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home made traction bars

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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 04:56 AM
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home made traction bars

Update from tonight.

I fell asleep after work today and woke up around 9:30 completely rested LOL

So, I decided I might as well start work on the traction bars. I was only going to tac the brackets in place and mock up the bars but then decided to go all out.

All that is left is paint and get some 3/4" bolts (I have 1/2's stuck in just to hold them in right now)







I also may have found my vibration issue when braking. Not sure how in the hell this happened since my lug nuts were extremely tight:

 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 09:10 AM
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wouldn't those bars bind?

i'd think it would be better to put the links forward pivot right under the spring shackle so that it acts like a 4 link

and are you really having that much axle wrap?
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by turtlemann14
wouldn't those bars bind?

i'd think it would be better to put the links forward pivot right under the spring shackle so that it acts like a 4 link

This makes no sense. Please elaborate how you think my bars will bind and not work, so I can then explain to you why this is the proper way to do it.

and are you really having that much axle wrap?
Yes, I have that much axle wrap. I can't boosted launch my truck, I have to ease into the throttle in 2nd, and I cant hammer it at the 2nd-3rd shift. I have wheelhop like a ****.

I know, hard to believe an IDI needs traction bars, but thats what happens when you're making real power

EDIT:

I'm really lost on what you are trying to explain with the traction bars, and I'm racking my mind trying to picture what you're saying. Are you talking about caltracs style bars?
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 02:01 PM
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Turtlemann most of the traction bars that I have seen are like what Justin made. Those are really well made and look like some that you can actually buy but I don't remember what brand though...
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 04:15 PM
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From: Nutter Fort,West Virginia
well since they are not in a relatively close place on the forward mount compared to the rear wouldn't it try and swing the axle?

it kinda looks like since your track bar is mounted so far forward that when loaded it would try to rotate your pinion upward since our spring pack is pretty much a solid bar in that direction.

if i were to i would put the spring pack and traction-bar's pivot perpendicular to the ground so that it better matches the pivot point and the point of attachment on the spring pack.(like a 4 link rear suspension on a straight axle)
will that not work correctly?

the other way i have seen it done is to use a solid mount on the axle and have a shackle on the front pivot so that the traction bar can swing but still keeps the bar from tilting upwards or downwards. i still think that would make the pinion tilt.


where did you get the greaseable heims joints at?
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by turtlemann14
well since they are not in a relatively close place on the forward mount compared to the rear wouldn't it try and swing the axle?

it kinda looks like since your track bar is mounted so far forward that when loaded it would try to rotate your pinion upward since our spring pack is pretty much a solid bar in that direction.

if i were to i would put the spring pack and traction-bar's pivot perpendicular to the ground so that it better matches the pivot point and the point of attachment on the spring pack.(like a 4 link rear suspension on a straight axle)
will that not work correctly?

the other way i have seen it done is to use a solid mount on the axle and have a shackle on the front pivot so that the traction bar can swing but still keeps the bar from tilting upwards or downwards. i still think that would make the pinion tilt.


where did you get the greaseable heims joints at?
You don't understand how this works, and I'm not very good at explaining it but I'll try the best I can.

as the suspension cycles (what very little my dually suspension moves), up and down the axle changes position. As the springs compress, the axle moves back. As the springs extend, the axle moves forward.

Traction bars are parallel to the d-shaft, and this is important because as the bars move up, they get "longer", and as they drop, they get "shorter" moving with the axle. You want your axle side mount about 3 - 4" below the centerline of axle to best control wrap.

The traction bar you are speaking about with 2 solid axle side mounts, and a frame side shackle is best suited for offroad applications, so it doesn't interfere with articulation. In a tow rig this will put a lot of tension on the bar and bend/break stuff.

Those aren't heim joints, they are bushed ends.

I'm about to pull everything apart to paint, I'll take pics of everything out of the truck and the finished product.
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 06:08 PM
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hey on another note, you have to watch how tight you get the lugs, pops stretched his and they felt tight because the threads were binding, but they were not actually tight to the rim.
we no longer put them on with an impact

how would you go about building a set on a truck that ground clearance would be a problem?

could you put them above the spring by say 6 inches? that way there would actually be tension on the bars instead of compression? it would try and pull the axle to the front of the truck though. and i guess it would put even more load on the front part of springs that way.
 
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Old Mar 24, 2012 | 10:05 PM
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finished pics. Did a 20psi boosted launch in front of my house.... killed every bug within a 3 block radius..... being able to fully put the pedal down out of 3rd not having any wheel hop is weird, and I love it.

















 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 12:58 AM
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Oooo nice, bet that helps tons with the starting on a hill, while loaded bounces lol

Looks good
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 04:16 AM
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amazing how much stiffer it made everything. Feels really nice.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 01:32 PM
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Nice. I've been needing to do that on my F25 about since I got it, the springs are longer and narrower so they flex a lot more to the point it would blow the rear yoke apart.
Where did you get the ends and mounts?
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 02:15 PM
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Ballistic Fab.

You are warned ordering from them though. I took a chance.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 02:22 PM
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I had no problems with them. The 7/8" DOM tube was on back order tho so that did take some time
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 02:27 PM
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Ballistic Fabrication sucks! Crooks, liars, do not buy from! - Pirate4x4.Com

Just in case people don't know.

I've never been ripped by them, and I ordered a bunch before last year, but as said... you need to know you are taking a chance ordering from them.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 02:28 PM
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Have you tried doing the quartermile calculator on your phone yet to see what it does now? I'd be curious to see the difference it makes in your speed and quartermile time.
 
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