Competition Just finished my traction bars...

[JFlagg]

I've been working on these here and there over the past few weeks, and finally got them done. Their nothing special, just some solid, clean trac bars I built in my garage. The links are 1 1/2"x 1/4' wall tubing with some heim links threaded in the ends, I had a local machine shop thread some inserts for me that I plug welded inside. The lower brackets I made to bolt onto the ends of the U-bolts, but due to my lift I had to buy ones an inch longer, no big deal. The upper mounts are bolted to the frame right at the rear of the transfer case. Overall the bars are 66" long. Only have a few miles on them, but the work good so far. Not sure when I'll get to test them on a sled, but I'll let you know what happens...

 

[Moose Truck]

Nice!!! Good Job, Hope they work as good as they Look!Oo. Moose

 

[AMassaro]

Nice work... I wish my 05' had u-bolts I could use like 2nd gens do... I'd have a similar setup already... .

 

[GOT-Torque]

They look good, let us know how they work out for you.

 

[RyanB]

Nice work... I wish my 05' had u-bolts I could use like 2nd gens do... I'd have a similar setup already... .

Im not to familiar with the 3rd gens but what kind of fastener system do they use?



RyanB

 

[AMassaro]

Same type of u-bolt system but they are upside down compared to yours... Nuts are on top of axle...

 

[JFlagg]

Haven't looked under one, but how hard would it be to redo the U-bolts to the style like the 2nd gens? I had my ubolts made to order for 35 bucks for all four. Thats for 3" wide inside measurement and 14" long. The stock ones are 13" and would have worked if I didn't have an add-a-leaf in the rear.

 

[AMassaro]

Don't know how hard it would be, but it'd probably be easier to just make up a new mount with u-bolts next to the springs for ladder bar mount, which is what all the new setups have. Just more work to fab up the mount to grab the bottom of the axle tube, where's the 2nd gen guys have perfect mounting spot...

 

[JFlagg]

True, I forgot all the 3rd gen trac bars u-bolt to the axle tubes... .

 

[16919]

Some Tough Country ones would look better... ... ... ... . Only kidding, nice work!

 

[AWCampbelll]

Very nice craftsmanship. I was wondering though, would they bind up because others have a different type of shackle?? They allow them to move a little when the load is on and the suspension is under load. I dont know but others talk of it and just wondering because I was looking into making a set myself.



Thanks,

Andrew

 

[GHarman]

Nice Job. GregH

 

[lcaad1249]

Very nice craftsmanship. I was wondering though, would they bind up because others have a different type of shackle?? They allow them to move a little when the load is on and the suspension is under load. I dont know but others talk of it and just wondering because I was looking into making a set myself.



Thanks,

Andrew

That only works when there's two attachment points on the axle side. In a single bar setup it would pivot and do nothing.

 

[JFlagg]

Some Tough Country ones would look better... ... ... ... . Only kidding, nice work!

Sorry about that... . I ended up spending more building these, but they are longer(like I wanted) and its more fun to build them than buy them...

 

[Bloomy]

Those are good looking bars. Very similar to what I built for my 12v. I went with slightly larger bar with 1/2" wall and 7/8" heims and just a little bit longer. And you are right; for anyone wanting to build their own to save money..... You won't. But I would rather build my own for the fun of it anyway. Nice work!



Thomas

 

[16919]

Sorry about that... . I ended up spending more building these, but they are longer(like I wanted) and its more fun to build them than buy them...

No biggie... ... turned out nice. Glad you had a bit of fun as well!:-laf

 

[JFlagg]

Sweated my arse off in my un-ACed garage too:-laf At least I had some cardboard to lay on in the alley... My pitbull kept laying in the metal shavings from the drill too, at least they ran off when I fired up the grinder or torch



note: no animals were hurt in the construction of these bars, my wife would have killed me

 

[AMassaro]

My pit does the same thing. Goofy dog... I think he's learning to look away when I strike up the welder at least. Gotta love em'...

 

[RyanB]

I should snap some pics of mine that I just finished up... just waiting on paint. I did mine for pretty cheap and hopefully they stand up well. I actually used a Top-Link from a tractor and cut them in half and then shoved them inside 1 3/4" ID 1/2" wall DOM. For the mounts I did very similar to what you have there only out of 3/8" and 5/16" plate.



Some have put down the Top-link idea in the past but I figure if its good enough for holding up the weight of a 6+ furrow flow or other agricultural unit then it should be good enough for the bars. My brother has had an almost identical set on his truck for 2 years now with out any problems.



Cost for my set was just over $100 but thats because the guy I got the DOM from had no idea what it really was! Paid $35 for 20 feet (my bars are 106" long) and the two top links cost me $25 each and there was $20 for the plate stock that I used for the brakets and $10 worth of 3/4" grade 8 bolts and 6 -1/2" grade 8 bolts.



I will post pics tomorrow if I remember.



Ryan

 

[JFlagg]

Yeah, unfortunately I paid what the steel yard was asking, though, all i had to buy was the tubing. Everything else was in my garage... $65 each for 2, 70" peices of 1 1/2" x 1/4" tubing#@$%!