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Am I out of luck with these traction bars?

8K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  BuzzLOL 
#1 ·
A buddy gave me these old Lakewoods for free. I am guessing they are for a car where the axle goes on top of the leaf springs. I have a Chevy truck with a 12 bolt and the axle goes under the springs. I see no part numbers, just a basic sticker that has survived over the years, so I can't tell exactly what I have. Anybody confirm?






Here are the universal truck ones...the perches have a much deeper relief to clear the axle.
 
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#2 ·
Yep, your out of luck because of the axle over the spring situation that you have.

Both sets you've pictured are the typical low cost, lightweight, cheezy, not long enough to reach the spring eye "poseur" traction bars sold by Lakewood. They are not very effective due to light weight materials used to construct them, how they bolt on, and the fact they are too short to reach clear to the front spring eye.

Using them as a frame of reference only, you could fab up something just like that out of thicker materials and stronger u-bolts and possibly end up with a decent piece.

I would say no less than 5/16" thick plate for the brackets, no less than 2" x 2" x .125" wall tube, with 2.5" x 2.5" being better (and looking more proportional) with 7/16" minimum bolt size(U-bolt, or straight bolts and 3/8" plate strap over the top of the spring). I would gusset the ends of the brackets just outboard of where the u-bolt attaches to the bar, to prevent bending the bracket and having them get loose.

It is vitally important that the rubber snubber contacts the spring directly under the front spring eye bolt, if they hit back on the open main leaf portion all they do is bend the spring and contribute to making wheel hop worse.

Here is an example of totally poor installation, DO NOT DO AS DONE HERE : Traction Bars

Here is a pic of a decent home-made set, ideal snubber location, good thick tube, good bolt size, strap is just a bit thin IMO but the right idea : http://www.f150online.com/galleries/images/576-738-102156.jpg

Good slapper bar example, but have to have springs under the axle for this style to fit : http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/7xnova/72 Nova/IMG_0617.jpg

Because of your spring over axle placement :( , you are pretty much going to have to make your own to get anything that will really work.
 
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