Traction Bar Options

[ntsqd]

It's a cheap solution.
A good solution is to buy the right springs or the right springs and traction device. Not everyone wants or can afford to do that.

 

[Broncobowsher]

To get the front of the springs to flex, be sure to run a long traction bar. If the traction bar is only as long as the front eye on the spring, I can see where the comments about a traction bar being bad for a spring pack. I ran longer torque arm that shackled nearly at the transfer case. This was less pinion angle sweep during cycling, kept the drive shaft angle good, and worked the front part of the spring. I once had some flex pictures (no idea where they are now) that showed the spring evenly compressed and extended. So it can work.

 

[Torkman66]

That is how they run strip cars. The TBs are long. Mount up just behind engine on frame. Always wondered why they were so long.

 

[Broncobowsher]

That is how they run strip cars. The TBs are long. Mount up just behind engine on frame. Always wondered why they were so long.

I remember a high end fox body mustang suspension/chassis stiffening kit that changed the rear suspension and had a torque arm that went to the transmission mount. It was the high end as fancy as you get chassis stuff from 10 years ago. I always thought it looked a lot like a 3rd gen F-body.

 

[Glass Pony]

Here is another Duff design that I use for beach running. I can see how some folks didn't like the loss of ground clearance and travel doesn't seem to be an issue in the sand, but they have worked well for me. I did have to replace the front bushings once.

 

[ntsqd]

With the common ladder bar design used off-road you need only cycle the suspension with the front bolt removed to see that the pinion angle does change, but it changes far less than the ladder bar forces it to. This shows up as a large distance between the bolt hole at the front of the ladder bar and the holes in the shackle plates. I HAVE done a variation of this experiment. If you're willing to accept 'exercising' the springs that much more than is necessary and are willing to write off the resulting bind as the cost of doing business, then great. I am fully capable of abusing the springs all by myself, I don't need a mechanism making it worse.

 

[Yeller]

The product from catfan is the exact same design idea that Ford did on the V8 explorers, except the explorer is spring under, lowering the link closer to the axle.