Rear Suspension Track Bar

Signs of Wear & Troubleshooting

• Vehicle wandering: if your vehicle pulls to the side while driving, its track bar ends, bushings, or bearing may be wearing faster on one side than the other. This pulling can damage your tires, brakes, axle assembly, or other suspension components.
• Difficulty steering: if it becomes difficult to turn your vehicle in one direction, then the track bar may be wearing and causing problems with the steering column, making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. Steering hesitation, or the need to turn the steering wheel more than usual to go in the desired direction, is another sign that the track bar is worn. The worn track bar's inability to engage the tires and wheels as quickly as it once did causes this play in the steering wheel.
• Unexpected tire movement: track bar wear may be indicated by the tires on your vehicle shuddering or wobbling uncontrollably. This wobble occurs because the tie rod or axle track bar bushings have too much space or play from the steering assembly. Your vehicle's tires will begin to shudder during normal driving once higher speeds have been reached.

Good Maintenance Practices

• Inspect or have your track bar inspected for signs of wear. Worn suspension track bars can cause problems with vehicle handling and wheel alignment. If this wear goes undetected or ignored damage to other vehicle components can occur, threatening the integrity of your vehicle's suspension system. Preventative inspection can help detect wear before it becomes a major problem.