traction bars
05-08-2008, 12:41 PM
#2
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I dont know the absolute truth to this, but this is what ive heard:
"Traction bars may work on GM and Ford product, but on mopars, they actually hurt the performance. The way that the rear suspension was designed at chrysler was to get optimum traction. Torsion bars hurt the performance and the vehicle will have less grip..."
thats what i heard, if its true its true and if it is false...idk
All i know is that i dont like the look of them so i wouldnt bother but its up to u
"Traction bars may work on GM and Ford product, but on mopars, they actually hurt the performance. The way that the rear suspension was designed at chrysler was to get optimum traction. Torsion bars hurt the performance and the vehicle will have less grip..."
thats what i heard, if its true its true and if it is false...idk
All i know is that i dont like the look of them so i wouldnt bother but its up to u
02-09-2011, 06:02 PM
#4
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traction bars?
Most Mopar people believe that traction bars do not work. Frankly, this is what we have been told for the past 40 yrs.
However, after extensive research I have come to some conclusions regarding this issue.
1. Mother Mopar at no time suggested traction bars didn't work, they did not recommend them because they were worried about breakage.
In fact many mopars were equipped with traction bars & pinion snubbers right from the dealers, including Mr. Norms famous vehicles.
2. After 35 yrs of drag racing the same car, here is what I have found.
Traction bar breakage issue? With increased traction I experienced twisting in the frame and body. Installed frame connectors to correct this problem.
First set up, street 1967 Plymouth Satellite, 340 automatic.
Car ran consistant 14.5/98mph passes without traction bars and street tires.
Installed traction bars, no improvement.
Second setup, same car, street/strip 340 with 3800 stall converter and 4.56 gears.
ran consistant 13.4/103mph times with traction bars & snubber. Without bars the car lost .05 hundreds in the quarter. No 60 ft clocks yet.
Third setup, same car, street/strip 440 with 3500 converter and 4.30 gears.
Ran high 11's/114mph with traction bars & snubber, without bars the car slowed down a tenth of a second.
Fourth and current setup, same car, 360LA with 4200 stall with 4.30 gears.
Runs 12.4's at 108mph/7.99 1/8th mile with traction bars and snubber. Best 60 ft. time 1.69. Without bars 60 ft. times are 1.75 and the et slows down .12 hundreds.
Are there better products than traction bars? Certainly. However, for a street/strip car the bars work well.
All testing was done with the same pair of Lakewood universal traction bars 30" length, with the snubbers right under the leaf spring eyes.
Snubbers should always have a small amount of pre-load.
All tests except for the first one were done with slicks.
Would the bars and snubber work if the car was any quicker? I think they are reaching their limit and a set of Cal-tracs would be benificial if I were to get the current setup into the 11's.
I Have been a class A licensed mechanic all my life and a Pro eliminator track champion.
To view my car in action you can click on the photo albums and look for my car.
The next time someone tells you not to run traction bars on a Mopar, be sure to ask them why not??
However, after extensive research I have come to some conclusions regarding this issue.
1. Mother Mopar at no time suggested traction bars didn't work, they did not recommend them because they were worried about breakage.
In fact many mopars were equipped with traction bars & pinion snubbers right from the dealers, including Mr. Norms famous vehicles.
2. After 35 yrs of drag racing the same car, here is what I have found.
Traction bar breakage issue? With increased traction I experienced twisting in the frame and body. Installed frame connectors to correct this problem.
First set up, street 1967 Plymouth Satellite, 340 automatic.
Car ran consistant 14.5/98mph passes without traction bars and street tires.
Installed traction bars, no improvement.
Second setup, same car, street/strip 340 with 3800 stall converter and 4.56 gears.
ran consistant 13.4/103mph times with traction bars & snubber. Without bars the car lost .05 hundreds in the quarter. No 60 ft clocks yet.
Third setup, same car, street/strip 440 with 3500 converter and 4.30 gears.
Ran high 11's/114mph with traction bars & snubber, without bars the car slowed down a tenth of a second.
Fourth and current setup, same car, 360LA with 4200 stall with 4.30 gears.
Runs 12.4's at 108mph/7.99 1/8th mile with traction bars and snubber. Best 60 ft. time 1.69. Without bars 60 ft. times are 1.75 and the et slows down .12 hundreds.
Are there better products than traction bars? Certainly. However, for a street/strip car the bars work well.
All testing was done with the same pair of Lakewood universal traction bars 30" length, with the snubbers right under the leaf spring eyes.
Snubbers should always have a small amount of pre-load.
All tests except for the first one were done with slicks.
Would the bars and snubber work if the car was any quicker? I think they are reaching their limit and a set of Cal-tracs would be benificial if I were to get the current setup into the 11's.
I Have been a class A licensed mechanic all my life and a Pro eliminator track champion.
To view my car in action you can click on the photo albums and look for my car.
The next time someone tells you not to run traction bars on a Mopar, be sure to ask them why not??
Last edited by dr.mopar; 02-09-2011 at 10:13 PM. Reason: add a couple of words.
02-09-2011, 07:33 PM
#5
Mopar Lover
scamp -
Gonna have to go with dr. mopar on this one (welcome aboard). The brackets on mine straddle the axle. They do seem to stiffen the ride a bit, regardless of how they are adjusted. Besides, I like the way they look
Archer
Gonna have to go with dr. mopar on this one (welcome aboard). The brackets on mine straddle the axle. They do seem to stiffen the ride a bit, regardless of how they are adjusted. Besides, I like the way they look
Archer
Last edited by Archer; 02-10-2011 at 02:59 AM.
02-10-2011, 03:15 AM
#7
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Well... I do not have them on my Dart, I just set up the pinion snubber with about 1/8 to 1/4 inch clearance. Works great and I have no traction probs with a 500 CI.
Only thing is I replace the rubber snubber often.
If you are going to use T-bars, the rubber snub should not be up against the leaf spring it self. The rubber snub should be hitting the " eye " of the leaf where the bushing is.
Randy
Only thing is I replace the rubber snubber often.
If you are going to use T-bars, the rubber snub should not be up against the leaf spring it self. The rubber snub should be hitting the " eye " of the leaf where the bushing is.
Randy
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