My truck (96 4.9 5 speed 3.27 gear, reg cab short bed) has always had some vicious wheel hop if I tried to spin the tires, but not any more. It seems to be a big problem with this body style f series trucks and even the lightnings.
So I researched what people were doing, old school slapper bars, long single bar under axle, top mounted bar on top of leafs, clamped leafs (Not much use, I tried). I ended up going for more of a 4 link ladder bar coupled with a shackle borrowed from the jeep/ off-road world. Check google images for traction bar with shackle. I figured if this allowed enough suspension movement for them it would be fine for a street truck.
The pics pretty much tell the story on the build. Used a mix of an old airco stick welder, 110 volt flux core machine (hard to make look and function good but doable), and a tig rig that runs off the stick welder for the power source.
The only thing I would change would be using a bushing type pivot at the front of the bar where I broke my first Heim joint. Replaced with a solid one, first one was hollow because that was what my machinist friend could get me for free. Solid one is holding up good so far. 1/2" heim joints by the way.
Always put quite a few nice tacks when the bar is mocked up how you want it, mine pulled when I tiged it and had to run my rear heim joints out a little further than I wanted but everything still functions perfect.
I'll try and upload a few more finished pictures soon.
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I'm liking the idea of doing something similar on my unit, except I would have had the shackle mounted to the frame rail instead of a crossmember. I'm interested to see the outcome of your design.

Criticisms... your welds look cold, with not enough penetration. That may not be the case, it just looks that way to me. Also, how long are the female threads on the traction bar, where the heims thread into? If they are only as deep as the thickness of the end caps, I would be worried about them pulling out during hard launches.

Are you putting poly bushings on the shackle end? It would help eliminate any harsh clunks, and you will experience less noise.

 

You mean mounting the shackle flipped upside down of how I did?
The threads are only as deep as those caps, I would have preferred bungs that went into the tube but as I don't have the equipment I used what my buddy machined for me. For now I'm going to run it for a while as is, I might make a second one once I'm out of school for the summer with deeper bungs and a bushing at the front. I can't see any fatigue so far in anything so hopefully it's all good.
Constructive criticism is always welcomed!