would be a top priority. The more I off roaded it with the stock suspension, the less of a priority that became. The stock suspension and stock truck as a whole are extremely capable. Right now my upgrades have been 35s, dethloff armor, whiteknuckle sliders, ARB twin air compressor, an overland bed rack for recovery gear, fuel and eventually a tent. Im thinking next I will beef the armor up a bit more with Maple.

 

[Trailmaker]

Yeah I kind of agree with this. At first I felt like upgrading suspension and track bars would be a top priority. The more I off roaded it with the stock suspension, the less of a priority that became. The stock suspension and stock truck as a whole are extremely capable. Right now my upgrades have been 35s, dethloff armor, whiteknuckle sliders, ARB twin air compressor, an overland bed rack for recovery gear, fuel and eventually a tent. Im thinking next I will beef the armor up a bit more with Maple.

That’s a good list. Start a build page once you get going on it.

 

[SeppW]

I believe that’s if you are running Thuren components with the factory bar. You should definitely expect more than 20k out of the OEM track bar if you are on OEM suspension. From Thurens site:

With the release of the new platform, we've concluded that the OEM 2013+ trackbar can go about 20,000 miles, and function just fine, with our suspension components. The OEM 2013+ Track Bar has been upgraded from the previous 2003-2013 design, and is not "mandatory" to replace right away like before. That said, if near 20,000 miles, you are getting close to needing our trackbar as an upgrade.

Sure, but even with OE suspension components, replacing the trackbars would yield some improvements in handling. Thuren describes some of OE track bar improved design characteristics and resulting faults. Nonetheless, it is a decision to weigh and whether or not it is a worthwhile upgrade. I think he has messed around with these platforms enough to know their strengths and weakness and designed his products to address the shortfalls or improve performance. For example, Thuren contends the Ram HD ball joints are pretty good for factory, but people still replace them with EMFs, Carli, or other brand with the same fit, form, function.

Drinking the Kool-Aid and living the dream!

 

[Scotts26]

Sure, but even with OE suspension components, replacing the trackbars would yield some improvements in handling. Thuren describes some of OE track bar improved design characteristics and resulting faults. Nonetheless, it is a decision to weigh and whether or not it is a worthwhile upgrade. I think he has messed around with these platforms enough to know their strengths and weakness and designed his products to address the shortfalls or improve performance. For example, Thuren contends the Ram HD ball joints are pretty good for factory, but people still replace them with EMFs, Carli, or other brand with the same fit, form, function.

Drinking the Kool-Aid and living the dream!

Yeah I agree that the Thuren or Carli components are an upgrade over stock.
I have plans for some of their goodies myself.
I was only pointing out that Thuren isn’t recommending replacing the stock track bar at 20k in every situation. Only if you are running their components which obviously have some different characteristics than stock.
If OP just want to upgrade than sure replace it with a nice Thuren or Carli But the stock part isn’t going to need to be replaced due to wear or failure at 20k in the vast majority of situations.

 

[MCMLXIX]

Check Out CORE4X4 for adjustable arms and track bars ... they are beefy

 

[22hemi13]

Prolly going to last a long time. Keep in mind Thuren stuff is meant to go fast and hard. So if you’re beating it like that then yeah 20k and prolly toast. For the average guy it’ll last a long time. That said. I do like my front and rear track bars from Thuren along with all the other goodies. And hauling ass is pretty fun haha.

 

[crazy jerry]

Thuren recommends replacing at 20K.

who gives a **** what that guy says. are you a sheep like everybody else

for baja1000 maybe they go bad at 20k. plenty of our offroad work trucks are way over 50k with original bars

 

[Trailmaker]

Thuren recommends replacing at 20K.

Oh course he does. He is a salesman. Fake news! Haha I’m at 31k and I can’t even see wear. This is not a weak link.

 

[olyelr]

Ive got 43k on mine with all the “added stress” from the “horrible” leveling kit. I think the track bar is just fine still but honestly I have not really looked into it. No odd handling anyway or weird noises.

 

[22hemi13]

Oh course he does. He is a salesman. Fake news! Haha I’m at 31k and I can’t even see wear. This is not a weak link.

Beat it like they’re beating it and it won’t last. He’s not saying the bar is bad in 20k miles for everybody. He’s saying if you trash your truck with their suspension. The bar will be bad in no time. Their goodies up the speed off-road and he’s saying that to those who beat their trucks. And let’s not forget it’s the same bar on the Cummins too which a lot of guys are adding the fast goodies to and that’s a lot of weight. Some people take stuff too literally

 

[SeppW]

who gives a **** what that guy says. are you a sheep like everybody else

for baja1000 maybe they go bad at 20k. plenty of our offroad work trucks are way over 50k with original bars

Sheeple? Far from it. If you don't want to to use Thuren products that's your prerogative. If you run the truck as built from factory, that's your prerogative too. The OP asked a question and I gave an answer. I also run a Thuren suspension kit and I can say with some degree of certainty their track bars has improved handling both on and off road.

Does the same apply to folks that use a different brand of aftermarket track bar or spacers for lift or install wheels, often bigger, with excessive (-) offset with a low profile tire?

 

[DodgeDude99]

There aren’t any moving parts there, just a bushing. I would not replace any bushed track bar for one with a Heims joint, then you will be replacing them at 20k or sooner.
Had a DT Fab track bar on my ‘99 that had a heims at the frame, once a year I had to replace it, went thru every magical one in the Summit catalog, all were sloppy in less than a year.

 

[Overlander]

^^ I agree completely with this. Having gone down this path before, NVH issues arise when you move away from rubber bushings and isolators. Poly and metal should stay in race cars.

 

[22hemi13]

My thuren bar is holding up. Heim hasn’t been replaced and it’s over 2 years and tons of abuse.