I've almost gotten all the suspension components off the new truck's frame and I've been thinking about how to set up the rear suspension. Here are my two thoughts...

1) The easier way... put on 4 inch lowering hangers and add a leaf to the spring pack and build traction bars. This will give it a stiff ride without any axle wrap, but it is impossible to build a perfect set of traction bars without the chance of the suspension binding up under enough flex.

2) The harder way... 4 link suspension with a panhard bar and coilovers. This will be very involved, but will eliminate the chance of axle wrap without the suspension binding effects of traction bars.

So here is the question, and hopefully someone on here has experience with traction bars... can the lowered 2wd that will never see anything greater than a speed bump as far as flexing goes really bind up in normal driving conditions with a pair of traction bars bad enough to warrent building a 4 link? What do you guys think?

This is the design I'm considering when I say traction bars...

 

A lot of off-roaders use a single traction bar mounted inboard using a shackle on the frame end so it doesn't bind when flexing, not sure how they work for a street application but it's an option.
Some questionable fab work on this one but you get the idea.


Slide-a-Link and CalTracs also make bars for 2wd Dakotas. I hear the CalTracs are noisy though.

 

Yeah, I want to stay away from the CalTrac style bars cause from what I can tell they free-float on the springs, which leads me to believe they are very noisy like you said.

Here's the issue though.... a single bar traction bar puts the force parallel to the frame whereas ladder bars put the force perpendicular to the frame. Using a shackle on a single bar traction bar won't work because it will simply move the shackle because of the direction of the force. Ladder bars can use shackles because they put the force upward just like a leaf spring on its shackle, but because ladder bars are attached to the axle at 2 points, they still can't flex properly.

I've spent the last couple days going over every design I can find and have decided that there is no perfect traction bar design. They will all somehow hinder the natural movement of the leaf springs. So that being said, I'd want to go with the single bar because it would be cheaper and easier to build.

 

Here's another example. I think with the shackle reverse from how it is in this pic (traction bar end higher than frame end) it would work very well. When the pinion tries to point up it pulls on the shackle instead of pushing up and possibly deflecting the traction bar/axle.

 

Yeah, sorry, your first pic didn't show up, but that one there is the design I've been trying to work out for a while. Here is the problem, with a stiff A-arm design, it won't pivot where it's attached to the axle at either point, so if the leaf spring compresses, it will force the pinion down and turn the spring into a S-shape.

I hope that makes sense in words without diagrams.

 

Here's another I found. Yes it does appear that with a single bar it will point the pinion up and twist the leaf when compressed but doesn't limit flex. I don't think it matters a whole lot either way you go since it is just a street truck.

 

Lol, that's the answer I wanted to hear! I think I might go with a design similar to the one in the picture I put in the 1st post, just cause its simple, cheap to build, and effective... and the rear axle shouldn't ever travel enough to matter. I do have one modification in mind to make it better, but I can't explain it, so I'll have to draw it up in solid works and post it later.

I'll save the designing and building of a custom 4 link for my 4x4 for after this new truck is running... so it could be a while.

 

so i'm assuming that's NOT what you're looking for?

well, i don't find them "noisy" at all, but there have been some speed-bumps i can NOT go over because there's not enough clearance. i will say that there isn't much "rebound" when hitting a bump.

i must say that being how i have 2k invested in suspension mods in my 300zx, i love my traction bars, now i just need some stiffer springs upfront, and a nice drop all around

 

why not go 3link with panhard and coil overs. That's what I ran on my SODA truck (ford ranger Pro4).

 

Those aren't the traction bars we were calling noisy...