Cal-tracs for overslung leaf springs? Possible?

[STINEY]

Can a cal-trac style bar be adapted to use on a vehicle where the axle is UNDER the spring? I was thinking the lower bracket could be welded directly to the axle housing, but am now wondering about the effect of the increased angles on the adjustable bar...I suppose the plates could be enlarged to compensate, but would that be necessary?

Just a thought experiment at work today.

(Stealing a photo from BBR for visual effect, hope you don't mind)

[TC]

CalTrac makes them, since I have a set on my '71 GMC.......

[milner351]

here's one BBR put up a while back as an example - this is on my to do list for the ranger

[TheSilverBuick]

BBR is a popular guy.

[STINEY]

So here's the whole scoop..... friend at work has a F-350 Quad cab shortbed smoker.

He plows with it, tows with it, and truck-pulls some with it. It has about a 6" lift block between the axle and springpack.

He wants to eliminate wheel-hop, and thinks he wants to go this direction. Picture shows what he has in mind.



I just don't like this design. I see suspension binding being inevitable, as the springs and bars travel in 2 different arcs. Maybe I'm just anal, but I think there is a better way that also isn't so gaudy and doesn't lessen ground clearance so much.

One other important note - - he is mostly concerned with axle "walking". Its hard to explain....think of one tire catching traction, then the other catching traction, etc. Its a phenomonon known in the truck pulling world, and its destructive.

The axle ends up walking forward in relation to the frame one side at a time due to spring wrap, but not spring wrap evenly applied to BOTH left & right springs. It is applied to one and then the other.....get it?

[milkovich]

Someone deranged must have put that bottom truck together, the bars look like they're expressly designed to "roll" the axle especially since they're mounted closer to the axle centerline then even the leaf springs because of their hokey blocks.

To me it seems like if they lowered the pivot point on the frame and raised the pivot on the axle to the top of the tube and ditched the blocks, they wouldn't bind as bad.

[SuperBuickGuy]

that system works like crap on a block-lifted rear axle. It's only for street trucks, the fix is a 4 link with floating leaf springs - but on a truck like that the worst wheeling it'll ever do is driving over a curb (or a dancer) when the driver's drunk.

[Barry Donovan]

I can see why it is "gaudy".

the idea is great..
maybe find ways to tuck it.
those big lift spring blocks looks like a candidate for the draglinks?

just a thought.

and multipurpose.

[STINEY]

that system works like crap on a block-lifted rear axle. It's only for street trucks, the fix is a 4 link with floating leaf springs - but on a truck like that the worst wheeling it'll ever do is driving over a curb (or a dancer) when the driver's drunk.

Which system works like crap on a block lifted rear? The Cal-tracs or the redneck traction bar thing? This truck has 4" blocks stock from the factory, for whatever its worth.

I agree on the 4-link with floaters, by the way.

[Stich496]

axle walking is more than likely from those lift blocks

[kyhunter89]

try clamping the springs in the front. I know of several LS trucks on 37's running 13s with caltracs and clamped springs.