traction bars

[SLB]

I\'m looking for a set of traction bars for my early modle s-10. Who makes them or does anybody have specs or pictures of homemade ones.

[Poolhusler8]

Lakewood sells universal traction bars for a little over $30 for the pair you can get them out of jegs or summit and ive seen them at autozone

[ZZ4Blazer]

Depends what you wanna spend. You can spend from a little over $30 to over $300.

[bohn333]

I got a question to add to this thread.



How well do the $30 bars fit from lakewood? I\'ve seen these too at autozone and have had them on cars before but don\'t they interfer with the shock mount on the spring perch. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[fasrnur]

You get what you pay for. If they only cost $30, then they\'re probably not all that good. The key is to make sure they\'re long enuf to touch the spring eyes when you stand on the gas. If they hit the springs any where they are not doing they\'re job.



Hope that helps,

Jeff....

[ZZ4Blazer]

Why do they have to hit the spring eyes?

[wickeds10]

i have seen ppl use the 30 dollar pair and it hits the spring not the eyes and they 60 ft like a 1.5.....but lakewood sells a pair for the s10 for 100 and southside sells a pair then u have the best pair which is the slidealinks from comp and they r the best well worth the 300+

[v8blazer]

From a dynamics point of view, they do not need to touch the spring eye at all. As long as they extend forward they will be doing their job to a certain extent. They change the axis of rotation of the differential from the axle a little forward to the point of contact of the trac bar and leaf. Since the rotation is pushed forward a bit the dif is pushed down instead of rotating. The more expensive models replace the pad under the leaf springs instead of clamping under them. They provide a better hold over the cheap ones. Lakewood and Competition engineering both have application specific trac bars that are a bit better than the universals.

[fasrnur]

To stop rear end wrap up you do not want the snubber to hit any place but the end of the spring or the spring eye as it were. If you were to look into the reason why traction bars are needed it would be found that they are to prevent axle wrap up. If the traction bar makes contact in any place but the front of spring it will make the spring look like an \"S\" and that is not a good thing. I have been around the block a time or two and trust me...this is the way SLAPPER bars work.

If anyone was to have read HOT ROD in the last few months they would\'ve seen they put some on a Nova and explained how slapper bars work.



Jeff....

[eurekarobert]

Tuning is the key to getting the most out of any part on a car, and that includes the suspension. Traction bars contact the spring eye with either a rubber or, in some cases, solid snubber. The distance between the snubber and the spring (called the air gap) can be adjusted with different snubber lengths or with wedge plates at the bar mounting point. The more air gap, the slower but more violently the bar reacts. Less air gap means the bar reacts more quickly but less violently. In racing situations, there usually isn’t any gap between the spring and the snubber—with the car at rest, the snubber is touching the spring. This way, the bar is working as soon as power is applied.







this was copied from the hot rod magazine article.

[fasrnur]

Thanks eureka for the support.



Jeff....

[my454s10]

im no expert ...but it seems to me that the old slapper bars are for slightly fast cars....im sure that there is so fast cars with them....i personal have this problam on my truck...i put them on and it\'s been a year and now my spring are starting to look bent...i heard that a lot of power will break a spring....i belive that ..cause a few more hard pass and mine my break...

[1FastBlack1]

I have the lakewood application specific bars for my 92 dime. I have em snug against the eye so when i leave it goes, no waition or slappin action.



I paid around 120ish or something from jegs. (replaces spring perch and shock mount, not just another bolt on)

[COB]

The cheapies will bend the leafs on a car with alot of horsepower/tire/gear.Then it\'s time for 4 link.But I have seen some homemade jobs that are 4-5 foot long bars welded to the frame and they worked great.

[rayL]

On 2006-07-28 21:26, COB wrote:

Then it\'s time for 4 link.But I have seen some homemade jobs that are 4-5 foot long bars welded to the frame and they worked great.





No then its time to get someone who understands suspension to help you out. if you cant get a leafspring truck to hook, then you will never get a four link to hook. I dont think most understand fully what/and how a four link works. Reminds me, did yall watch that american muscle car show or whatever it was on spike that backhalfed the fox body mustang...WTF were they thinking. 300 bucks worth of bolt on suspension parts would achieve the same exact thing on a fox body...o well .

[bratass]

For some suspension info try www.calvertracing.com/info/info.htm they explain how to cure spring wrap etc http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif

[smallblock283]

summit has lackwoods for 107.99

[TPI]

I got lakewood traction bars from summit for $117.00 shipped. They take place of the bottom mounting plate and you can bolt shocks right to them. The only thing needed otherwise is a set of U bolts. Even though you could work your ars off to save them, but why??

[elv408]

Reminds me, did yall watch that american muscle car show or whatever it was on spike that backhalfed the fox body mustang...WTF were they thinking. 300 bucks worth of bolt on suspension parts would achieve the same exact thing on a fox body...o well .





Yeah, they installed that 4 link and a LOT of cage in that car. Just hope they put a motor in it with some Nuts http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[Knanthrup]

i would not even bother with the cheapies. i had them for a while and the only thing they helped was stopping wheel hop. they didnt help me hook for crap though due to the \"universal\" poor fitment on our truck\'s leafs. i now have the app. specific ones, hopefully they will be a bit better as I don\'t have the cash to buy caltracs or other more pricey traction devices

[autopat]

I\'m actually designing a set for my Jimmy right now that place the traction bars well above the axle, to reduce axle wrap, as well as plant the tires. I\'ve done this on a couple of trucks already, and it works better than any slapper or ladder bars that I\'ve ever had. If you guys want, I\'ll post some pics of the install and finished product.



Pat

[grimpuppy]

No then its time to get someone who understands suspension to help you out. if you cant get a leafspring truck to hook, then you will never get a four link to hook. I dont think most understand fully what/and how a four link works. Reminds me, did yall watch that american muscle car show or whatever it was on spike that backhalfed the fox body mustang...WTF were they thinking. 300 bucks worth of bolt on suspension parts would achieve the same exact thing on a fox body...o well .





Amen brother.



These are the $100 lakewood S-10 bars. they have been extended a little bit. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif



Driver Side (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/traction.jpg)



Pass Side (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/traction2.jpg)



Traction Bars Work (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/Turkey%20Drags.jpg)

[Scotty_S-15]

Amen brother.

These are the $100 lakewood S-10 bars. they have been extended a little bit. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif



Driver Side (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/traction.jpg)



Pass Side (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/traction2.jpg)



Traction Bars Work (http://s10v8.com/members/grimpuppy/Turkey%20Drags.jpg)



Really. Who needs ladder bars? http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif Not with those babies.

.............. BTW Grimpuppy, was your truck built for export to Australia or UK? http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[rayL]

yes traction bars do work. Its the folks that buy them most the time that dont wanna work. bolt em on and they dont work then they must be broken. It takes a little tinkering to get a truck to hook but they can!!

[TPI]

I had always thought about putting a late 80s camaro rearend in with the factory ladder bar that mounts to the tranny, but don\'t know if it will create any binding, but yet i have a 9\" thinking of puttin that in.