Timberline Econoline to Superduty Trackbar Kit

Description:

The Timberline track bar kit is the most advanced kit we sell in terms of time spent on development. In 10 years we have gone through dozens of iterations while honing the performance, durability, and universal fitment of these products. Our current offering will likely stay the course for years to come. This is simply the best track bar option for E-series to Superduty 4x4 conversions.

Design:

Our bar design features a minimal footprint of 1.375" mandrel bent adjustable tube with 1/4" wall and long threaded inserts. The frame side features a bonded bushing used in current Superduty pickups with minimal bushing rubber to mitigate deflection. Connecting hardware on both sides are 20mm and 3/4", huge bolts. 

The axle side setup replaces the Ford ball joint that is always under duress with a huge 1.625" FK brand commercial duty uni-ball that can be rebuilt or replaced easily when needing service. This PTFE lined joint requires no lubrication and provides just enough pivot to work with many many other manufacturers' radius arms, torque arms, etc. This design is compatible with our earlier Timberline Vans and a significant upgrade. 

Our axle-side bracket can be flipped over (weld-in only), for high-steering vans with large lifts, 6-8"+ to reduce the angle on the drag link and track bar while still keeping the geometry parallel. 

The frame side bracket we offer has a built-in arm that functions as a cutting template and a makeup support for material removal required for the engine cradle to clear the front differential. This bracket has been a staple for us for years and is likely installed on more than 400 vans. We now offer this design as a bolt-in unit as well as a modified version to fit the 3rd generation vans. (Years 1975-1991)

Suspension Design + Death Wobble

One of the more frequent questions we get is about the death wobble. Many of us have been in a short-wheelbase Jeep with big tires and 150k mile tie rods, and you hit a bump on the freeway and are suddenly launched into a teeth-chattering frenzy while you try to slow the vehicle down to a crawl without stopping traffic. It's not fun! 

Solid axle vehicles, be it a Jeep a Dodge or a Ford, are more susceptible to this condition than say, an IFS GM pickup, just by their nature. It's very easy to just write it off as a design that's too hard to work with, or just turn to leaf springs, but the durability of the solid front axle and ride quality achieved with coil springs and a vetted 4-link make them an ideal solution for 4x4 van conversions. 

How do we get around the truffle shuffle? A lot of practice. Our products and our vans have been on the market for years and many have hundreds of thousands of miles on them. It's not easy to figure out what goes wrong, but years of working with customers and seeing vans in for service and additional upfit has afforded us an opportunity to constantly tune and improve our design year over year. 

There are many factors that contribute to road stability and we've taken a long-term approach to patiently working through all the variations of our kits so that things just work. 

The main factors that go into death wobble in a coil spring vehicle:  joint condition/quality, track bar rigidity, and a proper sway bar setup. More subtle conditions that can exacerbate feedback include steering component flex, vehicle frame flex, and the impact of both drag link/track bar angles and over/under caster adjustments. We have a nice list below of helpful hints for you, regardless of what you're working on. 

1) Replace everything when you build your axle, all your tie rods, ball joints, bushings, everything should be kept up on properly, and setting a good base when you build your van will pay off for years, and don't use the cheap stuff. 

2) Trackbar-Your track bar should be rigid and mounts should have zero opportunity to flex. Overbuild, overbuild, overbuild. Our setup is a unit, the brackets that physically hold the joints are hugged tight to the frame, the make-up arm design of the frame side bracket simply doesn't allow flex, and by keeping the drag link and track bar as parallel as possible by design, we keep bump steer to a minimum. 

3) Sway bar and links - Get a stiff sway bar and set your links up to be at 90 degrees from every angle. When you're looking straight and the front axle, the links should be vertical, when looking from the side, vertical. They should be parallel and even, if it means the mounts aren't exactly centered on the axle. Yes, you can also flip-flop the link to the in-board or outboard side of the bar or tab, they don't have to match as long as they're vertical.  If you're going to spend a week in the desert, keep anti-seize on them, and 90 seconds with an impact and wrench is all you need to remove them, you don't need fancy disconnects. 

