My new traction bar set up.

[Jesshwarren]

Nothing will budge these ;)
http://rangersrevenge.com/cgi/imagehosting/148f290ce41317.jpg
http://rangersrevenge.com/cgi/imagehosting/148f290ce1677f.jpg

[RebelRanger97]

Did you make those or buy them ?
They look good !

[Jesshwarren]

Did you make those or buy them ?
They look good !

These are traction bars I run on my 6.0L Powerstroke for sled pulling. I had a friend that has a lot of machining help me make them. They are made from a top link from a 3 point hitch off of a tractor, we extended them with metal pipe. I put the brackets on the ranger and they can be put on in 5 min takes 4 pins to hold them on.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?mpe_id=12075&cm_cr=No+Campaign-_-Web+Activity-_-Cross+Sell+Up+Sell-_-ProductDetail_Espot1-_-SpeeCo+Toplink+Category+1&catalogId=10001&productId=33789&evtype=CpgnClick&intv_id=15001&langId=-1&storeId=10551&ddkey=http:ClickInfo

[muddpawz]

i went to the dhra drags this weekend in baytown, tx and saw a ton of guys running a setup just like that. Its real common with sled pullers. did you just add a section in the middle of the eyes and keep the threaded ends to make the end result? im curios to hear how they work for ya!! did you use it on just the drivers side?

[Jesshwarren]

i went to the dhra drags this weekend in baytown, tx and saw a ton of guys running a setup just like that. Its real common with sled pullers. did you just add a section in the middle of the eyes and keep the threaded ends to make the end result? im curios to hear how they work for ya!! did you use it on just the drivers side?

Yea I heard about that event. Almost every diesel pull truck of drag race truck runs a set of these. They work well on a truck, it takes a vehicle with a frame to mount the bracket to.

Yea I cut them and added to the middle keeping the threaded ends. After I put them on I can turn them so they push back tight.
I have one on each side. I ran them this weekend at the track they work real well. With these on I did noticed it transfers the wt to the back more on a hard launch. The back end is really dropping low off the line. I got some good air shocks going in the back i'll see how they help out.

[LSV8]

Has anyone tried these bars?
http://www.jamesduff.com/broncoII/tracbar.html

Might be worth a try for $89. However they for sure do not look at strong as the ones pictured above! I do like the idea of extening the drawbar... but if these pre made bars work well.. I might just go that route to save from making a set.

[fordnut71]

they will work, but not 100% great for a dd or occasinal off road. will firm up the ride but still be smooth.

[Elusive]

Duff bars are decent. I mean, for $89 you can't go wrong. You would be hard-pressed to build a decent set for that price. They are by no means a "solve-all", but they helped out the torque steer and wheel hop in my turbo 5.0 by a mile. I would definitely get another set without much hesitation.

[4bangeranger]

would the duff bars work if u fliped your rearend??

[fordnut71]

duff has parts in there kits now for a a axle over an axle under from what iv heard. they have gone from 2 differnt part number to 1 part number to cover both set ups.

[D94R]

You sure about that fordnut? When I bought my kit from JD they sent the axle brackets for the small 7.5 and large 8.8 axle tubes. But nothing for an axle over leafs setup.

[Elusive]

I only got one set of brackets...? I used every part in the box putting mine on. I bought mine mid-July.

[fordnut71]

im not 100% as i was looking at buying them till i broght a pic to a chassis builder an he changed my mind on them.
i think on rps they were talking about it in a thread about duff making it 1 part number because of all the request for axle over.

[4bangeranger]

im just going to build mine i have a ladder bar setup from my chevell that got stolen and i never instaled them.. those will work right

[turbo83ranger]

hey jess what gauge tube did you use to extend those, I went to tractor supply yesterday and bought two of those links. I was going to try the cal tracks noticed the front spring perch might need some grinding.

do you have the length overall

[fordnut71]

when making the cal trac style bars you need to make a solid bushing for the front eye spring. then a bearing goes in for the povit plate. between the bushing an spring mount.
cal trac makes a set for the s-10 that will fit the ranger IF you have the rear flip done.

