Fresh off the dealer lot, most vehicles seem aimed at the least-adventurous, least-abusive possible buyer. Why else would OEM's equip vehicles with pencil-thin tie rods, paper-thin control arms, and equally-wimpy brackets?
As always, the aftermarket steps in and provides what the factory didn't.
Another item spied on my visit to Currie Enterprises was a new TJ rear track bar and track bar bracket gusset.
The track bar is much heavier and stronger than stock, and uses genuine Currie Johnny Joints at both ends.
Side note:"Johnny Joint" has become somewhat of a generic term in the off-road industry, but the only real Johnny Joints come from Currie Enterprises.
At the axle, Currie now has a track bar bracket gusset that ties into the factory bracket, reinforcing it against abusive trail use.
To keep the track bar from twisting too far, special fiber-impregnated washers are installed on the outside of the Johnny Joint at the frame end. These allow some lateral rotation, but prevent the track bar from flopping too far to one side or the other.
The track bar bracket gusset is a bit difficult to see when it's installed on a vehicle, so I'm planning to pay Currie another visit to shoot the bracket on a free-standing axle.