Do any of you have traction bars on your slicks? What would be a good one to use that is not to outrageously priced. I will be installing them on my 66 lwb 2wd. Thanks!
Jim

 

I use a link style that sits inside frame, is bolted to U bolt plates. It parallels front of rear leaf spring & terminates at a pivot bolt in a boxed section of my frame above but at the same point as the leaf spring big Big End pivot point.

I did not buy them. I built them because I couldn't find what I wanted. I run a 460 in a SWB. I got no wheel hop. I leave fairly straight even when I hammer it.

What ever you do, stay away from slappers. They actually can make traction get worse if your engine makes any power to speak of.

Slappers interrupt spring Action and that adds what springs do, during the "dynamics mix" of a hard launch. . .spring rebound! Nothing will break wheels loose all over again faster than springs reacting to a slapper bars warping them on a had launch!
FBp

 

fbp, We need some pics.

I'm in the middle of deciding what to do with my suspension.At this point I'm going with a coil over kit and ladder bars. I figure this should work nice and keep that axle where it needs to be especially on hard take offs.

 

I tried about every type on my Ranchero, ended up making copies of the CalTracs bars. They work great, do a search on CalTracs.

 

stinkfist,

Okay, but what I did won't work with coils or coil overs. Coil overs & ladders provide a great ride and decent handling, but I don't think they help where performance counts.

My "Bars" are similar to "Gold Seal" bars that ran under springs on leaf sprung P'Cars. But since axle hs'g is under spring on slicks, I put bars on top & use my U-Bolts for my rear mounting point. Rear mount's a pivot point. It's mounted center over axle center. I added adjustment by using a large sealed hiem end at my front pivot bolt.

Geometrically, It's a function of dual or parallel members [spring + traction bar] to keep pinion nose traveling in same, straight, non-radial arc or plane. Graphically in pivot
points, 4 link looks like this : : Opposed to ladder bar pivots which look like : . If you move colon mark up and down it arcs around the period. ut if you move either colon of the 4 link up & down ittravels straight up or straight down. . .no arc.

Trade off is a slight fore X aft motion generated by eliminating pinion & axle housing arc. But it is advantageous not detremental. You'll not feel it or know it's there, if you got an adequate slip joint in drive line. I didn't calculate fore/ aft motion distance but doubt it exceeds drive shaft movement caused by axle housing twist when the pinion moves in an "arc".

FWIW, 3 point "ladder bars" will cause pinion to move in arc when axle housing moves with spring load variables. Point is 4 link & parallel bars like I'm telling ya about prevent that arcing motion. . . . big difference guys!

Basically mine is 4 link using OEM type leaf spring set up, to stop spring wind up, keep axle housing from "rolling up" & throwing my pinion angle out of whack.

I sorta do a controlled burn, by breathing the pedal. Too much, it's smoke too little & it's a bog. I believe mechanics of 4 link give me a "wider" fine line betwixt bog & smoke.

Ability to vary & adjust on the fly by pedaling it makes it possible to dial in different venues. I don't have to tweak my rear suspension, pinion angle, or bars to dial in grip on all the different surfaces.

Usually my tire PSI is about same, depending on "footprint" I'm running. When I run street skins overall PSI is higher than when I'm on DOT cheaters or flat face slicks.

I also find with a controlled burn I break fewer things.

I'm thinking about a diagonal bar to compensate for torque thrust pitching. It appears
I have torque thrust when I watch my slick on tapes, although I am not aware of it when in it. I'm curious what the waste of power wracking frame/body costs me in ETs?

I hope this info overload is helpful to y'all.
FBp

 

Pete is your bar mounted right to the Ubolt plate or is it bracketed then bolted. How high over the axle tube is the end of the bar. Same question on the spring eye end.

 

Great post FBP! I'd still like to see pics. Wondering the same thing Cobraguy is. Like to know how the bar is fastened on the axle side. i know with U bolts but how do you have the pivot set up? just a bolt through a bushing? a heim joint? other?

If I'm following this correct, this type of link would be advantagious over a ladder bar even with the coil over set up because it won't allow the pinion angle to change like a ladder set up. Sounds like it would be fairly easy to build as well.

When you say diagnal bar do you mean a a bar from the rear of one of your links to the front of the other? If so, does this accomplish something different than a panhard style link bar?

later,
Mike

 

A diagnal link on a 4 link or a ladder bar has worked for years in drag racing!
But we have learned that there are better ways ( wishbone ). A diagnal link
pushes the rearend to one side and restricts movement, a ( wishbone ) centers the rearend and does not restrict rear suspension movement no off
center rearend ! A panhard bar installed right ,were it can go though the arc
of movement with no bind does work very well and efficient on non 4 link or
ladder bar suspension.




P.S. you can find lots of pics and info on (wishbone bars) on line at the
chassis sites!