nelrod

Yeah Mike, come on up & stay in party house for a while, just bring some tools
And compouund setup for me and Jason

homewrecker

I got to put a few more miles on them today.Went down I-77 and there are some really screwed up patches that I always avoided because the rear of the truck felt like it was gonna come around beside you.Well, that is a thing of the past.So yes it eliminates the wheel hop.The truck took the bumps like a champ.Felt really planted to the ground.Like I stated earlier, the ride is firmer but in a good way.I do have the preload kinda tight.Might experiment some tomorrow with less and more preload.

XLR8R

You have excellent taste, Terry!

jrussell

Hitting bumps isn't wheel hop. Wheel hop is caused by axle wrap.

I have trouble understanding how a stiffer riding rear suspension helps to keep the tires planted at speed on rough roads though? The rear suspension on these trucks is already very stiff from the factory. A more flexible suspension like Carli or Thuren is known to make a big difference on keeping the tires planted on rough roads. How would going the opposite way and making it even stiffer help to do the same thing?

RowJ

The Bars definately eliminate axle wrap!
The better ride factor may be counter intuitive .... but none the less valid, in my experience!
Less travel does reduce 'bump effect' on pot holes. Wheels don't go all the way into the hole. Also, on washboard dirt or gravel roads, the bounce is less and the control is improved!
I think it has to do with delayed impact absortion when you DON'T have the bars. Just as the springs and shocks are rebounding, you hit another bump and the shock effect is compounded! With the bars, the next bump is hit with the suspension in a neutral position.... better able to take the impact.

As stated, the shorter suspension travel is firmer (like a Vette) but the net result is improved control and better contact with the road. JMO, but it works for me. I doubt this better feel is present with Caltracs or other shorter bars the employ shackles. To me, a big plus from my Lazarbars is having the bars near parallel to the driveshaft. Allows articulation while still locking the axle in place!

RJ

homewrecker

Under hard excellerations the truck just launches,no more sqautting then launch.If your in it hard enough to break traction there is no wheel hop as you desribed,its either hooked and moving or spinning tires.Before the bars there was an in between area(not WOT but close) when breaking the tires loose where the rear end would chatter and/or hop.I have not experienced this since the install,its either hooked or spinning.
I don't know how with the ride being firmer it feels more planted but it does.Maybe Mike can jump in and give an explanation.

jrussell

What you're describing would make the ride worse on bumpy roads. Think about a baja racing rig...their suspensions are very flexible with a lot of travel. How is taking away flex and travel going to accomplish the same thing? It just doesn't make sense. If stiff was better over bumps then baja trucks would use very stiff suspensions, but they don't. If stiff was better on rough roads then our trucks would already handle great, but they don't. A Vette with stiff suspension handles great on smooth roads, but not on rough roads.

Another issue is that if the suspension has less travel with the bars then something IS binding.

Now this makes sense and I can understand how the bars would help traction by preventing wheel hop/axle wrap. That is completely different from improving the ride on rough roads though.

RowJ

Your arguing theoretical logic. I, and others, are describing our experience on the street (not 100 mph in the desert).
Your question - How can that be?
My answer - Don't know, but it is!

RJ

jrussell

It's not theoretical, it's proven fact. Stiff suspensions handle better on smooth roads and soft suspensions handle better on rough surfaces.

Hintz

X2 I have know idea how a stiffer suspension would be on rough roads. I can tell you going from a 1500 to a 2500 going to my hunting camp (miles of washed out roads) the 1500 was 100x smoother

XLR8R

Experience always trumps an argument, eh!

Properly designed traction bars simply improve axle control, which eliminates wheel hop & axle wrap while reducing body roll, rough-riding & driveline jerk.

14" of wheel travel with these bars, so suspension deflection isn't an issue.

Better control does not equal stiffer suspension.

Think about shocks vs. unsprung weight.

IMO, traction bars on a 3G make an even larger improvement than on a 2G; 3G leaf springs were designed longer to soften the ride, and heavier to maintain the load capacity, so there's significantly more weight in the leaf packs, not to mention the heavier AAMs.

XXLTEXAN

I love mine. They have completely changed how I drive this beast. I thought they would bind at full articulation too but Mike showed me a pick of a guy that was in a ditch at full articulation and they did not bind. After the install I went and tucked my tires up underneath the fender wells at opposite ends with the help of some rocks...sure nuff...no binding. I told Mike that and he's like "yup...its simple geometry"...then he got really technical and his voice started to sound like the teacher in Charlie Brown and I got dizzy and then the next thing I remember I was in my driveway with no memory of how I got there but with a big smile on my face for money well spent. Thanks Mike!

jrussell

Mike, you have posted in the past that these bars do in fact increase the spring rate (effectively stiffening the suspension). That combined with the feedback posted by your customers claiming to have stiffer rear suspensions after the bars, seems to indicate that they do stiffen the suspension.

I understand that they will reduce wheel hop from axle wrap, but still don't understand how they can improve the ride on rough roads while making the suspension stiffer? I also don't understand how the suspension can become stiffer if the bars aren't binding somewhere? My experience with traction bars on other vehicles tells me that a properly designed bar doesn't increase the spring rate at all (just like a link system does not increase spring rates).

jlibert

For those who are questioning how a traction bar can possibly give a better ride on a rough road...

Do you have traction bars?

If not, you'll understand when you install a set.

Ride on rough roads is greatly improved. The back end doesn't hop around, the tires stay planted. I expected a stiff ride when I installed a set I built, but it didn't happen. Like others with single bar setups, I noticed a slightly firmer ride, but the studdering and bucking that was common on rough roads, or when crossing train tracks was greatly decreased.

82NDSNPR

where to buy and how much??? i was thinking of making a set from some 4 link systems i got laying around but the lenght of these seems to trump my 4 link bars