[ddlyspdr]

wow i hate to beat a dead horse, but can i get a pic of the rear tire off jess?? would u mind if i copied what u did?? you talked about how it launched, have u driven it on the street?? have u experimented with going with a longer or shorter piece?? oh one more question, how much did u add to the center??

[Jesshwarren]

wow i hate to beat a dead horse, but can i get a pic of the rear tire off jess?? would u mind if i copied what u did?? you talked about how it launched, have u driven it on the street?? have u experimented with going with a longer or shorter piece?? oh one more question, how much did u add to the center??

I can try to get a better pic of the back for you. The bars are like 4' long. Yes I drove these on the street you don't really notice them they just keep the rear end firmly in place.

[muddpawz]

didnt you have problems launching with them at the track though?

[ddlyspdr]

i hate to ask this, but are they only to help wheel hop? could u use them to help with rear traction, loading, unloading the axle?

[95turboranger]

You really dont need to load the axle that much but , and yes they will minimize wheel hop ,and to get some more some wieght transfer unless you want to beat to death on regular roads theres no need tp preload a bunch , I have had to make a set of these for a good friend thats pulls a diesel dodge , really heavy duty and they work good ,

Just for reference check these out and the pics custom made 350 bucks
http://calvertracing.com/caltracs.php

hope this helps ..

[speedaddict]

I'm building a set of these as well. I figured most guys forgot about this thread. Super good for guys on a budget.

I'm gonna take pics and post in the how-to section.

[K G]

You really dont need to load the axle that much but , and yes they will minimize wheel hop ,and to get some more some wieght transfer unless you want to beat to death on regular roads theres no need tp preload a bunch , I have had to make a set of these for a good friend thats pulls a diesel dodge , really heavy duty and they work good ,

Just for reference check these out and the pics custom made 350 bucks
http://calvertracing.com/caltracs.php

hope this helps ..
From what I was told by a rear end builder the cal would be best for a dd. It alows for the spring to move up and down freely. a leaf spring gets longer as it straightens and needs one of its mounts to move freely, (the shackle). This also pushes the axle to the rear. I think the duff would bind on ruff road and lead to somthing like like a broken "U" bolt, or center bolt.
my $.02
K G

[fordnut71]

a schackle as it moves threw its arc is under commpression an then rebound. so you really dont want it to go pass 90* by much more before it will unload the spring. http://www.timskelton.com/lightning/race_prep/suspension/leaf_mods.htm
the spring sliders on this link will let the spring compress without unloading or bind.

[speedaddict]

I'm gonna be using 4 heim joints(2 on each on) and pretty good size tubing. I'm gonna weld a nut on both ends, and have a nut to lock it down on both ends.

I'll be able to loosen it up for dd with a 7/8 wrentch in about 2mins. Vice versa when i want traction.

Pretty much same general principal/design as Jess's.

[speedaddict]

BTW, nice article fordnut. :thumbsup:

[fordnut71]

my rear plans are going to be designed for dd an drags.
im planning on usings chevy 1/2 ton springs.
this moves the spring mount 6" forward under the back of the cab.(reg cab short box) it will only have the main leaf top leaf an the next lower 1/2 leaf. then have the sliders in place of the rear schackles. with the home made cal tracks bars this will should act like a ladder bar up front but let the spring in the back half move without binding.

[jfive]

I don't really get mono leafs, but then again they wouldn't sell them for nothing.

[fordnut71]

mono just makes it a softer spring rate.
you can bound up the front half of a spring to make it tight but the back half has to be able to fan the leafs out an move. even class 8 trucks are using monos an leafs n 1/2.

[K G]

I don't know how it would work for a dd. Some sand drag trucks pull the leaf springs and put on struts with home made 4 link made with tractor parts like Jess has. The struts are cheap at the jy.
K G