I searched the FAQ's pages and didnt find any so if i missed it just point me in the right direction.

My truck currently has a drop bracket shown here...


I read this article which details many of the available options http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techart..._upgrade/..for those that dont want to click through to the article here is the guts of it-

"First, there's the Luke's Link (www.lukeslink.com), a rebuild kit for the frame end of '94-'02 track bars that includes a fixture that captures the ball socket of the rod ends to prevent loosening. Lindstadt Alignment (www.bellefourche.com/lindstad) also offers lower-cost basic rebuild kits for the track-bar ends. Next came brackets from Solid Steel Industries (www.solidsteel.biz) that allowed the older trucks to convert to the '03-and-up track bar. That same bracket can be used to mount the upgraded aftermarket track bars that are designed for '03-and-up trucks. KORE Performance (www.koreperformance.com) offers an '03-and-up style 4130 chromoly track bar that's stronger than stock to absorb real abuse, and Carli Suspension (www.thecarlisuspension.com) also has an '03-and-up bar with a spherical bearing on one end and a Delrin bushing on the other. DT Pro Fab (www.dtprofab.com) has an adjustable bar with Heim ends. Both '03-and-up bars and '94-'02 bolt-in replacements are offered by Thuren Fabrication (www.thurenfabrication.com), which uses a hardened stainless 1-inch Uniball at the frame end and a Delrin bushing at the other.

For our truck, we chose the newest track-bar solution, which is from Rare Parts (www.rareparts.com). It uses a stock-type bar modified to include slight adjustability (our truck is stock height) with a threaded-on frame-end housing that is case-hardened and includes a ball joint that is 11/4 inches in diameter for a claimed 47 percent increase in the surface area of the wear components as compared to the stock design. "


Read more: http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techart...#ixzz2EaPO5enI

So what do yall think, should i ditch the drop bracket i have in place of on that allows use of 03 and up bars, go with something like they did from rareparts or is there another perferred solution.

I gotta drive some 3000 miles to key west and back at the end of the month so i gotta figure this out as highway driving is out until this is resolved.

Thanks

 

I would go with an upgrade.... go to the 03 and up style bar, with delrin bushings on both ends. Nice and solid, but, not to the point that you know ever wrinkle in the road on a first name basis.

 

So then that would be a vote for Solid Steel Industries TB Bracket and Bar...No troublesome ball joints, no loud Heim joints...



I also like the look of SSI's DSS Kit, The DSS, also known as the "Darins' Steering Stabilizer" is designed to eliminate steering wander in the Dodge Ram pickups. It does this by adding an additional bearing to the bottom of the steering box sector shaft and by adding an additional cross member tying the frame rails together eliminating frame flex. In other words, takes the slop out of your steering.

Here are some shots of both-

 

additional info for SSI's products...it seems the the bracket costs about $185 the bar is another $315 so $500 and its only good for up to 3" lift so I'm gonna need a longer track bar or different kit since im 5" suspension lift...

...The Dss goes for $210 btw

 

Thuren Fabrications 2nd gen bar is good for 5" - 10" of lift...the site says they are currently out of stock....seems to go for around $360 according to a gentleman on another forum so dont quote me.


Somehow this drop bracket seems inferior even to the bolt on one i currently have on(provided it was welded at the cross member also)...im sure it isn't but it just seems like even with the one weld on brace it may not distribute load well...but then i'm not an engineer by trade and also one could fab up additional gussets to tack up with ease so not that big a deal..

 

Moog has track bars, the ball joint end is beefier than OEM, grease able
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com...=MOOG%2DDS1256

 

Moog track bar for sale on usautoparts for $116.00 same thing ya think?
http://www.usautoparts.net/catalog/?...tt=track%20bar

 

The Moog bar has been in my truck for a year now and all is well, where as other one's failed in less than 6 months. I have a Tuff Country 5" drop bracket and made my own for the diff end. The Tuff Country one looks much beefer than your's.

SkyJacker also makes a kit, some like it some don't. As it's the ezest part for me to get that's what I will be going with once the Moog fails.

http://www.truckspring.com/products/...__TC30901.aspx

This is like the one I made.

http://www.truckspring.com/products/...__TC30902.aspx

 

Probably the same, I bought mine at advance auto for 120 something

 

After taking a good look at the lift components and comparing to lift kits my early assumptions i believe were correct in that the trucks got a Rough Country 5" lift kit and probably the Rough country 3" body lift kit. PPL like cheap...The track bar bracket appears to be a dead give away see here-



Question is: is the tuff country bracket really that much stronger...I do like the broad and long one piece gusset that extends to the cross member mount but if this was going to off real support then it would need to be welded up vs the little 9/16 bolt that secures it at the cross member. bracket attaches to factory trackbar mount with an 1 1/16" Nut (or metric equivalent)