Traction bar placement

0

01smoker

Diesel Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
961
I know this may have been asked before but what are you guys' opinions on where to mount traction bars? I see alot of guys' bars go all the way under the door and others not even to the cab. I have a few ideas as to why but would like to hear some more opinions.

This is for a qclb dedicated pulling truck with blocked suspension btw.
 
Thanks for your help smokeshow. I have searched but havent really found what im looking for.
 
Look at side of truck see were the door handle is go straight down to the frame make front mount there
 
I agree with ramtough01 that seems to be the best place for them
 
I see where guys are mounting them but what im asking is what is the reasoning behind it.
 
For a daily truck I would say make them match the DS angle for flex reasons but my pulling truck is set up as mentioned above.
 
But the drive shaft has u-joints and a slip yoke, won't they bind/ not allow as much suspension travel?

That's a question I've wanted to ask for a while.
 
apocalypse1812 said:
But the drive shaft has u-joints and a slip yoke, won't they bind/ not allow as much suspension travel?

That's a question I've wanted to ask for a while.
Click to expand...

if they dont have a shackle style swing joint at the front frame connection your answer is yes. check out dt pro fabs rear traction bars, they have a shackle at the front and a cradle to hold the rear axle from twisting AT ALL

they are only gonna bind of you are rock crawling or get way off camber......normal driving poses no problems
 
If your running a 2 point mount on the axle then yes you need a shackle on the front. But with a mono bar system its not as bad. My dodge I have the long bar to the door handles but my lifted ford is left up to match the drive shaft and I have never had problems and I pull my Gn with it and even loaded there still free. I thought I would have problems had to adjust them for the load but I have been running them for 3 years with out problems and I use to have alot of axle wrap.
 
Ive never had shackles on my front mounts and i would pull a GN and haul are skid steer around all the time with it i never had a binding problem
 
If your building a pulling truck and want it to hook shorter is better. If you run long bars they will flex and or bend like you see them do on lots of trucks. Short bars will plant the truck to the ground harder and let the chassis flex and do its job.
 
Thank you reaper, that is the kind of answer im lookin for. I was thinkin along the same lines. I know of several trucks with short bars and they hook really well.
 
If it's a dedicated puller and the rear end is blocked, there is no need to worry about binding, it's all bound up period, and no need for shackles. I ran mine all rigid for several years and it hooked like mad.

When you have suspension travel requirements, I think the longer bars (as long as they don't flex) do a better job of holding the axle in place because they more directly oppose what the axle is trying to do.

If it's a rigid setup, then I don't think it matters much how you do it. The net torque absorbed by the vehicle is the same. The stress applied at the mounting point is all you're doing by changing the length of the bar.
 
Last edited:
I thought that if you were pulling then you would want the longer bars and if you were drag racing you would want the shorter bars, at least that is what I have heard. Does anyone know if that is true or not?
 
last ones i built for a guy, were 2", 3/16 wall square tube and the have not flexed yet,, also ran close to where the ext. cab starts
 
Mine being a QC/SB I ran them about 3 inches forward of the back door handle and it seems to do well
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top