Caltracs vs. Custom Made Traction Bars

[NickTF]

I've searched the crap out of this topic and didn't really find all the answeres to a few questions I have so I'm starting this thread. I'm going back and forth between the caltracs and making a set of custom bars for the truck. This truck tows 5000lbs tops on occasion and is rarely loaded more than 800lbs in the bed. It's my 97 std cab long bed 4x4. I play around on the street, do some recreational offroading, maybe some mud bogg races, and have absolutely no desire to tractor pull because I have no desire to be replacing my d70 rear. Lift is stock in the rear (stock 4.75" block) with d25 springs in the front for nearly level.

This being said i've not found much out about the caltracs ability to flex. In looking at this link I'm posting below it seems the caltrac front shackle will allow the arm to come back a little bit which is good during the tire extending far away from the truck such as going in a ditch or so but it looks like the angle will cause binding issues with the axles travel during compression i.e. hitting a bump or bed being loaded. Is my guestimate accurate or is this not the case? I like the agressive angle in that it plants the tire harder for limited throttle input which i'm actually thinking would aid traction offroad and during street launches etc. I also like the price of the system at only $350 or so. It seems these bars use heim ends of some sort so I dont think there would be any issues binding side to side only during the compression of the axle (i.e. like loading the bed heavy without using my air helper springs or bumps).

Caltracs Install Photo Gallery by Steve Orel at pbase.com

If the caltracs don't work my other idea was 2" .250 dom tubing at around 5' long per side with johnny joints on each end. A brackett on the frame either bolt on or weld on and then either a plate to use the u-bolts for mounting or me welding on some axle mounts which reminds me what is the axle diameter of the d70 tubes? With everything i need i'm looking close to $550 without welding expendables or paint. I don't have acces to lathes or anything along those lines without paying so i'd be purchasing these pieces from popular stores linked in the traction bar thread of the tractor pull section.

Right now the truck is at around 500rwhp but I plan to take that up possibly in the distant future so whatever route I go I'd like them to work at that hp (never more then 700rwhp 99% sure). I'm just in the planning stage now this will not be happening immediately.

Ok so i'm open to suggestions experience etc. with users of custom bars and caltracs doing what I'd like to do. Thanks:Cheer:

 

[not enoughsmoke]

this is what my old bars look like

now i switched to caltracs and wouldnt look back they are great for street use and daily driven i even thought about this till i priced them from calvert racin
http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/traction1.html

 

[fordcummins]

If that is what your going to do with the truck just get traction bars not cal-tracs.

 

[NickTF]

If that is what your going to do with the truck just get traction bars not cal-tracs.

Do you say this because of the binding? Just looking for some solid reasoning. No doubt caltracs would be easier (except the spring bushing) and cheaper and if they will work i'd like to do them but if not then i'll go with my other plan. I will not be buying $800+ bars though that's for sure i'll just make them myself.

 

[NickTF]

now i switched to caltracs and wouldnt look back they are great for street use and daily driven i even thought about this till i priced them from calvert racin

Do you offroad or tow? Have you noticed any difference with the cal tracs?

 

[VMacKenzie]

I had Caltracs and did not like them, had them on a 2wd short box and it seriously affected the ride quality. Hitting RR crossings and heavy bumps caused a strong rebound/bucking action. I tried preloading them positive and negative and going neutral but wasn't able to remedy it.

 

[not enoughsmoke]

Yes I tow with them and sometimes got somewhat off road lol

 

[NickTF]

I had Caltracs and did not like them, had them on a 2wd short box and it seriously affected the ride quality. Hitting RR crossings and heavy bumps caused a strong rebound/bucking action. I tried preloading them positive and negative and going neutral but wasn't able to remedy it.

Thanks, good info! It seems this is their problem. The shortness of the design limits the range of motion of the rear. I've read where people took all the preload out of them to allow the shackle to move more but this limits the axle wrap prevention and planting the tires more.

 

[NickTF]

Actually in doing some more looking I like the idea of an anti wrap bar. I need to crawl under the truck and see how feasible it is to make one. Anyone made one and having good success with it?

 

[daithi2]

i made a set of bars simmular to caltracs, ride is much stiffer but weight transfer and load on the tires is so much better. i carry no weight and dont tow, its purly a toy. i made mine with thicker plate, larger DOM tubbing, and bigger heims, for about a third to half cost.

 

[NickTF]

Well I went outside and looked and the ideas started flowing. What I came up with was using a small vary thick/stout ladder bar which would be fastened to the diff via a brackett welded to the top of the diff housing. The front of the ladder bar would then be fastened to a shackle I could make which would be fastened to a bracket going to the frame piece connecting each frame rail (piece runs over top of the fuel tank). The only problem is i'm a very limited experience welder and forgot that cast iron may not adhere to the steal bracketts so well:bang. The diff housin is so damn big even on this tiny relatively speaking dana 70 that the bracket for the back of the ladder bar would have to be fastened to the diff housing I think. Given the stress the rear brackett would see I don't like tht idea.

