Ballistic Fab is a joke

[kenny]

Ballistic Fab does have problems at times when it comes to filling orders and making up excuses when it will actually ship. It took 5 months of phone calls and harrassment to get my coilovers. Will is a good person to work with but if you need shit to really happen talk to Dave. He will get the ball rolling. It also took some posting on pirate forum to get their attention. I agree they do hold large contracts with some big companies, but thats no excuse for their quality control in shipping/receiving office. They have plenty man power. I will order from them again in the future because their products are top notch and have very good quality craftsmanship. If anything is wrong in any way they will correct it promptly. However, I will allow myself a very large window for recieving the parts from them in the future. They crushed my deadline badly on a customer's rig when this happened.

 

[Nevadahiroller]

I am interested in why nobody (nobody that i have seen yet on this forum) is running traction bar designs like this.

 

[Nevadahiroller]

Is it just personal preference??

 

[SmokeShow]

Are you meaning the shackle mount at the frame instead of fixed or are you refering to just running a single bar/ladder system as opposed to the typical 2-link setups?

 

[Chevy1925]

I am interested in why nobody (nobody that i have seen yet on this forum) is running traction bar designs like this.

those type traction bars work great off road BUT, its more fab and welded to the axle tube. Not that its bad but the setup i built is easy to put on, build and works prefect in most applications. To make that trianglated setup work on a diesel you would need to use .250 wall DOM or chromoly and some thick plate and thats not cheap. FOr the hard off roader/rock crawler the triangulated setup is a great cause its up out of the way and allows for lots of flex. I built one jsut like that on my samurai rock crawler. took me three hours to design and build these 2 link setup bars, took 6-8 hours to do the same for the sami and get it setup right.

 

[RENODMAX]

those type traction bars work great off road BUT, its more fab and welded to the axle tube. Not that its bad but the setup i built is easy to put on, build and works prefect in most applications. To make that trianglated setup work on a diesel you would need to use .250 wall DOM or chromoly and some thick plate and thats not cheap. FOr the hard off roader/rock crawler the triangulated setup is a great cause its up out of the way and allows for lots of flex. I built one jsut like that on my samurai rock crawler. took me three hours to design and build these 2 link setup bars, took 6-8 hours to do the same for the sami and get it setup right.

That is in no way a 2 link.

 

[Nevadahiroller]

I was just meaning the design with the shackle. It seems that one mounting point to the axle would reduce but still not eliminate the axle wrap issue. I know that the single bars that everyone is running work (I am not saying that they dont) but maybe could be improved. I was just wondering if anyone has built and run a set similar to the ones above or with two mounting points on the axle.

I Know that they would take longer to build, but I feel that they would help out quite a bit more than what people are running now and be more suspension friendly.

I would personally run two of these traction bars on a Dmax. One on each side.

These traction bars are in no way a two link. A two link would be mounted directly to the frame and would have control of the pinion angle (no leaf springs for a true two link). Since this design is using a shackle setup to allow for front/back movement, but eliminating all of the axle wrap and not ever changing the pinion angle (like a true 2 link would), the suspension will be less likely to bind while under even the slightest articulation. I am not talking about tons of articulation either. Anyone who knows how a leaf sprung axle travels through its range of motion will know that it moves front/back slightly; hence one of the reasons we have slip joints in drive lines. The bars that everyone is running dont really allow for any front/back movement; which at some point will start to bind the suspension. Not necessarily bad, or even enough to notice while driving, but it will start to bind at some point.

Again, I am not trying to say that anyone is wrong for running "single bar" traction bars. They seem to work and can be made for cheap:thumb:. I am just looking for a more suspension friendly design while eliminating almost 100% of the axle wrap.

Sorry, I am not trying to jack the thread.

 

[Chevy1925]

That is in no way a 2 link.

in terms of traction bars it is :thumb:. same deal as calling compound trubos "twins". im using it as a generlization in relation to what im talking about.

I was just meaning the design with the shackle. It seems that one mounting point to the axle would reduce but still not eliminate the axle wrap issue. I know that the single bars that everyone is running work (I am not saying that they dont) but maybe could be improved. I was just wondering if anyone has built and run a set similar to the ones above or with two mounting points on the axle.

I Know that they would take longer to build, but I feel that they would help out quite a bit more than what people are running now and be more suspension friendly.

I would personally run two of these traction bars on a Dmax. One on each side.