4) Caster-Higher positive caster will make your vehicle hold the road better and more stable, reducing the caster split needed for the van to not pull on crowned roads. It's easy to get greedy though, and too much will lead to increased wheel hop when hitting big bumps, and with 35" tires on a short wheelbase vehicle, it can be a recipe for chatter. For our vans, 4-4.5 degrees is optimal for coil spring vans and slightly higher can be run on Coilover vehicles. 

5) Drag link V Track bar- In an ideal world, these guys are perfectly parallel, more or less parallel to the ground, and the same exact length. That can be difficult to do depending on the design of your vehicle, but we've worked through iteration after iteration to dial things in as close to possible as will fit under a van, and then test the impact that has on all the other requirements.

6) Stabilizer-Even we have been guilty of saying a properly dialed vehicle suspension shouldn't even need a stabilizer. The fact of the matter is, that custom vehicles are not one-size-fits-all. When you're working with varying parts, varying weights, different tire sizes, different spring rates, and even different roads/driving conditions, you're going to need a steering stabilizer.

The stabilizer doesn't necessarily band-aid up problems, its job is to soak up deflection in the steering during heavy compression so the tire doesn't rotate out of round and propagate vibrations. Spend the money on a good stabilizer, and think about where it'll be the most effective.

Our updated Pitman Stabilizer and Lower Stabilizer designs tie directly into the drag link and steering tube. One is sufficient for most builds, but if you like safety or your van is 6"+ lifted, run them both. 

All this is to say, our designs are thoughtfully engineered and tested. We've done the leg work so you don't have to. Future designs and improvements are almost always backward compatible, and components are designed to be both forgiving for install, and precise once they're in the van. 

Fitment Designed For:

1992-2021 Ford E-150/E-250/E-350/E-450, Cab and chassis/cutaway variants included

1975-1991 Ford E-350/E-350/Cab + Chassis or Cutaway Vans (Gen 3)

Truck Side: Fits 2005-2012 Ford F-250/F-350 SRW or DRW axles, 2013-2016 Ford F-250/F-350 axles (For largest brakes)

We have some details and options on 2017+ Axle conversions, contact us for more info.

Tools Required:

Standard hand tools, ball joint press or similar to remove axle-side original track bar ball joint, pneumatic tools recommended, torque wrench, thread locker, cut work most easily completed with plasma but can be done with angle grinder pretty easily. Weld-in kits require a 220v welder with shielding gas. 

Included: 2-piece track bar with adjuster and jam-nuts, pre-pressed in bushings, hardware, thread locker. 

Construction Notes: 

Plates made from CNC cut 1/4" and 3/16" A36 steel. Tubing DOM 1/4" wall, 7/8" Adjuster, Spherical Bearing, AIN Heavy Duty Series, Steel, 1.6250 in. Diameter, Each
Mfr. #: AIN14T-770, Bearing Cup, 4130 Chromoly With Snap Rings, 1 5/8 in. Diameter, 
Mfr. #: CPW14. Frame side bolt 20mm, axle side bolt 3/4". 

Tips / Skill Level: 

1-10 (10 being the most difficult) Level 3-4

Shipping, Fulfillment, Taxes, Quality, and Returns

• Shipping: Our components are carefully wrapped & packaged and shipped via UPS, USPS, or FedEx, depending on what is available. If you require a particular carrier, please contact us ahead of your purchase.  Customers in Colorado may arrange for in-person pickup within 1-2 business days of purchase. 
• Shipping/Fulfillment time for components: We typically ship within 1-2 business days of your order and we carefully monitor our inventory. In the event that we are unable to meet that timeframe, we will contact you and arrange either a full refund or a timeframe for fulfillment agreeable to the customer. 
• Taxes: Colorado residents must pay a sales tax of 7.5%, no sales tax is collected on out-of-state shipments currently. 
• Quality and Returns:  We are consistently complimented on the quality of our products and the ease of installation. Fabricated components are generally hand-built here in Colorado by seasoned professionals. Replacement or aftermarket parts are only offered in high-grade options.
  
  If you are in any way disappointed in the components, we will issue a full refund less the cost of shipping when the product is returned within 30 days of receipt. If you decide to return any components that didn't apply to your build or you changed your mind about, a shipping +15 % restocking fee will be deducted from the refund.