I just recently installed my Lakewood Traction Bars. They were bought new and then I sanded and painted them to match my truck. The install was simple, the rightside has about 3/8 inch clearence between the bushing and spring and the leftside has about a 1/2 inch clearence. With this adjustment I have no wheelhop but still have major traction issues. I need more bite off the line. Aren`t these bars supposed to lift the rear a bit thus planting the tires harder? I`m not getting any lift. Should I decrease the gap at the bushings? Any Ideas?

 

Lakewoods will hook with slicks, not street tires on the street. Any tire spinning at all and you loose the "plant" effect. Should also be adjusted at the track, not home in the driveway. You can check load by having someone brake and add power so you can watch how much pre load or load is being applied at launch.

 

Okay, I kinda thought that but I guess I just expected more. I just need some more bite to the pavement.

 

Hey Jim whats goin on ?
Its Josh, we met up at dyno day. I just had a thought for you. Your havin a problem hookin up on the street, you might wanna try a set of Nitto 555R's once you drive a few miles they naturally warm up and stick pretty good. Only problem with them is in this extreme cold we are having on a cold start morning even the slightest hard acceleration it will kick out. They are GREAT in the summer temps...I dunno if you drive your truck every day like me or if its just a nice weather truck. I've learned to control the slick rubber and amount of gas I can put into it, just dont get caught in the snow.....trust me it SUX BIG TIME.

Josh

 

Lakewoods won't just make your tires hook after you install them. You can feel the truck stay level when you are spinning though instead of the bed portion torquing up. That torquing causes driveshaft breakage. You can feel the difference especially during a kickdown....uh...so I've heard

 

Duh, so your not saying traction bars are no good for the street, just lakewoods? I want some bar's for street driving because thats about all I do. So what's the good bars for street, without going too broke? I know ya get's what ya pay for.

 

first the tire has to have traction on the street for ANY traction bar to work.

F1's on a cold street and even JLP Lift bars won't work. the tire will just spin.

once a tire has traction, (nito's on the street, or slicks at the track) the rear end will twist, the front of the rear end will literally rise up, traction from the tires will break and it will turn to normal, then traction again and thus you have wheel hop.

If the tire has traction the rear end lifts up and the traction bar (lakewood or JLP) then works.

But a cold street (think michigan right now with no snow) and F1's will not have any traction on the street and therefore no binding of the leaf spring and NO traction bar will work.

I had Lakewoods, and worked dayum good. (currently selling them nloc classifieds), but I wanted to upgrade to a JLP lift bar.
$100 Lakewoods vs, $300 JLP lift bars.

Then again the JLP bars still require tire traction to work.

 

They all do the same thing. None are going to give you instant traction with F1's. They just keep the rear end planted the way it's supposed to be to "help" traction. You are still very limited on F1's

 

Personnally I'm going with the LFP traction bars. If you get them before end of this month they are on sale for $325. Just tell mark Josh told you to call about them.

josh

 

BTW:
I have about 3/4" between the spring and the lakewood traction bar..


http://www.geocities.com/1spartan/nittotires.htm

near the bottom of the page there are pics with te clearance

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies here. I guess I need better tires here. What`s the widest tire I can go with on the stock rim keeping the stock height?

 

Wider isn't better either, softer is better. Try the BF Goodrich TA's with a traction compound of 180 vs the Nitto and F'1's at 300. Or a set of Nitto 555 DR 305 x 45 x 18 they are softer and 1/2" wider. But traction on the street is nill with most any tire.

 

1BADTK sounds like you know your chit mon. Thanks, I`ll try the Nitto DR this spring.