Traction bar

Posting this for a friend of mine.
Is the tractionbars from Classic Performance Products, working?
And how do they work?
Any experience.
I have been looking at the construction, and can´t understand the function since they are bolted with just one bolt in the front end.

http://www.classicperform.com/Instructions/PDF/5557TBK.pdf

 

How is it supposed to work ?

 

That was my question too.

 

If the illustration is accurate then they will do nothing since they have a 'hinge' at each end. Tell your friend to copy the format used by the Mopar super stock cars, add one or two, maybe three ½ leaves at the bottom of the stack. They will control the wrap-up. A pinion snubber is also very useful.

 

My suggestion was to weld the framebracket solid to the frame, and create sort of fourlink.

 

Outlaw Bender...

73RR is referring (I think) to a type of traction bar developed bu a company called CalTrax. Arguably the most sophisticated leaf spring traction bar.

And I further agree with him that the CPP design assumes that you are going to weld the front bracket to the front spring mount. Bad idea,and here's why:

The CPP traction bar is, by definition, a fixed length. The front half of the leaf spring is not a fixed length...it's length changes as a function of spring compression/extension. Accordingly, the CPP bar and the leaf spring will (try) to operate in diverging arcs of rotation.

This will cause bind...more to the point, the front half of the leaf spring will no longer be in the suspension equation, and the fixed bar will prevent the suspension from rotating.

 

I pretty much agree...with it hinged like that, I fail to see how it will work. If, on the other hand, one of those mounts on the bar was solid, not with a bolt thru it, it would effectively prevent the front half of the spring from moving--springing, or wrapping.
The ticket would then be to unclamp the back half of the spring, because that half, with the shackle at the rear, will still allow for suspension travel.
The set-up shown only works if the bar, and the front leaf spring eye, are fixed together in a manner that eliminates any independent movement between the two: They have to swing on the same arch...or not move at all.

It should be noted that this kind of bar was very popular in the '60s, before slapper bars. The bar's front eye brackets were welded to the leaf spring mount.

-Brad

ps: CPP has some of the WORST instructions in the entire market. I've got one of their brake kits on my Suburban, and I'm happy with it, but the instructions blow. Donkeys. Big, sweaty, hairy donkeys.

 

Back in '68, I had those on a '55 Nomad. Worked great. Every now and then, I still see them on shoebox chevys.

 

build your own..or at least it might help explain a few things

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

 

It is half right but the front was on a soild frame mount.
c1 Corvettes had them on top of the axle.

 

Reminds me of the old Traction Masters, great look, works well and definately 50's-60's style

 

As someone mentioned, they're like the Traction Master name from the 50's and 60's. They work well and do it by not letting the front half of the leaf spring "wrap up" towards the body keeping the spring in a straight line. I had a set on my '56 Chevy back in the 60's and they work.

 

i don't know about those, kinda like a traction master, but prolly don't work to well. If your buddy wants something that works, go for caltracs. best traction bars around.

 

So did the "Super" Studebakers and Avantis. I am going this route in my '56 Champion 2-door sedan. I had this setup in a '63 Lark and it worked well enough.

 

I read an old article in hot rod, a 59 issue I think, had a romeo palamedes rail on the front. mentioned that that front tab had to be welded on the tractionmasters for the warranty to be honored.

 

As used on Shelby Mustangs

http://www.tractionmaster.com/index.html