I've been wondering which off the shelf setups are available on the market which approach the ideal scenario of allowing us to keep our leaf spring setups while reducing or eliminating axle wrap and not causing any new suspension binding problems that weren't already there.

4 links are cool and all but converting seems like alot of money if it were possible to come up with an acceptable compromise by somehow modifying our existing suspensions.

I found these kits. I think there are several companies out there making similar products. I believe these guys are willing to create custom kits, if I wanted different length arms for example. LINK

I like that these have the shackle, unlike most traction/ladder bar products I've seen, which technically makes them a 3 link system and capable of articulating to respond to the varying spring perch to axle distance difference, that occurs during suspension traveling. I'm telling myself that is how these are different than the more common 2 link traction bar type products I've seen on the market, and could potentially` do a lot to solve the binding problem which people with long travel suspensions complain the more common 2 link traction bar solutions cause.

I would plan to use one of these bars only unlike the more common 2 link ladder bar kits which all seem to include 2 of them. Most people running this style, torque arm as they are called, seem to be running only one. Apparently this allows them to work their best. I think I could make one fit on the passenger side but would need to do a bit of exhaust pipe rerouting, brake line relocating, etc..

What do the Dodge gurus say about these? Am I deluding myself and wasting my time thinking these may be the holy grail compromise I have been seeking that allows us leaf sprung solid axle dodges want a freely articulating suspension soft tall 4x4 suspension whithout horrible axle wrap?

 

The problem you run into, is the stock blocks on the rear axle. Makes mounting traction bars pretty much impossible. Getting rid of the blocks will help, something like a shackle flip, which will give you some lift, and you can just leave the blocks out, and still be at the correct ride height.

 

Yeah bro. Already ditched the blocks. Added a shackle flip and had to bend the leaves to get 4 more inches of lift before it was level though. What a pain!

 

One other point though if you look this kit mounts inward, between the spring perch and pumpkin, though. You have to weld the brackest to the tube.

 

Looking at the link, would that cause a bind as the axle articulates? I suppose if the mount for it is in line with the spring eyes, it would be less of an issue..... Since you don't have blocks any more, what about standard traction bars? Or over-the-axle torque arms??

 

Under what conditions to you predict the bind to occur, HeyYou? Would you mind elaborating more, please?

I'm not a mechanical engineer but I believe the shackle, that is built into this type of arm design I linked, unlike traditional unshackled normal two link traction/ladder bars,, is supposed to allow the effective length of the arm to change as the springs flex and change length just like the springs shackle allows the length between the spring perch and axle to change as a spring flexes.

I am telling myself that is why this type of arm could prevent binding.

Whereas with the more traditional, two link traction bars that mount with a bushing or johnny joint to a fixed mounting point, usually at the spring perch on the axle andon a cross member near the front spring perch on the frame, cannot change length when the suspension flexes. As the spring gets longer when it flexes there has to be bind since the traction bar has a fixed length.

I believe that may be why the type I linked has an advantage by using a shackle. As the suspension flexes and the frame spring perch to axle difference gets longer and shorter during suspension flex the shackle on the arm i linked can just articulate allowing the effective length of the arm to change along with the spring perch to axle difference as needed.

 

oh yea forgot to add. Probably cant go with an over the spring solution since that is where I want my airbag setup.

 

I see I am pretty terrible at grammar and punctuation and spelling and explaining and stuff...sorry about that lol

 

The axle should never move forward or backwards only up and down. I have installed many traction bars in my shop and never had them bind. Now if you have a lot of articulation and are off roading they will limit your "flex". Those bars stop the axle tube from turning under the leafs so they stop, or limit, axle wrap

 

I would think the arm needs to be approximately the same length as the front half of the leaf spring though,,, else you will have two different arms attempting to move the axle in two different arcs...... Thought it seems to me, the shackle doesn't seem like it would do much for axle wrap.... even though it says that's what it is designed to do..... Maybe I am just paranoid.