Hot Rods Cal-Trac bars

Wondering if anybody has installed Cal-Trac bars on a 1939 Ford with the parallel leaf spring conversion. Got wheel hop and was thinking of using this traction bar set-up.

 

Cal tracs work great!, i had them on a 64 Nova, and my 68 Firebird. as far as which ones to order, you might want to call Cal Trac and tell them what your working on. I know they flat stopped the wheel hop on the cars i was using them on!

 

Traction Masters would be more traditional.
These are on a fellow HAMB's 40 Ford coupe.




https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/traction-masters.1221173/

 

or you can make something that looks like Traction Masters, and works like Cal Tracs.

 

I have my own home-brewed version of Cal-Tracs on my Henry J. From the side, all you can see is the bar so they sorta look like Traction Masters.

Gary

 

Thank you for the replies. Need to follow up and do it. Traction Master is nice set-up on the 40. Fits the scrub line, I think ? I will check all options. Back later........John

 

The traction master co. is still in bis. you can find them on the web I ordered some new bushings for mine about a year ago

 

The biggest failure of Traction Master design was the front attachment was in single shear. They were an easy install in early 60's and I had on three different cars, but snapped the front bolt a few times before modding. Cal tracs and Squirrel's design superior for anti squat control adjustment and certainly
double shear attachment

 

This style of forward attachment eliminates that issue entirely and is much more forgiving on street driven cars.
I built a dozen sets of these in the late 80's for 62-67 Novas, this design can be used on most leaf spring equipped cars.

 

Where do I get a set? Are they universal? I can see the spring perch with the shock mount, but how does the forward end mount at the end of the spring? Any welding involved or holes to be drilled? Do I need to know any measurements, like spring lenght?

 

I need to find my old Traction Master application sheet but I don't recall direct fit bars for cars of your era but they did offer numerous sets for specific applications.
If you don't plan on making your own you may adapt a set made for an application that has a forward spring length close to yours.
I designed mine to clamp on the spring as close to the forward pivot as possible, the spring sandwiches between the mount that is welded to the bar and the seperate plate with two pieces of heavy rubber flat stock. To allow slight movement under street driving conditions a locknut is used and only snugged up with a slight preload on the rubber pads.

Here is a Google search with numerous articles and photos for reference.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tra...keA_cQ_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=1280&bih=800&dpr=1.5

Photo from Traction Master website.


http://www.tractionmaster.com/

 

This is a "how to" on how to make homemade Cal Trac bars

http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/Traction.html

.

 

I put a piece of flat between my bellcranks and have a short, urethane snubber to make contact with the spring. They still work good and are not as harsh for a street car.

Gary

 

I can honestly say I've never seen a setup quite like that, pretty cool.

 

interesting..

I get some racket going into reverse, some times. I guess the snubber would help that. But the rest of the car is pretty obnoxious, so I won't bother

 

Just to note the Traction Master design works in both directions to limit spring wrap, where the
Calvert's type geometry is superior for accelleration but provides nothing for braking. Back in the early days the alignment shop next to my dad's installed them all the time for the braking aspect (I don't think
they even considered accelleration back then)

 

I never understood what people meant about the harshness of the ride with Caltracs. I have little preload in mine and it does make the suspension a tiny bit stiffer but not enough to really notice. If I back way off on the preload you wont even know there on there as they wont function.

 

I'll let them explain it.

 

I need to build a set like that! any more pics?

 

Just this one. Gary

 

I like that a lot, thanks!

 

When building your own set, what is the ideal distance between the bottom of the spring plate and the rod end bushing?

Thanks!

 

Before fabricating a "Cal Tracs type of traction bar", take a look how Calvert allowed for adjustability.
By selecting different holes in the front plate and the amount of preload; the antisquat can be dialed
in. This has a lot to do how cars can run in the 8's on just a 9" tire and maintain a straight lauch by
dialling both sides as needed.

 

Yellow Dog, thanks for the insight. I was considering either one... I don't see the truck as being a monster that would require 'too much' in the way of traction.

 

Error? New computer.
Gary, thanks for the overall pics, and my regular traction masters are about to be 'Cal-Trac'ed'!
Amazing, another giant leap for bellcranks! Great geometry.
My '54 Ford coupe is going to be surprised with a set of these attached to the 9" over its springs...