2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Problem with Lindstadt track bar - stripped threads

[Steve St.Laurent]

Hey guys, had an interesting (terrifying actually) experience yesterday. I had a Lindstadt track bar on my truck (put it on ~100,000 miles ago). About 2 weeks ago I started getting death wobble once in a while. Although that really didn't register until after the fact, I was also experiencing increased bump steer and play in the wheel. I got under the truck and checked for play and couldn't find any. Was trying to get time at a friends shop to put it up on his hoist to be able to check it out better. Yesterday I was up north riding and all of a sudden my steering was VERY loose - was taking 2-3 times as far to turn on the wheel. Just after that a REAL bad case of death wobble set in and I nearly had a head on while I was trying to get off the road. Got out and to my horror the track bar was disconnected at the frame. I drove at 20 mph to the next town to get a new nut for it, then I discovered that it wasn't that the nut backed off but that the threads had stripped right off the ball stud on the lindstadt link joint! I am very anal about torqueing things to spec (have 3 different torque wrenches of different ranges), double checking everything, etc. Only thing I can figure is that the link metal was soft or that the threads were badly tapped. Scared the heck out of me. So I got to change my track bar in a parking lot at parts plus in Baldwin laying on the snow. My steering is now tight again and no more death wobble.

I spoke with the manufacturer today and am going to remove the joint from the track bar and ship it to them for them to inspect and I will update with what they tell me. This is a very wierd failure that I've never seen before. They've never seen it either. I would suggest that you check yours to see if there's any play in it where it attaches to the frame or if the nut is loose as it's a terrifying experience if it lets go while on the road. Hopefully it was just a freak failure but I felt the need to warn you guys.

-Steve

EDITED to change Lukes Link to Lindstadt - my mistake

 

[NavyDoc]

Glad you're okay. Sounds like you were very lucky, all things considered.



I have an 01 with only 39500 miles so I haven't felt the need to start replacing suspension/steering components yet, but have been reading about a lot of these changes to improve our trucks.



Please let us know what you find out from the Lukes Link folks.



I would appreciate any advice for me as I am new to Cummins trucks, as of the past 2 months.



Again, glad you made through unharmed.

 

[JGK]

Steve,



Didn't you use the original ball stud from the track bar when you put on the Luke's Link? Or did you use a new one from another source?



When I installed my LL's I used the original ball studs.



-Jay

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I bought my track bar complete from Lukes but regardless there's one ball stud on one end and a bushing on the other - doesn't the lukes link kit come with everything for the ball stud end?

 

[JGK]

Everything except the ball stud. You reuse the one from your trackbar.



-Jay

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Thanks for bringing that up. A bell went off tonight and I did some research and found that it was a Lindstadt bar that I put on the truck - not a lukes link bar. So I'll call Lindstadt on monday. Man, getting older is tough.

 

[fest3er]

... Man, getting older is tough.

Just you wait. You'll think this a cakewalk once you are old.



N

 

[Allnew2Me]

You made me go out and check mine. I used the old ball from the stock trackbar and it is still tight, thanks for the warning though.

 

[LostTrucker]

correct me if i'm wrong, when you installed the L L trackbar, did you use a new cotterpin on the castle nut? I don't understand how it came all the way off.

 

[fest3er]

correct me if i'm wrong, when you installed the L L trackbar, did you use a new cotterpin on the castle nut? I don't understand how it came all the way off.

You gotta remember something. Steve includes the sand dunes in Indiana in his definition of 'highway'.



OK, perhaps I exaggerate a bit.

 

[Joe Mc]

Guy's although it was on the high end of the price range, with all the problems I had over the years with my front end (3+ Moog T-Bars, rod ends and the like), I finally decided and went with the 3rd gen conversion bar and bracket, DSS stabilizer (about 2. 5 years ago) and am very satisfied = not had any problems "at all".

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Yes, new cotter pin and castle nut. The threads stripped off the stud and the nut came right off the top of it - it didn't back off, it just stripped off. Amazingly the nut was still sitting there on the frame when I got to the parts store, just reached up and plucked it off.