this is my build thread for my single traction bar build. I previously had the tuff country traction bars (Ford F250 / F350 Traction Bars 1980-1997 by Tuff Country #20897) And after having broken one took a further look at there design... and a quick look at this site here (Axle Wrap Prevention) saw that they were really only going to create more bind up.

Well first step to elminating my axle wrap was to remove the large 4" block that sat between the springs and the axle. This was done while maintaining my lift by getting shorter u-bolts, removing the block, taking off my old shackle and spring hanger and replacing it with the OEM style rear leaf spring front spring hanger and drilling new holes from it about 1 and 3/8" forward of the old holes and reused the stock shackle for now, this gave me probably about 3 1/2 inches of lift so just under the previous ride height, however, my pinion angle is quite extreme now since the axle has been shifted forward a good inch and a half. the shackle flip did help elimante a good amount of axle wrap however, i still feel the tranny, transfer, axle, etc. bouncing under whiskey throttle in the mud and offroad. to prevent the axle wrap, i have started making a single traction bar as i do not want to have the dual setup where the bars run under the axle as this will reduce my ground clearance and i do not have the room for a trac bar on the passneger side due to the gas tank.

I have ordered anti wrap brackets (Anti-Wrap Brackets) which will be welded to the axle housing inbetween the pumpkin and the shock mount. At the other end towards the transfer case there is no room for an additional cross member to mount the bar to (once again the gas tank is in the way) so i have started to make a new bracket for the traction bar to mount to out of angle iron and reusing my original rear spring hanger. (im assuming these pictures wont work, in that cas ill re-upload them tomorrow ) As seen here, it started as one 18 or so inch long piece of angle iron that i cut in half and welded together.

I then reinforced it.

I plan on cutting the old rear spring hanger to size and welding it to the angle as seen here.
it will be bolted up into place somewhere in this area on the frame.. still have to wait till my zero rates arrive to finish the trac bars and find all the right mounting locations. And bear with me it was hard to hold the steel up there one handed without letting the welds cool
i plan on putting two bolts on the lower lip of the frame and 2 on each side of the center support to fasten it to the frame.

And the anti wrap brackets will be mounted to inbetween the shock and pumpkin as seen here

I plan to use to pieces of pipe from the anti wrap brackets that will form into one to a threaded portion before a shackle to allow full articulation.

just waiting on my zero rates so i can get moving, heres how the rear end currently sits
and heres a picture of the front spring hanger in the rear

Tell me what you think so far,
Zach

 

i have since installed the zero rates and finish the trac bar. Works great! here are some pictures of the build:



That is the zero rate



This shows basically the idea behind the zero rate, that is going threw the old leaf spring center hole, as you can see the leaf spring plate and ubolts are moved forwards on the springs.



Here are my materials that i picked up at logan steel in the bargain yard, 1 dollar per pound. I also was lucky to pick up threaded rod and a sort of johnny joint from them for a dollar per pound as well.





I took small square chunks of steel and hammered and bent them to the approximate shape of the threaded rod and welded them on as the od of the threaded rod was about a 1/2 less than that of the ID of the pipe that the rod was going in to. Doin this allowed for less play and something to weld to later.



I then drilled holes in the steel and and took a grinder and connected the holes making a decent size openning in the pipe approximately where i had plated the threaded rod.



I then took my stick welder and mended the threaded rod to the pipe.

 

It then got some paint



Sizing it all up. I actually added some sleeves and spacers to keep the johnny joint from moving to much on the shackle bolt.



The bottom is all installed. NOTE : my stick welder from harbor freight with the 3/36 rod i had would NOT weld the axle tabs to my axle!! the axle and tabs were to thick for my welder, i had a friend with a 240 tack them on for me.



Following that the upper bar was cut and added.



Temporarily welded in place.




It worked so good i found a needed a new tranny mount



Got a fresh paint job.

 

Delete this post. accidently double posted.

 

Now you may think that having the shackle in there is going to defeat the purpose, this is not true. With a lower and upper bar on the axel they counter eachother and equal out. uppon acceleration the axle is going to want to twist upwards, the yoke towards the sky. As the axle twists it is going to push the trac bar into the shackle (push the shackle towards the front of the vehicle) but at the same time, the upper bar on the trac bar is going to be pulling towards the rear end of the truck, thus countering the action of the push of the bottom bar.

Also, you may think the way that the threaded rod was attached to the pipe is rediculous, stupid and unsturdy.... however, it may be, but days after completing the trac bar i ran the truck in the mud bog and it held up just fine. it is also my daily driver and has been put threw its paces, all good so far! Heres some picture from playing in the mud back behind the mud bog after it had finished.





And one video that is outright hilarious!

coverin a kid in mud 89 f250 - YouTube

 

glad i put this huge thread together for no one to comment on or show any input...

 

This is a very helpful thread. so i should return the tuff country track bars i ordered and fab up something cutom like this?

 

yes! if you had ordered the same type of traction bars that i had ordered that would be a good idea to do so. The Tuff country trac bars really wont do anythin in limmiting the axle wrap. The bars i made have really stopped my wrap.