Traction Bars

old man dave · May 5, 2016

In the thread I quoted, Jonny Joints and Ballistic were the popular choices for the joints, nuts and the weld-in bungs.

smcox1 · Sep 10, 2016

So I haven't started building traction bars but I came across this picture and thought it was a pretty slick setup. What are your thoughts?

FlatbedCowboy · Sep 10, 2016

It looks like to me all the OUO stuff goes in front of the axle, but that looks like a homemade version of OUOs

smcox1 · Sep 10, 2016

The one I posted is made by a company but I forgot the name. I think that one was the first one and made with scraps. I just thought it was really cool how it replaces the block and ij my case I could go a little smaller to level the truck by lowering the rear.

300000 and counting · Sep 10, 2016

How much money do you plan on having in these? Say you have $300-$400, wouldn't you rather have a set of PMF bars for $200-$300 more, or spend a fuzz more and get OUO bars? I bought PMF bars because my time wasn't worth a couple hundred dollars, and I wanted to make sure my bars where going to work as they should. There's nothing wrong with building your own but to me it seems easier and less time consuming to buy some.

smcox1 · Sep 10, 2016

No more than $250 and probably less than that. I just feel like its a really simple thing to make so why pay someone else.

Coueshunter · Sep 10, 2016

smcox1 said:
No more than $250 and probably less than that. I just feel like its a really simple thing to make so why pay someone else.

How long of a bar are you going to use? Have you priced out what a quality joking will cost?

smcox1 · Sep 10, 2016

What's a quality joking LOL I measured at one point but I don't remember. The heims are $125 from ruff stuff and that's basically the biggest expense.

300000 and counting · Sep 10, 2016

smcox1 said:
No more than $250 and probably less than that. I just feel like its a really simple thing to make so why pay someone else.

Heim joints are $120 a pair, plus $30 for the threaded ends, the rubber side will cost you $50, so that $200. you going to need around 12' of pipe say ruffy $4.00 a foot that's $48, plus the material to make the mounts, say another $50. Your going to have to paint or powdercoat them, your going to need a $30 box of welding rods, $10 in bolts, plus your labor. So by my calculations you will have $328 without any coating on them. And on top of that you have all the time it took you to do it.

smcox1 · Sep 10, 2016

$30 of welding rod LOL I'm only making one set.The heims come with the sleeves and jam nuts, the rubber side is $35 I may even buy the bracket for the frame and those are $45 so that's only $205 and I didn't count anything else because I have plenty of plate and rod in stock and I may also have some dom tube big enough for the bars. As for paint they'll get the same primer bedliner and color matched to my truck that my bumpers got and i have materials left over from that job. Plus I'll be doing them probably this winter when I'm not busy at all (however I may be more busy than usual with the new business I'm trying to get started) unless it snows a **** ton. Also I haven't looked into it but are there normal in stock traction bars out on the market that's going to fit an obs ccsb f150?

300000 and counting · Sep 10, 2016

I've been down this road, I was going to make some as well, you maybe going cheaper byt the prices I rattled offer are extremely close. To me it doesn't make since to make my own.

m_j · Sep 11, 2016

http://www.tmrcustoms.ca/suspension/traction-bar-kits/budget-traction-bar-kit.html

hmmm just need a few feet of tubing, a welder, and some paint

gnxtc2 · Sep 11, 2016

smcox1 said:
So I haven't started building traction bars but I came across this picture and thought it was a pretty slick setup. What are your thoughts?

Those are made by Joe of CJC Suspension out of NJ who has closed shop due to a divorce. I beliwve he started selling them through a vendor located in Brick, NJ. I have to look for the paperwork. I have a set on my OBS with no issues.

Billy T.
[email protected]

smcox1 · Sep 11, 2016

m_j said:
http://www.tmrcustoms.ca/suspension/traction-bar-kits/budget-traction-bar-kit.html

hmmm just need a few feet of tubing, a welder, and some paint

That's almost exactly what I'm buying minus the tabs for the axel because I'm really not wanting to weld on it. Thanks for the link though.

smcox1 · Sep 11, 2016

gnxtc2 said:
Those are made by Joe of CJC Suspension out of NJ who has closed shop due to a divorce. I beliwve he started selling them through a vendor located in Brick, NJ. I have to look for the paperwork. I have a set on my OBS with no issues.

Billy T.
[email protected]

I figured they were closed down because all the links were dead. How have they held up over the years?

little luke · Sep 11, 2016

smcox1 said:
No more than $250 and probably less than that. I just feel like its a really simple thing to make so why pay someone else.

About $160 in materials is what I have in a set of 60" set with the mounts, $20 extra for a set with a lower and upper bar. That's with a Johny joint and a bushing welded to the bars, not threaded. Also grade 8 hardware. I figure about $30 extra for wire, gas, what little blasting media I lose, primer and electricity. Takes me roughly 2 hrs to make a set with mounts now, but ive made a few and have the tools to make it easy. Also I buy metal in full lengths, so I get it cheaper.

smcox1 · Sep 11, 2016

That's cheap? I'm guess you save a lot of money using Johny joints? Exactly what are those?

little luke · Sep 11, 2016

Nah, they typically cost more than hiem end links. I like them because they can be rebuilt. I'd post a pic but tapatalk crashes when I try.

smcox1 · Sep 11, 2016

Just checked them out I do like that the come apart and pieces can be replaced.

cbf9703 · Sep 12, 2016

smcox1 said:
The one I posted is made by a company but I forgot the name. I think that one was the first one and made with scraps. I just thought it was really cool how it replaces the block and ij my case I could go a little smaller to level the truck by lowering the rear.

I actually saw a set up just like that on a truck this weekend... he was running 44s so it was pretty noticeable when I walked up and had to check it out. No idea how they've held up, but definitely something different.