Traction bars

[Erics51chevy]

Apologize if this has already been talked about, my search isnt working. Ive been doing some research on traction bars like on full size trucks. Im not into the look of slapper bars, never have been a fan. Im looking into the ones that bolt into the leaf spring shock mounts and get welded to or bolted to your frame. Has anybody used these before? I see the caltracs are pretty popular in the drag racing area and these are similar.

I will not be using my truck for drag racing. I will maybe go to the strip once or twice with it. I dont want to have to worry about the axle wrapping too much with a lot of horsepower. I know everybody talks about 4 links but these could be a good alternative if you keep the leaf springs.

Kinda like so
[IMG][/IMG]

[Old57]

This is what I plan on using when I get to that point:

http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/tractionbar.htm

[mr48chev]

I'd be looking on the offroad 4x4 parts sites like the one Old57 posted. I think those arms are pretty popular with the guys with lifted trucks with big lifts.

Here pick a number lots of options some great some good some rather iffy. https://www.google.com/search?q=trac...ih=415#imgrc=_

[Erics51chevy]

Our trucks would be even better for it because the bottom bar is going to be more parallel with the ground.

[la hi]

I used new elongated springs to keep the rear end on the ground. This is a take off from a Chrysler solution back in the 50's . The unintended result was a raised rear end. I am sorry I didn't take better pictures when it was apart.

[dsraven]

check welders series online for brackets and bars. you could easily fab your own or grab one of their kits. USD is pretty good compared to CAD right now. their stuff is pretty nice too.

[Speedbumpauto]

The problem with the ones you show is the rear suspension is trying to travel in two different arc lengths, which it doesn't want to do. If the ladder bars have the same pivot point as the springs, it can work, or have a movable pivot like the torque arm. The popularity of the Cal Trax stuff is they allow the spring to use its original pivot point so no suspension bind.

[Old57]

The link I posted above for the Offroad Design traction bar shows it has a link pivot at the front so it won't bind during spring movement

[dsraven]

check this little write up which describes the issue a little better possibly. it has pics so whaddya got to lose, right?
haha

http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories...f-spring-woes/

[dsraven]

the link posted by olds57 is a lot like the camaro set up from the '80's. like a torque arm.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by dsraven

the link posted by olds57 is a lot like the camaro set up from the '80's. like a torque arm.

That was my thought when I saw it. Simple and it works but I don't know how well it might work with leaf springs and the axle bolted to the leaf springs rather than on a pivot like the stock AD torque tube setup is.

[dsraven]

I think, if ,memory serves me, that the AD trucks have a pivoting diff connection to the springs to help alleviate the length issue with the torque tube as the truck goes over bumps or load is added. that is the issue with the frame mounted bars that don't pivot in the same axis as the u joints and spring pivots. the old "slapper" style of traction bars didn't have to worry so much about that because they only connected to the one end. just draw out a quick diagram with the attachment points and see how moving the diff up and down will bind the suspension. or mock it up with some wood scraps on a piece of plywood. screw the pivot points down but not so tight they can't move. then move the diff up and down to see what happens. the 4x4 guys have it even worse, if they use some sort of link, because they generally add blocks between the diff and the springs so, as power is applied and the diff tries to wind up, it exaggerates the pinion angle and the length of the driveshaft. lots of issues with driveline vibration under load, bent shocks, broken u joints driveshafts that pull out of the transfer case slip joint or other problems with the 4x4 lift guys. go figure. it pays to mock things up and run the suspension through a full travel to look for problems.
just my 2 cents.

[Erics51chevy]

I understand what you mean about having a fixed part at the frame and at the leaf spring. But wouldnt a 4 link be the same thing? There is a fixed point at the frame and welded onto the rear axle.

[_Ogre]

i used a torque arm similar to what old57 posted the link to with a spring shackle on the front
i used a 86 trans am rearend that had the oem torque arm and the boss cast into the punkin
under heavy acceleration my rearend would pivot up and the driveshaft would rub on the rear x-member
the torque arm works really well to eliminate any spring wrap

this is the 3rd gen camaro/firebird/trans am setup
i cut off the sliding trans mount and welded in a trailer spring shackle
look at the rearend pic la hi posted, he used a 3rd gen camaro i believe, you can see the torque arm boss
welding the bracket on the axle would obviously work as well




the link old57 posted would work well to prevent spring wrap
on the first pic you posted i had the same thoughts on binding with different pivot points
you basically have a triangle that is trying to pivot one side, not going to work without binding

[Erics51chevy]

Old 57s idea with the shackle for the rear to cycle properly is a good idea. Im just confused as to how that holds the pinion from moving. As im writing this it makes a little more sense. The rear can still cycle back and forth but not upwards? Would that shackle have to be perfect 90 degrees at the ride height and proper pinion angle?