Has any one used a helper spring that only goes from the axle forward?
Like this one from Summit


With it nothing is hanging down.

Or would it be better to get the Lakewood bars.
http://static.summitracing.com/globa.../lak-22026.jpg

Other that $30 is the LAK-22026 universal and the LAK-21715 for the Ford/Chevy the same?

 

lakewoods and trucktracks would be much more of a solid traction set up then that

 

Have used a similar set u to successfully control wind-up. Will not help tracion, but will prevent drivshaft damage.

 

Helper springs are just that. Help for load carrying.


You get what you pay for.......

Horespower and tire size are the main factors in traction bar style.

Lakewood style are ok for average street use. But then our Lightings are above average to start with.

 

Are the lakewoods alright to use with slicks? Or is there any sort of problem?

 

That's all any traction bar is intended to do.

 

what about helping weight transfer? both lakewoods and ranchos prevent axle windup, but the ranchos arguably help weight transfer to the rear.

 

We could argue about that all day.

But the way that I see it is that if the spring is not allowed to move, the weight will be transferred whether the the bar is connected to the front leaf hangar (Metco, Slide-a-Link, CalTraks), the frame farther forward (Ranchos), or even the front bumper. From the perspective of physics, I don't see where it makes the difference. Unless you assume that the frame is flexible but the bars are not, which I am not prepared to assume without data.

 

BTW, according to this well-respected text (Fred Puhn's How to Make Your Car Handle), the Rancho-style bars are just longer traction bars, not true "lift bars."

Also, note the last sentence. Kinda damns the whole Rancho bar thing. Remember, they were developed for off-road applications and just ported over to the Lightning.

 

Also BTW, road racing cars often use more leafs in the front of the spring than the rear. This helps prevent axle wrap, while not adding weight and potential suspension bind.

So the Summit devices pictured are completely consistent with that approach.

The fore-and-aft rear shocks that we have are also designed to mitigate axle wrap.

 

i see what you are saying, but it is hard to argue with my truck. it launches straighter, and the front end kicks up harder than it did before the lfp bars.

theories are great and all, but real world testing is what holds water. while the setup may be less than ideal as far as the vector of the force, they are not useless. some of that force is applied in an upward direction. and the mounts for the front of my bars are not at the same angle as those in your diagram.
how my bars mount (excuse the crude ms paint work):


they also tightened the rear suspension up. a lot of the slop added by my 3" shackles has dissappeared since the install of the bars.

not really trying to argue, just explaining my experiences.

 

Argue? Moi?

If you look at the drawing again, the difference between a "lift bar" and a "traction bar" seems to be where it mounts on the axle tube, not where it mounts on the frame. The Rancho/JDM/LFP bars all mount like any other traction bar.

I also do not have any basis to argue with your conclusions re the effect of the bars. But are you comparing bars/no bars or differences between types of bars?

 

compairing bars to no bars. and if someone actually made lift bars, i would have gotten them. but i got these for a good price, and i am satisfied.

it looks like the difference is the lift bar is mounted solidly to the rear dif., and the traction bar is mounted to a bracket that allows it to pivot.

it is similar to the panhard bar situation, the ruslow version is short, but it works, and is the only bolt on version available that does not require fabrication. (i may try to fabricate my own though)

 

I can get the springs for about $25, so I think I will see what they do, if anything.

 

After doing some research on the topic this morning, I may try a set myself. Traction bars add a big hunk of unsprung weight. If I can get rid of that, I will in a skinny second.