I'm doing a personal engineering project at school since I have access to a water-jet machine as well as many other types of CNC machines.

Since I will be able to do this with a pretty small budget, less than $100. I decided to attempt to design a traction bar for my 93 Civic.

I have researched the internet a lot for information on the geometry for this type for suspension component and I have found most of the info I need from Full-Race. I don't plan on copying there design completely, since I am doing this to test my skills, but some of the dimensions will have to be the same since it would otherwise cause binding. But in reality there's not a lot I can do to make it look different.

I have a question to those who have more knowledge than myself about this though. I know that the radius rod's have to be in line with the two mounting points of the front LCA on the sub frame. What I need to know is if my calculations are wrong and the mounting points for the radius arms sit below or above the "line" by minimal amounts will this end up destroying my bushings? or is there a bit of tolerance.

I wouldn't really need input from outside sources but Its hard figuring out the dimensions when your laying on your back in a parking lot in front of your apartment.

Here's what I have so far in AutoCAD

 

No it will not matter, as long as the heim joint has enough travel for suspension travel. The only thing that really matters is what you stated before about the heim joint lining up directly in front of the lca pivot point.

 

IMO, it dont matter where you mount the tabs for the heims, its not like we are doing the Baja 5000 with these cars.

 

Thanks for the info!

Yeah but I would like to have it as close to perfect as possible, and over a long about of time and pulling in the wrong direction could start to wear down bushings.

 

get an alignment.

 

See the thing is though I'm designing this myself and I have plenty of time to complete it. If it didn't matter about where anything went then I could have had it done this week. So I'm going to see if I can get it as close to perfect as possible. I just needed to know about that vertical tolerance.

Oh and yeah Ill get it aligned after I put it on.

 

Damn thought i was gonna get some inside info about this top secret torsion bar thing. To good to b true.....Do those things even work anyway!

 

There is no real way to make it work in CAD unless you have the entire vehicles suspension mapped out. You're going to have to get down and dirty and mock it up and cycle the suspension to make sure it doesn't bind.

 

Yeah, I'm just designing it in CAD right now really for the hell of it. I already have the side mounts and radius rod mounts designed with cutting paths in OMAX.

 

gotcha, yeah, you can figure out mounting/the main bar in CAD, but you'll have to pplug the rest in after

 

Do it like everyone else, reverse engineering.

Why in the world do they call them traction bars any ways? I don't have one recollection of any car I've seen getting added traction because of these. I think they should be called wheel stabilizer bars. I actually have another set on the way for a shop car. Its at the track whenever its able, We will see as I will notice even the slightest decrease in 60ft times.

 

Nate u have cnc access now? i may have to hit you up!

 

They might not really serve any purpose at all. I just decided to do this because everything else I thought of designing would have cost a lot more.

Haha yeah, the professor for this class is all about people using the machines so let me know if there's something you need.

 

dang! sweet deal! will do.