Pic of my Traction Bar setup

[DHayden]

I know I said I would post this some time ago but better late than never. Slips on over the Dana 80 secured with a total of 6 U-bolts. The other bracket is connected to the frame crossmember (existing holes) and connected together with the single tube.

It's pretty beefy and I don't truck pull so it works great for me, I had some BAD axle wrap. The guy who actually built this did use it on a few sled pulls and it seems no worse for wear and his truck had more power than mine.





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[tgbol]

It looks pretty solid. Single bar will allow all sorts of articulation and keep the springs from wrapping up. I am jealous.

 

[2broke2smoke]

i like ...



good idea

 

[Cooker]

Are these available for sale? Cost? Thanks.

 

[DHayden]

Not for sale, one of a kind..... well maybe 2 of a kind if the originator made up another set. This used to belong to TDR member Kwikkurt of Mild to Wild Diesel. I havent been to his shop in a while but he moved, changed number's or went out of business. I dont know which but I can't reach his old number.

 

[NPloysa]

Any pics of it installed yet?

 

[DHayden]

Yep... Boy it's time for a clean up under there.





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[Diesel Nut]

Well, does she drive better? How good of a job is it doing on the axle wrap? I got a pretty bad amount myself. Might have to buuild something when I get some spare time (yeah, like that'll happen).

 

[DHayden]

Works great, the axle can't tilt up at all (unless something breaks ) It took away about 80% of my launch shutter and I think I need to replace some U joints now and all will be good.



Before the input shaft would twist up a good 5 inches , I didnt think it was THAT bad until I saw the dent in my exhaust from the drive shaft :{ I'm positive my U-joints are shot.

 

[pwerwagn]

One of my relatives in SCity told me that they hadn't seen Kurts place open in a while. Kurt did some work to his 24V for him.

--Jeff

 

[TRCM]

That would not be hard to fab up at all.



Maybe I'll add it to my project list. It'll be MUCH easier to do on the ctd then on my 4x4 toy. Something about having less than 1/10th the suspension movement to account for... ...

 

[ProMac1K]

That's ingenious!



How do you know if you have axle wrap?

 

[WDixon27]

leaf springs + torque = wrap / traction = potential broken parts

That's ingenious!



How do you know if you have axle wrap?

 

[ProMac1K]

Nice equation.



I'll ask in another way..... Do you not know if you have axle wrap until you break parts?

 

[WDixon27]

you usually notice it as wheel hop when you get on it hard off the line when the springs wind up and tires break traction and springs unwind tires grab and the process repeats, chirp chirp chirp sound from the outside and nasty shudder on the inside, i may build a set up like the one pictured when i get time as i noticed mine hopped bad on wet roads the first time i had it in the rain

 

[DHayden]

Without some type of traction bar there is always a degree of axle wrap, you won't necessarily know until say, your u joints need to be replaced, you get allot of launch shutter because your axle is trying to flip up and it causes vibration at such an extreme angle, or if your exhaust ran directly over your rear driveshaft like mine did and you see the dent :-laf .

The more power, the more wrap. You won't know how much unless you measure it somehow or watch your axle while someone mashes your go pedal, you would have to look fast but you could definately see it rotate up.

 

[ProMac1K]

Is it more apt to happen on the lighter weight pickups, or the 2500's?

 

[mschoenheider]

How do you keep it from binding up when you put a load in the bed? As the springs flatten out under compression, the axle will want to move backwards, but it looks like your bar retains the the top of the axle, and it doesn't look like there is much of an angle in the bar that would let the axle move backwards as the suspension compresses? Do you feel any harsher ride or binding when loaded?