Traction bars

[Randomrunner12]

Everyone,

I need a little help from any of you that have adjustable traction bars on your truck.

I just installed a set of 72" longhorn universal traction bars with the double heim joints. How do i set the preload? Everything i read says to turn them hand tight and then snug down the jam nut but lets get real no one is turning a traction bar by hand with the truck on wheels and moving the axle unless your the hulk. Do i need to twist the bars to where you can see more threads (lengthen) or less (shorten) on the heim joints?

I have a g56 truck and it seems that where is is at now if I am coming to a stop and start to roll things bang around and I have to push the clutch in and it stops, almost as if I have no preload. I am new to the traction bar game and only installed them because i had bad wheel hop and axle wrap on the highway.

 

[AEdelheit]

Well there is a lot of geometry involved in proper traction bar setup including how it is mounted to the frame and axle. Mine are 46" long which is proper for our leaf springs, 72" is too long and will cause binding on with the leafs, no way around that on the setup you have. Should not need much if any pre load at ride height.

Having axle wrap on the highway doesn't really make sense, it typically only occurs in high torque situations like accelerating with a load or high power but not cruising down the road at steady power, sounds like something else may be going on.

 

[Randomrunner12]

I have my axle brackets welded 90* to the frame between the ubolts and shock mounts, then installed the frame brackets according to instructions which was to thread jam nuts to end of heim joints, thread joints into bars until 1/4" of thread is showing between nuts and bars then mark brackets.

My bars are set in that same spot right now with about half a thread showing at each end. Not sure if there is actually any pre-load at alli cannot for the love of me, turn these at all by hand with the jam nuts backed off.

 

[BarryG]

On my previous 01 thats what I was told as well, tight as you can get them by hand. I definitely noticed a difference at least at takeoff. Whether or not it was enough preload I really don't know but again I did notice a difference. If you want to try more bust out the pipe wrench and add 1/2 turn or so but put tape on the bars as it will scratch them up.

if you are noticing wrap at highway speeds you might try shimming your center carrier bearing down some. I would start with 1/4 inch, if not enough try 1/2 inch. My 01 did the same thing not just cruising but if I was at speed and then tried to speed up I could feel it. My transmission guy is the one who told me about shimming the bearing and sure enough it solved my problem this was before the traction bars went on but after a Kore Chase kit was installed which raised the front 2-3 inches as well the rear an inch or two.

 

[Randomrunner12]

Thank you sir. I am going to loosen the jam nuts and see where it's at. Pretty sure they where hand tight soon as I installed them as I wasn't able to turn them by hand at all.

On another note, did you notice more suspension noises in the cab after the bars? It's like I can hear my driveshaft or carrier bearing spinning in the cab while driving. It's not loud, sounds like a hum traveling through the frame which I expect is from the traction bars and being no bushings between them and the axle/frame.

 

[BarryG]

I cant say as I noticed any real noise difference that I can remember. However I put a lot of miles on that truck and I had to replace the heim joints twice over the period of time/miles I kept it (bars had over 250k on them). As they would age they would start popping like they were stuck then let loose noticed it particularly at slow speeds off road on our property or speed bumps at an angle. And sure enough get them off and they sure wouldn't move freely.

 

[Randomrunner12]

So should the spacer the bolt goes through on the joint move freely by hand before installing because none of mine did. And I ordered them brand new from longhorn Fab shop. Maybe I should reach out to them for replacement or just order some better ones.

 

[BarryG]

I cant remember how easy they were to move new thinking I could move them by hand though. I know when I replaced them I couldn't move them by hand or even with say a screw driver as leverage.

 

[Randomrunner12]

All who are subscribed to this or not.

The term I was looking for in the op was that I have extra bucking when starting from a dead stop and slowly coming off clutch, or if I'm coasting through my neighbor Hood over a speed cushion in 3rd and let out it bucks then too.

Should I put more pressure on the axle by extending the bars and showing more thread or loosen them and take pressure off?

 

[AEdelheit]

All who are subscribed to this or not.

The term I was looking for in the op was that I have extra bucking when starting from a dead stop and slowly coming off clutch, or if I'm coasting through my neighbor Hood over a speed cushion in 3rd and let out it bucks then too.

Should I put more pressure on the axle by extending the bars and showing more thread or loosen them and take pressure off?

That sound more like a clutch slipping. The axle travels back as the leaf compress so if you try to preload them by shortening the traction bars you are putting the rear suspension in a massive bind.

 

[Randomrunner12]

Thank you for that sir. I will lengthen the bars a turn or 2 and drive that way for a week or so.

 

[Bob4x4]

Realize the traction bars and the leafs are fighting each other.The bars want the axle to travel in one arc,the springs in another.That is the reason you will see shackles used in traction bar set ups

 

[Randomrunner12]

Thank you sir, no one explained it to me that way. I think I have them setup correctly this time so I'll leave them be. Rides stiffer now but that was to be expected and I knew that would happen.

 

[AEdelheit]

Realize the traction bars and the leafs are fighting each other.The bars want the axle to travel in one arc,the springs in another.That is the reason you will see shackles used in traction bar set ups

Or proper geometry so the leaf arc matches the traction bar like Patton fab bars.

 

[Randomrunner12]

Those are some stout bars. I got the longhorn 72" universal bars as a Christmas gift.