Friday, October 19, 2018

homebuilt lookalike Lakewood traction bar to replace the originals that went missing in the years since this 1969 Chevelle first was tearing around the streets


https://www.hotrod.com/articles/solid-lifter-showroom-place-2018-carlisle-chevrolet-nationals/

I don't see what this traction bar is going to accomplish... but then, I'm a mopar guy, they were engineered better and didn't need, nor could they benefit from (as far as I've ever seen in 30 years of owning one at a time) a set of traction bars.

Don't misunderstand, I know what its SUPPOSED to accomplish, but from this photo, I don't see how it mechanically, physically, does anything the boxed swing arm doesn't

2 comments:

  1. Most wheel hop in GM A-body cars are from deflection in the rubber bushings. This bar acts as a solid link that doesn’t allow the rear axle to lower control arms to compress under acceleration. No compression = no deflection thus no wheel hop. Seen plenty a mopar with traction bars, leaf springs are just as bad about wrapping under hard acceleration causing the same issue. You’ve either got stiff enough leafs, small enough tires or not enough power to wheel hop. Congrats.

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    Replies
    1. I've also never seen traction bars on a Mopar.
      Also, from the factory, Mopars were engineered better to handle the power, example, the extra leaf spring on the passenger side, I think it is, for the super stock factory racers, the regular muscle cars didn't need anything.
      So, you seem to be right, they simply tested the cars and put in stiff enough leaf springs to do the job right. I think GM stuff had coil springs, and not much wheel well space for bigger tires, though that body bolted to frame is nice for taking apart when restoring

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