Traction Bar Help...

[DirtySouth85]

I'm about to kill myself with all of the trac-bar ideas that I've been reading the last 2 days. I want to build a set but I'm not sure what to build.

I'd actually like some that look like these..

But I don't know if they would work for what I wanted. I want to go down the track and for the street. I want them to work as good as possible. Please don't tell me about Cal-Tracs, as I tow often and don't want to lose my overload springs.

I want to know how to build the best possible traction bar. That works correctly with the right geometry.

 

[05chevy]

I have always went under the rear for when the rear moves it pushes on the traction bars instead of pull on them. I have 6' long bars under the rear they work great have no problem racing or hauling anything with them no binding at all.

 

[SSchmi5519]

EDIT: Looked at the pic backwards.

 

[DirtySouth85]

That picture is off of a Ford. I just really like the design of them.

I've been reading on bars for a couple days and man, it has my brain fried. I'm just not sure what exactly I should go with.

 

[JoshH]

Please don't tell me about Cal-Tracs, as I tow often and don't want to lose my overload springs.

Who says you have to lose the overload with Caltracks?

 

[DirtySouth85]

I thought I read that on one of the forums.... Man I have seriously read soooo much on tractoin bars in the last 2 days that it's possible I could've made that up. I swear I read that somewhere....

 

[JoshH]

You don't. The only thing you might have problems with is if the overload has shifted a little, you mave have to loosen up the spring pack a little to reposition it if you can't get the side plates on.

Also, I don't really like those traction bars you posted pics of. I don't think it is a good design.

 

[DirtySouth85]

You don't. The only thing you might have problems with is if the overload has shifted a little, you mave have to loosen up the spring pack a little to reposition it if you can't get the side plates on.

Also, I don't really like those traction bars you posted pics of. I don't think it is a good design.

Oh ok, well at least I know more than I did a few minutes ago.

I just liked the idea of how they were made and how they were outta sight. But I also questioned whether or not they worked properly.

Josh, other than Cal Tracs what do you think a good design is?

 

[JoshH]

Just about any traditional long bar will help fight axle wrap as long as they are strong enough to keep from deflecting under load. I have other ideas on traction bars that I would like to try out sometime.

 

[x MadMAX DIESEL]

Fords have the ubolts upside down... You'd have to do some custom work to get them to work on your truck. But I do like the idea. And I never pulled the overloads on my truck with cal tracs fwiw

 

[DirtySouth85]

For them to work properly they need to attach to the bottom and the top of the axle housing one way or another, right?

 

[Righteyeblind]

Jordan and I built two sets for $100. You can find cheap bungs and heims on Ebay. They seem to work really well. Welded the plate to the bottom of the spring buckets and to the bottom of the frame. Cut 1.6x 60's with them so they helped me. Even sled pulled with them on Proxes with no issues.
Parts list-
1/4" plate
2-3/4" bungs L&R thread
2-3/4" heims L&R
2-60" DOM tubing 1 1/2"

 

[DirtySouth85]

Thanks for the info. We built some for my dads truck and he broke the brackets off of the axle housing. I'm going to box them in tonight. I was just reading all of the info on here about the bars pushing up and lifting the front, and how some bars were better for some things and like short bars were better for racing.

Never researched it that much before and just curious about what maybe I could do better.