Traction Bars

[Tower Rat 95B]

 Anyone running traction bars?  I know Mopars don't need them on account of the pinion snubber, my Challenger has traction bars because they were already on when I bought the car in 1980 back then I remember almost every one was running traction bars just not so much on Mopars but they were out there too.   I am leaving the the bars on for now until I get the proper Dana 60 snubber, it will be neat to see the differance between the bars and the snubber.   What do you think are we better for the traction bars or does the snubber do the job just as well?

[ShelbyDogg]

I had traction bars on my Challenger during the '80s and they worked very well. You can tell the difference when just doing a burnout on a concrete street. When I nailed it and dumped the clutch, the rear tires would roar at a low pitch and the car would take off.  Now with just a snubber, the rear tires squeal at a higher pitch and spin faster.

I took the bars off because they looked '80s style like bellbottoms, and fot the extra ground clearance. THEY WORK!

Rob

[BIRD67]

From what I have heard, MoPars had unequal leaf springs-shorter in the front of the axle and longer in the rear, so I think I think that traction Bars would only cause axle windup on a MoPar, but I know that some people use the rod-style Cal-tracs and had sucess, I think it only applies if you are only going to use the lakewood-style, so stay away from those..

[BeeOrange]

When we bought the Challenger in October 2006 it was equipped with Lakewood traction bars; they had been installed on the car in the early seventies. I drove it one year with the bars installed. Last winter I pulled them off to replace the leaf springs and to clean up and paint the bars. I didn't get around to re-installing the bars yet; but I did notice an improvement in the ride this summer (although I am sure part of the improvement is the new springs & shocks . The previous owner told me he lowered the E.T.'s at the strip after he installed the bars back in the day. I do plan to re-install the bars as I am after the vintage 70's look.

[cudadave72]

I'm looking into the Caltrac set up. I used them on other cars and have had great success.

[Scatterbrain]

My car had them.  I took them off when I removed the air shocks.  I do notice that my clearance is better over speed bumps, but other than that no difference.

[ShelbyDogg]

I didn't get around to re-installing the bars yet; but I did notice an improvement in the ride this summer (although I am sure part of the improvement is the new springs & shocks .

The ride shouldn't be any different unless your rubber bumper is right up against the front of the leaf spring. There should be about a 1/2" gap at the bumper and the front u-bolt is only there to keep the bar from hitting the ground if you gas it in reverse.

Rob

[Roppa440]

so I think I think that traction Bars would only cause axle windup on a MoPar,

I think you are a bit confused.

[torredcuda]

Thay basically both do the same thing-control axle windup.If set up right I bet both are pretty equal.You don`t want them against the spring at rest,like dogg said there should be 1/2 -1 " gap which can be adjusted for best results.I am putting a pair of traction bars on my road runner as I am going for a "Day Two" type resto-stock with some added vintage speed parts.
Edit: Thay should also hit right at the spring eye,not agianst the leaf itself.

[boydsdodge]

Mopar Performance and Mopar Action both advise against using them on a Mopar.
Plus i think they are one of the ugliest and useless looking things you could add to a Mopar or car.
Just my thoughts.

[torredcuda]

Why do they advise against it?

[boydsdodge]

Here is one I could find on mopar actions site.
the other info is in my books.


ulf overby, klofta, Norway, 1968 dodge Dart GT 440

Do you know if I can use Competition Engineering's Slide-A-Link with superstock leaf springs? Is it a better choice than the pinion snubber? I race the car in the super street class. Mopar Action is the best magazine, with great tech and good stories.

Ulf, the pinion snubber is fine (w/ S/S springs) down to about mid-11s. If there's any wheel hop use quad shocks (Rancho, or Just Suspension's "Ground Pounder".) If your cars is quicker than that, I'd go with Calvert Racing's Cal-Tracs, which seem to have become the new standard for really quick street Mopars -- although I haven't personally tested them.

Rick

[Super Blue 72]

Mopar Performance and Mopar Action both advise against using them on a Mopar.
Plus i think they are one of the ugliest and useless looking things you could add to a Mopar or car.
Just my thoughts.

I too have read this in one of those magazines.  They said they were useless on a Mopar but could never get an answer as to why they were useless.  Tower Rat's suggestion about the factory pinion snubber seems to make sense.

As far as clearaance goes, yes they can ba a headache.  One time about 20 years ago I had to drive up paralell onto a short sidewalk (Don't ask why, I'm a Boston driver...  ) and the traction bar bent so that it was hitting the tire.  Good thing I had tools in the car so I could take off that traction bar in the street. 

[boydsdodge]

The main reason is that mopars have unequal length springs, that was how Chrysler reduced the spring wind up found on chevies. Then with the pinion snubber adjusted to the prober length you should have no problems.
I still think there ugly aswell. Extra weight to.

[Roppa440]

Chrysler leaf springs have been stiffer and shorter in the front section with plenty of spring leaves for much of their 20th Century history. A much better design than the GM and Ford versions.

They are also not mounted parallel to each other. The fronts of each spring being closer together than at the rear.

All these factors help control both axle wind-up and wheel hop (the former contributing greatly to the latter).

Traction bars work just as well as a pinion subber because they are doing exactly the same thing by the same means. But bars need to be the correct length (as already stated) so that they push up on the spring eye. If they are short of this point they can bend the front of the spring. They also need to be adjustable. You need the bars snubber adjusted fairly tight at the track to limit the amount the axle rotates. But on the street you need lots of clearance.

Pinion snubbers are the same. They need to be within a 1/4" of the floor at the track or you may as well not have one. But on the street you need it well out of the way. The floor pan can get badly dented from the pinion snubber if it is not re-enforced at all.