Im going to make 2 sets of traction bars for myself this year. Trying to make them for as cheap as possible and basically the only thing Im going to have to pay for in the heim joints or whatever I decide to use if there is anything else.

Do you really need 4 of them or will 2 suffice with a solid mount on the control arm?

Are there any designs or materials that are better than others? Squeeks and such

Any cheap places that sell them?

Thanks guys

 

Also curious if the way they are threaded matters, left and or right seems to be sold

I dont know how they are adjusted at the radius rod or what adjusting does so i dont understand

Is 1/2"-20 A good size for these?

 

If you use a swedge tube (rod with threaded ends, one reverse thread) then you have a left thread heim on one end, and the right thread heim on the other. That way when you make adjustments to the length, you twist the tube one way to increase, and the other to decrease.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Andy R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you use a swedge tube (rod with threaded ends, one reverse thread) then you have a left thread heim on one end, and the right thread heim on the other. That way when you make adjustments to the length, you twist the tube one way to increase, and the other to decrease. </TD></TR></TABLE>you can also use threaded tie rod material that hasnt been swedged. looks much better too.

 

I always get mine at Speedway Motors

http://www.speedwaymotors.com

 

Try here!

http://www.racetechmotorsports...3_157
And Here http://www.racetechmotorsports...th=23

 

Is there any reason why you shouldnt use a solid mount to te control arm on the back and two heim joints just in the front? Makes it quite a bit cheaper if there isnt any if much gain for me.

THinking of usng big 3/4" heims for these in my EF, are they overkill?

 

3/4" is big-time overkill on a honda.

5/8" is all you need.

Also, don't run the cheap $5-12 heim joints.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is there any reason why you shouldnt use a solid mount to te control arm on the back and two heim joints just in the front? Makes it quite a bit cheaper if there isnt any if much gain for me.

THinking of usng big 3/4" heims for these in my EF, are they overkill?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PrecisionH23a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also, don't run the cheap $5-12 heim joints. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll quote this because I made this mistake with my first version of "traction bars". your car will sound like a lumber wagon if you use the cheap ones.

Be careful about how you design the bars if you are going to keep one side solid and one side pivoting. They could unscrew themselves. I tighten my bars on a drive-on hoist so I can see exactly how they'll move with suspension travel.

http://www.horton.on.ca/Produc...s.htm
^ this is what I used for my bars (front, 5/8" LH thread), very high quality stuff and heavy duty 5/8 hiems w/teflon on the control arms. No complaints!

1" (or 7/8"?) DOM pipe for the actual bars. drilled and tapped them on a lathe.

 

Im very curious about using the solid mount at the control arm at the back

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is there any reason why you shouldnt use a solid mount to te control arm on the back and two heim joints just in the front? Makes it quite a bit cheaper if there isnt any if much gain for me.

THinking of usng big 3/4" heims for these in my EF, are they overkill?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

 

How exactly is a Jimfab style bar adjusted anyways?

Looking at pictures, they seem to be one solid piece of bar, milled and drilled for the LCA at one end, then tapped for the heim at the front.

If the bar is installed and locked down to the LCA how do you turn the bar up and or down the threads to make adjustments?

 

Ive started fabbing this bar in my spare time, got me heim joints on order and they will be here anyday

One thing Ive come to a stop on is my radius rod bars. I went with a solid mount at the LCA, and instead of making something to bolt to the LCA, I simply cut off the end of the stock radius rods, stuck them into my 5/8" ID bar and welded it on.

Now with both bolts in the LCA, it holds my radius rods (at the front of the car) about 3 1/2" above my new crossbar since I went quite low with it, maybe 2" lower than stock.

I was hoping to simply heat up and bend the stock portion of the radius rod I cut off, bend them to the correct angle to meet up with the crossbar.

Was curious if that would cause any problems?

 

You won't be able to adjust anything and it will be a fixed point... which will limit your suspension travel and cause fatigue/stress on the heim joint/radius rod/lca.

 

solidly mounting to the lca will put the bar in bending which you probably dont want.
heims at each end creates a truss which is stronger in the longitudinal direction

 

Wow ya'll are overkilling this. I am running a .750x.095 chromoly tube with chromoly inserts welded into the ends. I used Aurora 7/16 rod ends on both ends. Built a custom mount on the a-arm to mount to the stock mounting point. This way you don't destroy the shock mounting bushing like some aftermarket units do.

 

I will be able to adjust it, I will just have to remove the radius rod bolt, then twist the front heim inwards

Can I bend the bar downwards or not?

 

bend it down?

im not sure what youre asking, but i was saying you dont want that bending stress in the system.

 

I think hes asking when or if he needs to adjust the overall length by screwing in/out the heim joint, can he just remove the bolt holding the heim and bend the rod enough to get the heim out of the gusset to adjust it.

Answer: You probably won't be able to, but thats beside the point. You should take notice that you are designing an unsafe support with one fixed end and a heim end. You have already been given advice to properly design it using heim joints at each end. I would pursue making a bracket that mounts to the stock lca points and has a flange to mount a heim rod end.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Andy R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think hes asking when or if he needs to adjust the overall length by screwing in/out the heim joint, can he just remove the bolt holding the heim and bend the rod enough to get the heim out of the gusset to adjust it.

Answer: You probably won't be able to, but thats beside the point. You should take notice that you are designing an unsafe support with one fixed end and a heim end. You have already been given advice to properly design it using heim joints at each end. I would pursue making a bracket that mounts to the stock lca points and has a flange to mount a heim rod end.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Bingo.

There is a lot of engineering in traction bar design. It isn't putting some rods here, bend them there, and weld them there and you are set to go. A lot of us have done a lot of research and development when it comes to this subject so for you to come here and ask us 'yes or no' questions it gets kind of irritating. There is a wrong way and a right way to ask a question.

The general concensus of this thread is that you are trying to save money but you are compromising your safety at the end of the day. Spend a few hundred bucks and just buy a set pre-made and engineered.

 

Actually he is compromising OUR safety, by not taking proper precautions in his designs and driving this thing on the street.

 

Actually, NOT BINGO! Im not asking if I can bend the bar to make the adjustments

Im saying, while fabricating, Ive come to where 2 pieces dont line up.

When my lower control arm is bolted to my new radius rods (remember I went solid mount oem style) The opposite side of the radius rod (at the crossbar where the old crossmember bar was) the end of the radius rod is now ABOVE the cross bar by about 4"

I want to put a bend, permanently, in the lower control arm side of the rod, so the front lines up with the crossbar and I can place my heim joint end in the rod, and everything lines up

Do I need to draw a picture?

 

We get what you want to do, and putting any bend in it, is going to completely sacrifice any sort of strength it may have had.

Seriously dude, put an end to this design and throw it in the trash. If you hit the street with this design, you are going to hurt yourself and possibly others. There are many intelligent people on this forum that have told you exactly what to do. Suspension is not a place you should skimp on to save a few bucks. If you absolutely need a new crossmember for such reasons as fitting 4-1 header, turbo downpipe then buy one from a reputable company, otherwise put your stock crossmember back in and call it a day. You obviously don't know what your getting yourself into.