Trac bar
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,083
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From: Victoria , BC
It runs a little steeper than the driveshaft angle and the tube extendind forward makes the angle less and extends the length of the bar itself. I'm planning on experimenting with longer shackle sizes to see what happens. These are 7 1/4 . I'm going to make a set of 9 1/4's as well and it will lower angle just to see if it is any different.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Victoria , BC
I weld diff housings with mild steel filler. I dont believe nickle rod has any business on an axle housing. It's not grey cast it's ductile (nodular iron) and mild steel works great as long as you pre and post heat correctly. Keeping the different cooling rates of both metals in check, this is where people run into problems.
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Cocoa, FL
it is a good design. Thats the point of the shackle so it doesn't bind w/ the motion that the leaf spring shackle/axle.....It doesn't matter much how steep it is to an extent.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Victoria , BC
Only other design I would of went with would of been a slip tube on the top end with a smaller pipe fitting in snug to the larger one. It would still allow twist and compression and extension for suspension movement..
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Cocoa, FL
That was the design i was orignally going to go with mainly b/c its unique but it would have to greased often to keep dirt/mud between the tubes and seizing or rusting together when it sits......if you dont take your rig in the mud it would be a fine option.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
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Still to steep, it doesn't seem like there is enough shackle there to keep the traction bar from trying to push the axle rearward on compression. 7 degrees is what ive heard is yummy.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Victoria , BC
7 degrees on what a smart car! I'm running 15 "s of lift . I'd think close to whatever your driveshaft angle is good enough. I went with a happy medium to try to gain as much ground clearance as possible from obsticles.
By the way heres a pic from yesterday...
I got 90% of it together now. Most of the little tedious things are out of the way and its basically down to the motor which is in the shop now just waiting on a shipment of pistons early next week! Paint will be within a month or 2. Priority is getting it up and running...
By the way heres a pic from yesterday...
I got 90% of it together now. Most of the little tedious things are out of the way and its basically down to the motor which is in the shop now just waiting on a shipment of pistons early next week! Paint will be within a month or 2. Priority is getting it up and running...
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Cocoa, FL
besides, look at those effing leaf springs, i dont think he's go to worry about too much flex.
post the length of the traction bar and both shackles and i'll tell you if it will bind, maybe i'm wrong and you need a longer shackle.....but i doubt it.
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Joined: Nov 2007
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Yeah some, that's where the 7 degrees of an upward angle comes in, not a 45. Theres is no way that that shackle on the traction bar can move far enough forward or backward to stay in the same swing that the axle does, leafs are gonna bind. But with it being close to the center of the axle there might not be more then a couple inches of up and down travel so it just might be ok.
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Cocoa, FL
look at his springs.....they aren't going to compress enough to bind (if its even possible). With those damn things i'm surprised he even has wheel hop/axle wrap.
but like i said, send me some measurements and i'll tell you if it will bind if your worried about it.
but like i said, send me some measurements and i'll tell you if it will bind if your worried about it.
just another Rockwell looser
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,042
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From: Cocoa, FL
just taking in account the axle moving vertical (not with the backward leaf spring shackle movement) the axle will only push the traction bar 3.4" forward if you somehow flex it enough to make that bar flat (which would never happen). That would easily be taken up by the shackle, and that is the absolutely worst condition (b/c i'm not at work with a computer, thats not taking the swing of the shackles in account.)