I'm going to keep brainstorming to see if I can come up with something else. Any ideas are welcome.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/Tacomatim16/IMG_0698.jpg

There's a link to a picture of a setup similar to wht i'm talking about. I'm not sure if the front point is fastened to a shackle or not for forward/aft movement but my plan would be to use one.

 

[daithi2]

so basically you looking for somthing along the lines of a panhard bar?

 

[94 12valve]

I've searched the crap out of this topic and didn't really find all the answeres to a few questions I have so I'm starting this thread. I'm going back and forth between the caltracs and making a set of custom bars for the truck. This truck tows 5000lbs tops on occasion and is rarely loaded more than 800lbs in the bed. It's my 97 std cab long bed 4x4. I play around on the street, do some recreational offroading, maybe some mud bogg races, and have absolutely no desire to tractor pull because I have no desire to be replacing my d70 rear. Lift is stock in the rear (stock 4.75" block) with d25 springs in the front for nearly level.

This being said i've not found much out about the caltracs ability to flex. In looking at this link I'm posting below it seems the caltrac front shackle will allow the arm to come back a little bit which is good during the tire extending far away from the truck such as going in a ditch or so but it looks like the angle will cause binding issues with the axles travel during compression i.e. hitting a bump or bed being loaded. Is my guestimate accurate or is this not the case? I like the agressive angle in that it plants the tire harder for limited throttle input which i'm actually thinking would aid traction offroad and during street launches etc. I also like the price of the system at only $350 or so. It seems these bars use heim ends of some sort so I dont think there would be any issues binding side to side only during the compression of the axle (i.e. like loading the bed heavy without using my air helper springs or bumps).

Caltracs Install Photo Gallery by Steve Orel at pbase.com

If the caltracs don't work my other idea was 2" .250 dom tubing at around 5' long per side with johnny joints on each end. A brackett on the frame either bolt on or weld on and then either a plate to use the u-bolts for mounting or me welding on some axle mounts which reminds me what is the axle diameter of the d70 tubes? With everything i need i'm looking close to $550 without welding expendables or paint. I don't have acces to lathes or anything along those lines without paying so i'd be purchasing these pieces from popular stores linked in the traction bar thread of the tractor pull section.

Right now the truck is at around 500rwhp but I plan to take that up possibly in the distant future so whatever route I go I'd like them to work at that hp (never more then 700rwhp 99% sure). I'm just in the planning stage now this will not be happening immediately.

Ok so i'm open to suggestions experience etc. with users of custom bars and caltracs doing what I'd like to do. Thanks:Cheer:

:hehe: nick your gonna put that pump on, with a big ole set of twins, and clear 700 hp.

Build yourself a nice set of bars insted of buying a set. My advice would be weld your rear mounts to the axel insted of bolting them to the axel bolts. That will allow you to mount the bars straighter and more level. When I build my next set thats what I'm gonna do.

 

[NickTF]

so basically you looking for somthing along the lines of a panhard bar?

If you're familiar with a torque arm camaro/firebird suspension that's more of what i'm after. The difference would be instead of using a bushing with a bar sliding in and out at the front end i'd be using a johnny joint and shackle for more flexability and a more posative coupling.

 

[cumminsX]

i made a set of bars simmular to caltracs, ride is much stiffer but weight transfer and load on the tires is so much better. i carry no weight and dont tow, its purly a toy. i made mine with thicker plate, larger DOM tubbing, and bigger heims, for about a third to half cost.

looks like some nice fab work there.

 

[YOUNG GUNS15]

I'll be watching this one, i want an alternative to the 600-1000 price range for a good set

 

[JFlagg]

I knew I saved this picture for a reason I think you mean like this Nick?

Not the greatest picture, but would be easy to make.

 

[94 12valve]

I knew I saved this picture for a reason I think you mean like this Nick?

Not the greatest picture, but would be easy to make.

Thats interesting, but how would that work with added bed weight or pulling a trailer?

 

[Turbonetics TQ]

I have to take my Caltracs off as soon as I was done pulling. They caused bad ride quality and when you hook the truck to a trailer or have a load in the bed the caltracs would not let the rear axle cycle through its travel and they would bind up, even if they are all the way loose.
I had some how ruined a set of the bars, they would no longer turn, and caltracs replaced them.
I wouldnt reccoment them.

 

[JFlagg]

Thats interesting, but how would that work with added bed weight or pulling a trailer?

Don't forget you have a shackle already on your stock leaves that will allow the axle to "float" slightly front to back as the spring compresses or extends. This would still allow all the articulation you could possibly want without binding and still stop the axle from wrapping. I can't say how it would work vs. Cal-tracs for actually adding traction, but it would eliminate axle wrap.