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conig
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2002
16:39:14
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 Subject: springclamps or tracbars?
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Message:
which is better? I assume that tracbars are but how much better? spring clamps seem like they'd only take five minutes to install and tracbars seem like they would take a couple of hours.
can both be done?
basically wondering money vs install verse results. in order of most important to least
1 best results
2 install
3 price.
all info is greatly appreciated
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DaveR
Dodge Dakota
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1/15/2002
03:33:43
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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Over the summer I bought and installed a set of competition enginering traction bars on my genII. It took me almost three solid days with all the right airtools. I think it took so long because of the desigh of the bars and I really needed a hydraulic press to get the bushings out. After all was said and done though I am really happy I put them on; not only are they functional, but they look really mean too.
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Dr Q
DakotaEnthusiast
1/15/2002
08:36:49
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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I put a set of universal Lakewoods on in October It would have taken about ten minutes but the threads of the bolts didn't match the nuts. Haven't had a problem with them at all.
Dr.Q
'01 Patriot Blue SLT RC 4.7 5sp 3.92 pegleg
0-60 @ 6.20sec.
1/4mi @ 14.75@97.1
Home Brew Airbox
K&N Drop In
Lakewood Traction Bars
Dremel TB Port and Polish
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Wayne
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
15:18:42
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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It isn't what you can afford as much as it is what you need. Do you have wheel hop or are you just trying to get better weight transfer for more traction? Tell us what you are trying to correct and then we can tell you what you should put on the truck. Do you have a standard or auto? Regular street tires, larger street tires, or slicks?
Here is an example: '99 5.2/auto/3.92 ls with mods. Running 15.1s with a 2.1 to 2.2 60 ft time. No wheel hop. Very little tire spin. Clamps do nothing. Lakewood bars do nothing. The only thing that will help this truck is expensive ladder bars or maybe Comp. Eng. bars as Dave mentioned. Then I will need sticky tires to get full use of bars that will transfer weight.
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alex
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
17:02:25
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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A lot of people expect the Lakewood Traction Bars to glue their rear tires to the asphalt on the street in front of their house. The only true bolt-on traction devices that will do that are Calvert Racing Cal-Tracs Bars, Southside Machine Lift Bars, and Competition Engineering Slide-a-Link Bars. All of these cost well over $150 ($300 in the case of the SSM bars), put the ride quality in the toilet, and require lots of tools and time.
The $38 Universal Fit Clamp-On Traction bars from Lakewood are not very useful until you get to a properly prepared dragstrip and have the appropriate sticky tires. Once you have sticky tires on sticky pavement, these bars are all you need for a launch. I have a buddy who runs 12.20's in a 95 Dakota (Supercharged 360) and he regularly cuts 1.8 and 1.7 60 foot times. All he runs are Lakewood clamp on bars and Mickey Thompson ET Street DOT tires. But on the raw pavement on the city streets, those same Mickey ET's will leave 150' of rubber. The Lakewood bars stop wheel hop but really only provide grip on the track.
Spring clamps are really only going to stop wheel hop. It all depends on your desires and your budget.
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Wayne
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
17:42:19
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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I got tired typing and stopped. Alex picked up where I left off. :-) Seriously, he has a better detailed account of exactly what I have found. Notice that he said the Lakewoods will stop traction hop also known as spring wrap up. They don't do as much for weight transfer as the first 3 he mentioned. You get what you pay for. Probably the best all around choice for a street driven truck.
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conig
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
18:17:58
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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I'm looking for better street traction. 00 4.7 3.55 cc I have minor wheel hop or I burn my tire lol. Im trying to not spin as heavily as I have been. just want to put a little more power to the ground.
never go to the track,the nearest is 5hours away, I mod my car for my own taste
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Dr Q
DakotaEnthusiast
1/16/2002
19:25:09
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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Message:
Wayne and Alex are right. I got the Lakewoods cuz I got an open rear end and would get scary wheel hop! Not a problem anymore!
Dr.Q
'01 Patriot Blue SLT RC 4.7 5sp 3.92 pegleg
0-60 @ 6.20sec.
1/4mi @ 14.75@97.1
Home Brew Airbox
K&N Drop In
Lakewood Traction Bars
Dremel TB Port and Polish
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YA
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
21:49:34
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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I run the CalTracs on my 95. I can't drop the clutch and expect traction but overall I can always modulate, with the clutch, more power to the pavement/strip with them then without. As for weight transfer I can really feel the front lift under power. No wheel hop. Ride is stiffer but not bad.
You guys with the Gen. III can mod. some urethane bushings to work with the CalTracs for a better ride.
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conig
Dodge Dakota
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1/16/2002
22:27:01
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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since I have an open rear end i too have wheelhop. and I don't want to spend tons of money either it's lakewoods, clamps, or a bag of cement over my right rear time.lol
just out of curiosity would putting weight over the right rear tire increse traction?
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alex
Dodge Dakota
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1/17/2002
12:22:13
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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If you're not racing, and it's really just wheel hop, use spring clamps. Go to www.fast4x4.net to see the how to on those clamps. If you want to look cool and stop the wheel hop, get the Lakewood bars. They cost $38 at AutoZone, they bolt on in about an hour and stop wheel hop on the street.
If you want, you can make shims to help position them so they don't hang down so low. You'll see what we mean when you install them. E-mail me and I'll tell you how to make the shims.
Yes, a bag of weight over the right rear will give you traction, but it will hurt your speed. Bulldozers have excellent traction, but their top-end sucks. See? Acceleration is all about power versus weight. Put your Mom & Dad in the truck (let's assume that's about 300 more pounds) and your truck will be much slower than with just you. But it will hook up better. You get sticky tires and tracion bars and then you have grip with out much extra weight and now you're hauling arse. Just don't go sacrificing acceleration in the name of traction (ie- sandbags).
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conig
Dodge Dakota
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1/17/2002
13:40:27
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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Thanks for all the help and opinions.
I plan on getting the lakewoods this weekend if I don't waste my saturday. lol and I know all about power to weight I just wondered if increased traction would be more valuable then less weight.
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Wayne
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2002
21:56:22
| RE: springclamps or tracbars?
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I don't put any cement on my rear end because it is too hard to walk around. I did put my mom in the right rear. Her 300 lbs helped traction. it slowed me down some but I beat the other guy because she started screaming and he stopped to see what all the noise was about.
Sounds like the Lakewoods are a good choice. Just watch out for speed bumps.
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