Tomslik - Traction Devices

[C9]

You were looking for some traction device info?

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

And here: http://hotrodsandhemis.com/traction1.html

Well written and illustrated info.

[flt-blk]

Those are Cal-Trac bars.  I was going to build some for my Stude
until I discovered there was no room at the front spring mount.

I ended up using an overload spring that bolts under the spring pack underneath the front of the leafs to stiffen it up.  
It fixed most of my wrap up problem and only cost $24.99 .

[C9]

Every time I see a slapper bar I'm reminded of what a friend told me.

He saw one get hung up on something and it virtually tore one side of the suspension out of the car.
With the tall filler lids on gas station tanks nowadays....


The overload spring seems like a good way for a street traction fix-em-up.

I used to do similar with a 2/3 length - original length in front, back cut off 8"-10" past the center bolt hole - 2nd leaf clamped onto the top of the spring pack.
Two clamps equidistant in front and one in the back.

Very much a copy of the ChryCo Super Stock setup and it worked quite well.
Traction was improved and the ride wasn't affected to any great degree.

[jaybee]

Thanks, I've bookmarked this one.  In addition to a good how-to it's a great explanation of how the CalTracs bars work.  Are they noisy on the street as the bellcranks bang against the springs?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

that is Bill Whitaker's site  aka Centerline on hotrodders.com site

[1FATGMC]

Thanks, I've bookmarked this one.  In addition to a good how-to it's a great explanation of how the CalTracs bars work.  Are they noisy on the street as the bellcranks bang against the springs?

I have had CalTracs the real ones on my truck for 60-70,000 miles now and love them.  Those ones in that post are "kind of" copies and might be ok for a street car, but not good for any kind of real HP.

   

The real things have a busing that goes all the way through the top mount and the sides are supported by that not little bushings on the sides.  In the picture above from Calvert Racing  it looks as if the side plates pivot on just a little part of what looks like the top bushing.  That isn't so

A machined aluminum spring eye bushing and steel insert supports the front of the spring while allowing the plates to pivot.

This is a lot stronger and will wear (as in my case) much longer than having the side plates pivot on small/narrow washer like bearing surfaces.

The heims and everything else about the cal-tracs are very heavy duty.  If you price all of that stuff you aren't too much less than just buying the real thing.

I like to make everything myself, but this was one time I'm glad I didn't cut corners.  It would be a shame to invest a bunch and end up with something that wouldn't hold up.

No you don't hear them hitting the springs.  Since the front spring mount is solid now you can pick up a little road feel through them, but you really have to be trying to detect it.  I'll drive thousands of miles totally forgetting I have them.

The big advantage the cal-tracs have over slappers is they can be set-up to stop all axle/spring wrap and yet don't impact suspension travel at all.  In fact they help the car in corners by limiting lift in that instance, but allow full compression of the springs/shocks.

I admire Bill for making his own, but sorry they aren't the real deal.  

If you have any questions ask or PM me.

c ya, Sum

[tomslik]

Thanks, I've bookmarked this one.  In addition to a good how-to it's a great explanation of how the CalTracs bars work.  Are they noisy on the street as the bellcranks bang against the springs?

I have had CalTracs the real ones on my truck for 60-70,000 miles now and love them.  Those ones in that post are "kind of" copies and might be ok for a street car, but not good for any kind of real HP.

   

The real things have a busing that goes all the way through the top mount and the sides are supported by that not little bushings on the sides.  In the picture above from Calvert Racing  it looks as if the side plates pivot on just a little part of what looks like the top bushing.  That isn't so

A machined aluminum spring eye bushing and steel insert supports the front of the spring while allowing the plates to pivot.

This is a lot stronger and will wear (as in my case) much longer than having the side plates pivot on small/narrow washer like bearing surfaces.

The heims and everything else about the cal-tracs are very heavy duty.  If you price all of that stuff you aren't too much less than just buying the real thing.

I like to make everything myself, but this was one time I'm glad I didn't cut corners.  It would be a shame to invest a bunch and end up with something that wouldn't hold up.

No you don't hear them hitting the springs.  Since the front spring mount is solid now you can pick up a little road feel through them, but you really have to be trying to detect it.  I'll drive thousands of miles totally forgetting I have them.

The big advantage the cal-tracs have over slappers is they can be set-up to stop all axle/spring wrap and yet don't impact suspension travel at all.  In fact they help the car in corners by limiting lift in that instance, but allow full compression of the springs/shocks.

I admire Bill for making his own, but sorry they aren't the real deal.  

If you have any questions ask or PM me.

c ya, Sum

...and they'll make 'em to fit your spring setup for 350 bux.
and that's the plan for my coupe BUT this truck ain't gonna make that kind of power (i'll be happy if it goes down the road under it's own power)


C9,thanks for thinking of me...

well, anyway,i "aquired" a set of "universal" slappers and did some modifying....

[av8]

Thanks C9 and Sum.  I've been thinking about that sort of approach for the racetruck but wasn't clear on the configuration 'til now.

In the interest of having the rear suspension supple so the truck won't be inclined to chatter and dance when the racing surface starts to deteriorate, I'm planning on three leaves per side. I've felt that some sort of traction-control scheme was in order, and I prefer the rods instead of slapper bars.

Again, thanks!

Mike

[C9]

One more . . . just to give you something to think about.

We used to make home-made Traction Masters from oil field drill rod or DOM tubing when we could get it.
Gas welded to boot and we never broke one.

The DOM tubing was 1" x .120 wall - sometimes 7/8" - and looks just like the bottom bar of a four bar.

The oil field drill rod - yeah it did add to the unsprung weight equation, but it worked to control hop - was triangulated and looked somewhat like a narrow ladder bar, but it only had one eye at the back and of course, one at the front.


A shock eye was cut off an old shock absorber and used on each end, no adjusting threads on either drill rod or DOM.

New shock absorber rubbers were pushed into place, 1" bolts with locking nuts and a couple of flat washers on either side of each rubber bushing retained things.

A couple of 1/4" - 3/16" would be fine - tabs were welded to either the original U-Bolt plate or a complete 1/4" plate with welded tabs were bolted on under the spring U-Bolt plate.
The U-Bolts were always long enough to bolt the 1/4" plate on.

The front of the "Traction Master" was hung from a 1/4" piece of angle iron welded to the frame.
Single shear.
The front bracket was as close to the front spring pivot as we could get it.

Some folks are gonna worry about differing arcs, but the truth is, the difference is very small and using rubber bushings took care of any arc mismatch.
Imo, Polyurethane bushings would work just as well and there wouldn't be any spring binding problems.

Our cars - mostly Shoeboxes, one 51 Olds coupe with built engine - rode as well as they ever did and wheel hop was eliminated.

We felt the cars cornered better as well.
Subjective opinion for sure, but what it probably boiled down to was that steering the car with throttle was a lot easier with the home-made Traction Masters than without....

[flt-blk]

I found the pic's of my low buck solution.