Oh i know those traction bars work and they work well. its jsut a matter of how much work and money you would want to spend to achieve the same thing. The bars i jsut build give 0 wheel hop, the traction bar you posted above on my samurai gives 0 wheel hop. the only real difference in the bars is one allows for more flex. You axle rotates one way and by puttin two bars (one on each end of the axle) so that are setup to where they are under compression (when you hit the gas goin forward, the pinion trys to rotate up), they stop the rotation.
I personally dont see how running two of the bars that you described above is much more benificial or reduces more wheel hop? If im gettin 0 wheel hop with a 4" block, 37s and lots of power i dont know why you would spend more on a traction bar unless needed for more flex. I do like those type setups though. the work good in rock crawlers

These traction bars are in no way a two link. A two link would be mounted directly to the frame and would have control of the pinion angle (no leaf springs for a true two link). Since this design is using a shackle setup to allow for front/back movement, but eliminating all of the axle wrap and not ever changing the pinion angle (like a true 2 link would), the suspension will be less likely to bind while under even the slightest articulation. I am not talking about tons of articulation either. Anyone who knows how a leaf sprung axle travels through its range of motion will know that it moves front/back slightly; hence one of the reasons we have slip joints in drive lines. The bars that everyone is running dont really allow for any front/back movement; which at some point will start to bind the suspension. Not necessarily bad, or even enough to notice while driving, but it will start to bind at some point.

see above post

Again, I am not trying to say that anyone is wrong for running "single bar" traction bars. They seem to work and can be made for cheap:thumb:. I am just looking for a more suspension friendly design while eliminating almost 100% of the axle wrap.

Sorry, I am not trying to jack the thread.

all in red my friend. No highjack, i like the discussion! :hug:

 

[TrentNell]

Did you stitch weld those?

Do some searching on a MIG welding "style" called "triggering" , alooooot of guys use it when welding needs to be "pretty" , and its def strong enough as long as you have a big enough welder , if you don't better stick to burning steady.

 

[HEEPJEEP]

Do some searching on a MIG welding "style" called "triggering" , alooooot of guys use it when welding needs to be "pretty" , and its def strong enough as long as you have a big enough welder , if you don't better stick to burning steady.

Some people also call it "tack tack" or "tack tack tack" method.

People trained as welders consider stitch welding to be when you weld for a distance, skip a distance, weld a distance, skip a distance, etc.

 

[Chevy1925]

Well i can weld either way and have yet to have a stitch or "tack tack" weld fail. I know of desert races that built their whole truck tack tacking with no issues. A nice 220 welder and cranking the heat/wire speed up can make a strong stitch weld but you still gotta be able to do it fluantly. If the weld you jsut put down is no longer red hot through your helmet by the time you start the next weld, the whole stitch you put down wont have enough heat transfer and will give you a weak weld. ill continue to weld both ways till i buy a TIG when i get my new house. At that point ill be selling the big MIG and get a small 110 for times i want to make a quick weld. TIG takes much longer but creates a much smaller, stronger weld and damn a pro TIG welder can make those welds look good.

 

[HEEPJEEP]

All I am saying is that what you are doing is more universally called or known as "triggering" like Trent said.

Stitch welding is technically and universally known as a different method (described above in my post) of welding and is done with all types of welders.

-Dave

 

[Chevy1925]

All I am saying is that what you are doing is more universally called or known as "triggering" like Trent said.

Stitch welding is technically and universally known as a different method (described above in my post) of welding and is done with all types of welders.

-Dave

i agree

 

[Nevadahiroller]

Yeah, a perfect example of a stitch weld is on the speed hole plate in the center of the traction bar pictured above.

 

[Nevadahiroller]

I see exactly how running the single traction bar setup to the bottom of the spring plate works. It is just jamming up the axle under torque. Simple cheap fix.

I guess I am just anal and dont think that it is a correct way to do it. It works, but I dont think its for me. Just because its cheap and effective doesnt mean it functions properly. Thats all.

I do like those type setups though. they work good in rock crawlers.

So you do agree that this "2-link'" set up works well, it just too much time and money to make a set for your truck?

 

[Chevy1925]

I see exactly how running the single traction bar setup to the bottom of the spring plate works. It is just jamming up the axle under torque. Simple cheap fix.

I guess I am just anal and dont think that it is a correct way to do it. It works, but I dont think its for me. Just because its cheap and effective doesnt mean it functions properly. Thats all.

i see what you mean. To do it the traingulated way, its jsut not cost effective or worth the time in my eyes but i see your point. i dont feel we use enough of our rear wheel travel to cause a big enough binding issue but time will tell i guess on the bars. So far its yet to affect my daily driving ride. when i get a trailer hooked up ill report back what she does

So you do agree that this "2-link'" set up works well, it just too much time and money to make a set for your truck?

2-links (true 2 links) work great, a triangulated traction bar is not worth the time and money in eyes to warent building one. ive seriously contenplated building one for the truck but the amount of work/money i would have to put into one is not worth it to me

^^^^

 

[Nevadahiroller]

Thats cool. I understand your point also. I just wanted to know why nobody was running them.

 

[Chevy1925]

Heres a pic of my contiuous welds. Brians low rider now no longer has wheel hop and will pitich sideways on a stock tune

 

[hondarider552]

Facebook > Like

Looks great James! hey Jordan, can you weld like that?? cuz I sure can't!

 

[hondarider552]

Heres some pics of James traction bars he built for me. Just over 4' long. Love em! :thumb::thumb:

the last pic is my front end fully "cranked"