Trackbar Mount

PARTS & SUPPLIES NEEDED
Gunnar Axial Axle Tubes
Aluminum Angle Iron
Rotary Tool
Drill with assorted bits
Welder
3mm tap

Because I run high steer knuckles on my SCX10, I had to completely modify my Hand Bros 3 link kit. I had mounted the track bar to the axle using nothing but the housing for the little bracket piece, which had been separated from the center section of the original Hand Bros bracket. I had to do this in order to dial out the bump steer and to push the axle forward.

I knew it was a weak point but the truck has held up so well for so long I forgot to go back and brace it. So on "course 1" of 9/26 the trackbar bracket ripped itself out of the housing. I will admint I was holding nothing back (I later found a few trashed rod ends as well)... but I wasn't prepared to mend the housing in the field so it ended my day.



To solve this I decided to go for "overkill". I tried a few different methods that I don't suggest either...



1. After disassembling the front axle completely I installed the gunnar axle tubes into a new housing. On the passenger side I used a small drill bit and went in from the top to mark where the two original mount holes would line up with the gunnar tube. Don't drill all the way through, just get a mark going. I also drilled a 3rd hole in the center/top of the housing closer to the diff to give some triangulation.

2. With the approximate locations of the holes it's time to whip out the welder and start building up the material. Essentially you wanto to make 2 big piles of metal that you will later grind, drill & tap for 3mm hardware. This will be considerably stronger than just drilling and tapping as you will have double (or more) the threads. This photo will give you an idea of what you are after:


3. You will need to clearance the housing for your tube to fit in and these mount points to poke out. Remove as little material from the housing as you can until things line up as so:


4. When you are satisfied there, you'll need to make a bracket to mount to the housing from the outside. This is where the trackbar will attach. I cut mine out of aluminum angle I had lying around using my rotary tool.


5. I went through a lot of trial and error and the best method I can recommend is to fully assemble everything and bolt a test bracket to the axle. From there let the vehicle rest on it's own weight and make sure it is sitting centered. Then mark a hole in the bracket to drill for the trackbar. Once you get the whole right you'll be sitting pretty.


Bonus:
While I was at it, I decided to add some set screws for my super 300 axles. It's not rocket science, just drill and tap the knuckles/housing for the set screws and make sure they will contact the bearings. Since I did this I've had zero "bearing walk".