I've got a set of traction bars that I put on my truck, and I can't keep them tight. They keep loosening up. They've got heim links at both ends that thread in. Everyone I've talked to say to tighten them, therefore making them shorter. My only thought is that the stop on one side of each bar aren't designed to keep them from not becoming longer, only to keep them from getting shorter. So should I be making them longer instead of shorter?

Thanks
Jason

 

I would think the stop or jam nuts should be tightened up to the sleeve to prevent the threaded heim from moving in or out.

Does the jam nut loosen? or does the threaded rod turn inside the sleeve with the nut tight?

 

The jamb nuts turn freely and butt up to the sleeve, but I wasn't sure if they would prevent the threaded heim from moving out, not just moving in. I suppose if they are tight enough, then they should prevent it from moving ither way.

Jason

 

One on each side would keep them from moving...one thread should be standard and one thread should be reverse..

 

Unfortunately there is only one jamb nut per bar. I think I've got them tight enough now that they wont back out again.

 

One on each end of bar right?

 

do you have one jamb nut or two on each heim joint? ive built a ton of minitrucks and used heims, problem is they get sloppy after awhile and especially with the torq of cummins you dont wana run heims, i put the rebuildable super joints on my front long arm, and on my rear traction bars im running bushing, chevy bushing will slip right into 1 3/4 tubing and are only 80 bucks for a whole set, also when the heims start wearing out they will clunck at every acceleration shift. and i really do recommend traction bars on the rear of the dodges especially with a 6spd.

 

i missed the part where you have just one sorry, if you put another nut on there and tighten them both it should eliminate your problem.

 

How can a heim joint loosen itself? You have to disassemble it from the thru bolt in order to make it longer or shorter...?

I know all about the wear in the heim, but can't see them getting longer or shorter unless they're magical joints...

 

I'm looking into getting a set of traction/ladder bars and am wondering whose you bought or are they "home made'?
Thanx

 

trik, they loosen cuz some companys or people that make there own dont really have a clue on RIGHT and LEFT hand threads, so they put two RIGHT hand threaded heims on one bar and they do loosen up with the force back and forth of driving.

i use these super joints that are rebuildable and fit right in place on the front axle, i used the pollys with 1 1/8" stud for adjustment on the long arm and my traction bars.

 

They are a set of Floor ITs. I think I just didn't have both sets tightened enough the first time. They've got to come off anyway to get powder coated.

 

?
I am lost, if they are butting up aginst the tube, and still spinning, the threads are trashed.
Post up some pictures so we can better understand.

 

Two seperate statements. The traction bars have a stop nut only on one side, NOT both. The nuts DO NOT spin freely when butted up against the tube. But, if you tighten the bars, therefore shortening them, and then tighten the stop nut up against the tube, then the bars can still lengthen because the stop nuts don't prevent them from moving back out, just it.

 

Still makes no sense to me since the only way to make them longer or shorter is by turning the end joint 180 degrees in either direction. And you aint' doing that with them installed....?

Does anyone else know what I mean?