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Traction bars or ladder bars?
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From: Paola, KS
Traction bars or ladder bars?
Which ever you prefer to call them. I would like a set for my truck, has anybody seen them or will I have to fab them myself (not a problem)?
I want the kind that mount solid to the axle and then connect to a fixed point on the frame to keep the axle from wrapping.
If I have to fab them myself I need to know how long to make them to that the suspension still moves correctly, I know that when the suspension compresses the axle move rearward slightly the bars would have to be the right length and angle to compensate for this.
Thanks
I want the kind that mount solid to the axle and then connect to a fixed point on the frame to keep the axle from wrapping.
If I have to fab them myself I need to know how long to make them to that the suspension still moves correctly, I know that when the suspension compresses the axle move rearward slightly the bars would have to be the right length and angle to compensate for this.
Thanks
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Bay Area, CA
I have fabtechs with the heim(sp?) joints on them. They look pretty cool too...installing them is pretty easy..Im not sure if I have a pic in my gallery yet...I could send you one if you like...
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From: SoCali!!
Brian,
Check out a company called L&L Fabrication, they advertise in all the 4wd Mags.
Are you trying to get rid of the 'shudder' you can feel under acceleration? If so, I have not seen one yet that was cured with the ladder bars. The 6.0 shortbed trucks are terrible when lifted, took me quite awhile, and quite a bit of homework to cure mine, and then I did away with the bars.
Tim
Check out a company called L&L Fabrication, they advertise in all the 4wd Mags.
Are you trying to get rid of the 'shudder' you can feel under acceleration? If so, I have not seen one yet that was cured with the ladder bars. The 6.0 shortbed trucks are terrible when lifted, took me quite awhile, and quite a bit of homework to cure mine, and then I did away with the bars.
Tim
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From: Dallas
i like to use hiems on one end, bushings on the other. Gives the bars freedom, but also that rubber bushing mount for vibration dampening and to keep the bars from twisting.
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From: Paola, KS
Originally Posted by SoCalSuperDuty03
Brian,
Check out a company called L&L Fabrication, they advertise in all the 4wd Mags.
Are you trying to get rid of the 'shudder' you can feel under acceleration? If so, I have not seen one yet that was cured with the ladder bars. The 6.0 shortbed trucks are terrible when lifted, took me quite awhile, and quite a bit of homework to cure mine, and then I did away with the bars.
Tim
Check out a company called L&L Fabrication, they advertise in all the 4wd Mags.
Are you trying to get rid of the 'shudder' you can feel under acceleration? If so, I have not seen one yet that was cured with the ladder bars. The 6.0 shortbed trucks are terrible when lifted, took me quite awhile, and quite a bit of homework to cure mine, and then I did away with the bars.
Tim
What did you do to cure yours I have several people that would like to know. I thought it was coming from u-joint angle.
Last edited by Brian460; Apr 26, 2005 at 07:56 PM.
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From: Paola, KS
Originally Posted by House22
ill have a kit soon up for purchase, kit uses 7/8 bushings instead of hiems, for quite and smooth ride and the kit will be a true bolt on kit,
Is it going to matter of the bolt on kits that I have a 4" lift?
The axle tubes are just regular steel right? So I can weld on them?
I am also doing this so that during tractor pulls it will keep axle wrap to a minimum and hopefully prevent wheel hop. They will not be just for looks.
I noticed on a guy I knows dodge that his are just round tubing that go from the frame to the bottom side of the axle tube. That will cause compression in the bar, which I think might cause it to buckle. What do you all think?
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From: SoCali!!
Brian,
My truck is a shortbed also, with 8" of lift. The sb trucks with lift and a 6.0 are really problematic as far the shudder goes. Many trucks can get away with shimming the carrier bearing, and I have found that no two trucks are alike. A factory truck sometimes even needs shimming. My truck ended up with a carrier bearing spacer 1" thick, with a 6 degree angle cut in one side to line the carrier up with the driveshaft. I then had to add 1" more shim to that, for a total of 2". I still wasn't satisfied, as the driveline angle changes with load and/or tongueweight, and the shudder would reappear. I ended up having my driveshaft modified to accept a 1350 style c.v. joint, this, along with the carrier spacer mods, eliminated the shudder. Some trucks can be very particular as far as shim goes, I have changed shim as little as 1/8 " in either direction to achieve the results I was after. The best thing I can say is to put a magnetic angle finder on the #1 and #2 tubes of the driveshaft, and, using shim, try to get the tubes within 1 to 1 1/2 degrees of each other, with the #1 tube (front one)
at the lesser angle. I have cured many trucks with less than 6" of lift without resorting to the driveshaft mod.
have a great day!
Tim
My truck is a shortbed also, with 8" of lift. The sb trucks with lift and a 6.0 are really problematic as far the shudder goes. Many trucks can get away with shimming the carrier bearing, and I have found that no two trucks are alike. A factory truck sometimes even needs shimming. My truck ended up with a carrier bearing spacer 1" thick, with a 6 degree angle cut in one side to line the carrier up with the driveshaft. I then had to add 1" more shim to that, for a total of 2". I still wasn't satisfied, as the driveline angle changes with load and/or tongueweight, and the shudder would reappear. I ended up having my driveshaft modified to accept a 1350 style c.v. joint, this, along with the carrier spacer mods, eliminated the shudder. Some trucks can be very particular as far as shim goes, I have changed shim as little as 1/8 " in either direction to achieve the results I was after. The best thing I can say is to put a magnetic angle finder on the #1 and #2 tubes of the driveshaft, and, using shim, try to get the tubes within 1 to 1 1/2 degrees of each other, with the #1 tube (front one)
at the lesser angle. I have cured many trucks with less than 6" of lift without resorting to the driveshaft mod.
have a great day!
Tim
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From: SoCali!!
Brian,
P.S.... I airbagged my truck also, tongueweight is such a big factor with the shudder, if your truck squats hard with tongueweight, it will more than likely shudder to some degree, even with no shudder empty. The bags make towing a 10-12,000 lb. trailer feel like a little camping trailer.....
P.S.... I airbagged my truck also, tongueweight is such a big factor with the shudder, if your truck squats hard with tongueweight, it will more than likely shudder to some degree, even with no shudder empty. The bags make towing a 10-12,000 lb. trailer feel like a little camping trailer.....
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From: Paola, KS
Originally Posted by SoCalSuperDuty03
Brian,
P.S.... I airbagged my truck also, tongueweight is such a big factor with the shudder, if your truck squats hard with tongueweight, it will more than likely shudder to some degree, even with no shudder empty. The bags make towing a 10-12,000 lb. trailer feel like a little camping trailer.....
P.S.... I airbagged my truck also, tongueweight is such a big factor with the shudder, if your truck squats hard with tongueweight, it will more than likely shudder to some degree, even with no shudder empty. The bags make towing a 10-12,000 lb. trailer feel like a little camping trailer.....
My trailer weight usaually averages around 18k-20k with around 2k on the truck itself. Let the flaming begin
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From: SoCali!!
Haha!!! I love seeing people towing as much weight as you do! thats what these trucks are for! I use Firestone bags for all my stuff now. Have used airlift stuff in the past, but the Firestone bags are far superior, in my opinion anyway. I fabbed up the brackets for my truck, as I do for all my friends, using 1/4" plate, and some 2x3 rectangular tubing, really sanitary. The commercially available bolt on stuff really is quite ugly....