Destroyed my 3.70 Equi-Loc

[JimNolan]

Here is a picture of the traction bars I'm talking about. I have no idea if they are any good. I just remember them when I was younger. Jim

[57AGIN]

Jim:

A good friend of mine in the Transmission business gave me some pretty good information/advice.  He said the reason why major things didn't break all that often in the "good ole days" was that the smaller things that did break broke first instead of the bigger things.  Then as we "hot rodders" repaired the smaller things with stronger things and added more power, we kind of re-engineered our rides.  He kind of laughed when he saw I'd added a supercharger to my 351W.  He asked what did I think would be the next thing to be replaced.  I looked at the torque reading on the dyno chart and told him the Borg Warner T-10.  So I now have a TKO 600.  I'm sure that if I put enough stress on the car the next thing could be something in the 3rd member, maybe the original 3:70 ring gears.  Then I'll probably have to go out & get a nodular iron set-up. Etc., etc., etc.  But I'm not too worried about it, because I intend to have a blast with the car and just replace whatever goes next with something a little better.  My Transmission buddy calls it re-engineering and it sure keeps his business thriving.  One thing I do know is that the car is now in far better shape than it was when it rolled off the line on September 27, 1957.  Stronger, faster, better,funner kinda like it's now a BIONIC 57. LOL

Bob
57 AGIN

[shopratwoody]

Jim,
My Ranchero ran mid 11's with a bar similar to that. Mine had u bolts that held them
close the to spring. I ran the right side a little closer to the spring. With the spool
the were set equal..

[JimNolan]

Bob,
   I like your attitude. That's apparently what I'm doing now. Can't wait for the headers to get here. That should be in about three weeks.
Shoprat,
   Thanks for that information. I'd be happy to break into the 14's without breaking the car. If these traction bars work, I'll repaint them Flame Red and get Moser to send me more stickers.
    The weakest part about the drive-train has to be the U-joints. I've still got a small U-joint in back. The one at the Tremec is a big one. The guy make the drive shaft that way because he didn't like step down U-joints.? The block is the heavier inverted 105, the bell housing is Lakewood, the clutch is a heavier racing clutch, the transmission is the TKO 600, the drive-shaft has a bigger OD for torque and now I'll have the Tru-Trac and better axles. NOTHING can go wrong now. RIGHT. Jim

[F570RD]

Cute traction bars.I broke a leaf spring years back using short bars.Unless you hit the front spring pad on the frame your kind'a hard on the spring.

[JimNolan]

Is this true. Are these bars too short. Jim

[JimNolan]

Just looked up the Cal-Tracks. Cal-Tracs put pressure in the downward direction in the same place these would be putting pressure in the upward direction. I had these on the 63 Galaxie for a while and there was no wheel hop, but, the rubber stub was on the leaf spring mount. The 57 springs are about 2 inches longer than the 63. I looked up traction bars and some showed the stub hitting the leaf spring mount and some had them hitting the spring. Jim
57Ford,
   What kind of motor, transmission, rear end did you have when you broke the spring. Jim

[JPotter57]

Ideally, the snubber will hit directly under the spring eye.  I'm using the old Traction Masters I got from wighty.  They look a lot like the ones I built for my last `57; they are on my dad's Falcon now, and work great.

[JimNolan]

Thanks James, Lakewood sells a set of 30" bars for around $100.00. I'll measure the distance I need tomorrow and go from there. Jim

[F570RD]

Jim,it was a 428PI with a C6, 4000 stall converter and 4.56 gear.After breaking the right leaf my day was done at the track.I flat towed the car back then and tied the housing to the drive shaft safety loop with a comealong.I could see one fin in one mirror and none of the car in the other.The Caltracs do pivot and hit the top of the spring but of course are tied in to the spring eye.My old slapper bars were MAS 7500 series that I made when working there in the mid 70's.I bet I added 8 inches to them.Also my screen name is F570 RD....lol F570 is my NHRA number so I'm really not dyslexic.

[JimNolan]

F570rd,
   I went back and looked at Bob's installation of the Cal-Tracs. I like them but I've been down going on three weeks now. That's a job for winter. I'll see about getting the extra length Lakewood if they'll come out where I want them to. If not, she sails like she is. Jim

[Zapato]

Ideally, the snubber will hit directly under the spring eye.  I'm using the old Traction Masters I got from wighty.  They look a lot like the ones I built for my last `57; they are on my dad's Falcon now, and work great.

did a search for "traction masters" it appears they are still in business. and offer replacement bushing kits for their bars. have seen sets over the years seem simple enough to build something similar and install.

Zap-

[JimNolan]

Zap,
   I really like the Traction Masters. That would be a lot easier to weld up than the Cal-Tracs. The thing I didn't like about the traction bars I've got is that the suspension  can't work as freely as the Cal-Tracs or the Traction Masters. Surely to God I can find a place to weld the pads on the frame expecially if I prepare it first. And, my U-bolts are long enough to not have to bother the original plate. Thanks, Zapato     Jim     PS. I'm on my way to the airport now to see if my mounting locations fit similar to what thier website shows.

[F570RD]

Jim.explain please your avatar.I might be having nightmares.

[JimNolan]

F570rd,
    That's my car doing a burnout at Gulfport a couple years ago. They made me run the rest of the night without cleaning my tires first. I guess two of the track personel were hospitalized with 3rd degree burns. LOL
     It's an illusion, but the only illusion about it is who's car is in the picture. The original picture was that of a 60's Dodge Ramcharger. It looks like the picture was taken for publicity purposes and they used gasoline instead of water for the burnout, then they lite the gasoline. I just super-imposed my car over the Dodge. Jim