Ram 2500 Track Bar Install -- Core 4x4 Tow Series Adjustable Track Bar

If your Ram 2500 has a lift and you are still running the factory track bar, your front axle is not centered, your steering feels vague, and a death wobble is just one bad pothole away. The Core 4x4 Tow Series adjustable track bar is built from 1.5-inch cold rolled steel with Johnny Joints at both ends and a turnbuckle adjuster you can dial in while the bar is still on the truck.

In this video, Gabian and Spence from Core 4x4 install the Tow Series track bar on the shop’s blue Ram 2500 — the truck that hauls their gooseneck trailer, tows Jeeps to events, and does the heavy lifting every day. This is a straightforward bolt-on install with one critical detail: getting the measurement right so you do not throw off your alignment.

Fitment: Ram 2500 2014–2024 (4th and 5th gen) | Also fits Ram 3500

What the Track Bar Does on Your Ram

The track bar is the single component that holds your front axle centered left to right under the truck. It bolts from the axle to the frame and keeps everything aligned laterally. When it is worn, bent, or the wrong length for your lift height, you get a wandering front end, inconsistent steering, and the conditions that trigger death wobble.

On a leveled or lifted truck, the factory track bar is operating at an angle it was never designed for. An adjustable replacement lets you set the exact length to center the axle properly at your ride height — and the Core 4x4 version lets you make that adjustment without removing the bar.

Core 4x4 Tow Series Adjustable Track Bar

Here is what sets this track bar apart:

• 1.5-inch cold rolled steel construction — significantly heavier duty than the factory stamped steel bar
• Johnny Joints at both ends (Tow Series) — hold up to heavy towing, heavy off-roading, and daily hard use
• Turnbuckle adjuster with clamps and jam nuts — adjust the bar while it is installed on the truck, then lock it down permanently
• Left and right-hand threaded adjusting sleeve — turn one nut to bring the length in or out without fighting the whole assembly

How to Measure Your Track Bar Correctly

Getting your track bar measurement right saves you a trip to the alignment shop. Spence walks through two methods:

Method 1: Bolt Drop Comparison

Set the new track bar on top of the old one while it is still on the truck. Drop a bolt through both bars at one end. Adjust the new bar until the bolt holes line up at the other end, then lock the jam nuts down against the adjusting sleeve so nothing moves while you finish the swap.

Method 2: Outside-to-Inside Measurement

This is Spence’s preferred method. If both ends of the track bar have the same diameter at the bolt holes, you can measure from the outside edge of one bushing to the inside edge of the other. This gives you an exact center-to-center dimension without trying to eyeball the bolt center.

On this Ram 2500, the factory track bar measured 38-13/16 inches bolt center to bolt center. That is the target dimension for the new bar — match it and your alignment stays the same.

The least accurate method is holding a tape measure on center at one end and trying to eyeball center at the other. Always use the outside-to-inside technique when possible.

Install: Step by Step

Removing the Factory Track Bar

The factory bar has two bolts — one on the axle side and one on the frame side. Remove both. As soon as the bar is off, the axle will shift to one side. This is normal and happens on every truck because the steering linkage, control arms, and shock angles all pull the axle when it is unloaded.

Installing the New Track Bar

If you are working with the truck in the air (on a lift), the axle will have shifted and the bolt holes will not line up perfectly. Two options:

1. Steering wheel trick: Have someone turn the steering wheel. The drag link uses the truck’s own leverage to shift the axle exactly where it needs to be. Hold the wheel once the holes line up and drive the bolt through. (See the Core 4x4 JL track bar video for a full demo of this technique.)
2. Adjust after bolting: Install the bar at whatever length lets the bolts drop in, then adjust the turnbuckle to pull the axle back to center and hit your target measurement. This is the method Spence uses in this video.

Spence bolts both ends in first, then loosens the adjuster clamps to dial the length in while the bar is on the truck. The bar was initially longer than 38-13/16 because they extended it to match the shifted axle — then they adjusted inward to hit the factory dimension.

Locking Down the Adjustment

Once the bar is at the correct length, tighten everything in this order:

1. Bolt ends: Torque both the axle-side and frame-side bolts to 200 ft-lbs
2. Adjuster clamps: Line the clamps up with the slits in the adjusting sleeve so they seat correctly, then torque to 65 ft-lbs
3. Jam nuts: Torque the 1-1/4-inch jam nuts to 250 ft-lbs against the adjusting sleeve

The clamp orientation is critical — the open part of each clamp must sit directly over the slit in the adjusting sleeve. Get this aligned before you start torquing. Once clamps and jam nuts are locked down, this bar will never move on you.

Torque Specs

Order of operations: Bolt ends first, adjuster clamps second, jam nuts last. Always use a calibrated torque wrench.

Why Upgrade Your Ram 2500 Track Bar?

If your truck is leveled or lifted, the factory track bar is a weak link in the front end:

• Steering stability: A properly sized and adjusted track bar eliminates front-end wander and reduces the conditions that trigger death wobble
• Adjustability: The turnbuckle design lets you center your axle perfectly without removing the bar — critical after a lift, leveling kit, or alignment change
• Durability: 1.5-inch cold rolled steel replaces the factory stamped bar that flexes under load
• Johnny Joints (Tow Series): Handle heavy towing, heavy off-roading, and high-articulation situations without the binding or premature wear you get from bushings
• On-truck adjustment: The left and right-hand threaded sleeve means you can fine-tune without pulling the bar — useful after suspension changes, alignment tweaks, or axle shifts from trail damage

Tools Required

• Floor jack and jack stands (or a lift)
• Socket set (appropriate for your year model bolt sizes)
• Torque wrench (up to 250 ft-lbs)
• Crow’s foot wrench — 1-1/4-inch for jam nuts
• Tape measure
• Penetrating fluid for factory bolts
• Grease for Johnny Joint bushings before install

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Content

• Why You Need Control Arms — educational overview of what control arms do and why upgrades matter
• Ram 3500 End Links & Track Bar Install — track bar and sway bar end link install on a Ram 3500

Shop Ram 2500 Parts

Fitment: Ram 2500 2014–2024 (4th and 5th gen). Also fits Ram 3500. Questions: sales@core4x4.com | (385) 375-2104