Custom Traction Bars

This page documents the installation of custom made traction bars for "Bad Bow". The set of traction bars came off an '87 truck which runs low 13's. The bars do a remarkable job planting a 500+ HP motor to the asphalt. If you live close to Amarillo, TX then you have probably seen the truck which ran with these bars installed. An actual quote from a tree light operator, "I've never seen a truck in twenty years hook up like that one, it really hauls ass". 

The picture on the left is of the custom made bars. This set is very unique and is probably the only set like it in America. The complete setup includes two specially cut and welded bars, four custom made "U" bolts and special ceramic nuts with washers. The set has two "U" bolt anchors that attach to the rear leaf springs. The bent "U" shape in the middle is for the rear axle to rest on. The picture on the right is of one of the bars installed on my truck. The custom made traction bars had to be modified to fit my truck. The rear "U" bolt bracket had to be expended 1 inch to fit my lowered rear end. The front "U" bolt brackets were left the same size. Since the front bracket was left the same length, we had to shave 1/2 inch off the snubber to avoid contact with the leaf spring. The total travel length is about 1/2 inch from the leaf spring to the snubber.

Why install custom street traction bars on a truck? Hey, see the picture of the new 255/60R15 Cooper Cobra GT tire? Why not make it a slick on asphalt with some awesome acceleration? The picture on the left is the console center of the "BAD BOWTIE JET". Okay its not really fast yet, but it will be with a fresh engine. I have completely restored the interior with new dash, new bezel, new cruise control, new digital operation gauges, new tilt steering column and new headliner. The carpet and seat will be replaced later to match the trucks painted exterior. Okay back to the traction bar installation.

The pictures above are of the special "U" bolt bolted up to the rear leaf springs. The "U" bolts are bolted with one flat washer, one lock washer and two special ceramic locking nuts.

The pictures above represent the intalled traction bar on the driver side. Notice how the "U" on the bar raises the entire bar off the road. Most traction bars actually ride close to the ground because of their design. Some catalogue traction bars also only extend forward from the axle. These custom traction bars are designed for a more solid and faster "hookup" on acceleration. The snubber has a travel length of less than 3/4 inch before it touches the rear leaf spring. The snubber however will not be the first to "hookup" the truck on acceleration.  The first hookup effect will take place on the center "U" section,where the axle rides, on the bar. The axle travel length for "hookup" is less than 1/4 inch. Once the leaf springs flex on acceleration and the axle "hooks-up" on the bar, the leaf springs must flex more to have the snubber touch the front portion of the leaf springs. The traction bars you find in catalogues have the snubber directly under the front bolt-up area of the leaf springs. Some people will argue that traction bars do not work unless the snubber actually touches the bolt-up area.   This maybe true for catalogue traction bars but not to these custom made bars. The center "U" for the axle "hook-up" allows the use of a shorter traction bar and faster spring load on the leaf spring planting the axle to the asphalt. Due to the strength of the bar/axle "hookup" it is unlikely  for the snubber to touch the leaf spring.

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Safety always comes first.  We used a floor jack to raise the truck and then dropped the truck on a jack stand. After the truck was on the stand, we proceeded to remove the tire. The floor jack was then used to hold the traction bar for installation. The installation was done my brother.

After the driverside bar was installed, we put the tire back on and raised the truck to remove the jack stand. The picture above is of the final installation view. Notice that the bar will provide some protection to the custom lowered shock form road debris.

The pictures above represent the passenger side installation. We did not use a jack stand on the passenger side since we did not remove the wheel to install the traction bar.

The pictures above are of the driver side and the passenger side view of the installed traction bars. The tires do a very good job of "hiding" the installed traction bars.

The pictures above show the installed traction bars as viewed from the rear of the truck. How do they look?

The pictures below are of my brother's truck. He will also install traction bars after some changes are done to his current axle setup. The '88+ Chevy trucks have the axle "U" bolts located at a 90 degree location from the '73 - '87 trucks. Changing the location of '94 leaf spring "U" bolts will be simple. The change only requires the "U" bolt setup off an '73 - '87 truck.