I am not an engineer or anything but it seems like the bar should be several inches longer. Having that many threads exposed has to take away quite a bit of strength???

 

I'll try to get some pics of mine, but I just went down to a specialty hardware store, and bought two huge nuts.... I don't remember the size or the thread type, but they definatelywont com loose any more...

 

heres the ones i made for my truck. sucky pics of the heims & connections. it was raining outside

 

TexasCTD: What version of the bars are yours? Lazar, Drag, etc?

 

Scott - They eliminate axle wrap and wheel hop. This is true, but really only an advantage for racers and sled pullers.

For everyday driving there are other advantages.
If towing heavy, bars do greatly reduce sway in corners and improve control. They reinforce and stiffen the frame.
On rough roads and concrete hwy with expansion seams they improve drivability by reducing bounce. Only way I can describe it is.... more of a sports car feel. They also take the bang out of potholes.
It's hard to believe yoiu can improve drivability by increasing tension on the rear suspension and reducing spring travel, but it works!

I drive mine yr round with three turns on them.... the overload spring is tensioned to just short of the bump stop.
Some may not like the feel but I love the improved control.

RJ

 

It's been a while since I bought them, but IIRC, mine are the "Lazar IIs".

http://lazarsmith.com/tractionbars.html

I remember he told me as far as function, it really didn't matter which set to get. Buy mainly on the look you like. Hope that helps.

..

 

I was the other guy with the loose bar issues. I am very pleased with my Monster Bar's. They make a tremendous difference in how the truck behaves. I have a number of Lazarsmith products and each is top notch. I have met Mike and he is a great guy with a wealth of knowledge that he is more than willing to share.

In my instance, The driver side bar is the only one that loosens up. I had the locking plate so tight I broke the adjustment tool. (Mike had given me a spare when I met him at a local diesel event.) I had to loosen it with a pipe wrench. I have also tightened it with the pipe wrench. This suggests to me that there is an issue with my truck and/or setup.

I also purchased additional nuts to assist in keeping the bars tight. I have been too lazy to get under the truck this wet winter to give it a try.

@Justin - I purchased the nuts a local bolt supply house. Remember one is a reverse thread.

 

Suspension binding is the reason any type of solid bar bolted between the axle and frame appears to to increase stability. It's limiting suspension travel. That is also why they tend to come loose, crack mounts, etc. Don't take my word for it. unbolt your bars at the axle, load 1k lbs in the bed or park it under your garage doorway so can compress the suspension with a floor jack, then try to bolt up the bars. You will understand what is going on.

 

When you guys are saying you have to "readjust" the bars, what is it that your having to do?

 

You can adjust preload, or tension, on the bars to suit your needs and/or comfort level.

As for the comment above on the amount of thread exposed on the heim, the bars Mike makes comes in a number of different lengths. What you see is merely how the end user installed them... it is entirely possible to have no threads showing and bars mounted. Either way, there is enough strength present; even with the threads exposed there is a good length of thread still stuffed in the tube and the structural strength present in the unit is more than adequate for the stressors involved.

 

Lenghten the bars (think of a turnbuckle) to keep constant tension on the mounting brackets.
If not enough, the locking nut will loosen up and the bars will become permanantly loose. Than they slap on the cross bolts and can do some damage.
And, good eye. The bars you ask about could be better centered for less thread in front and a bit more on the back. Not really a problem though.

RJ

 

I realized after I made that post that one of the threads is reversed and that you are opening the bar when turning it. I originally was thinking that when you spin the bar it just moved up or down on the threads...

Disreguard