So I did the 4.3 swap awhile ago and I'm having vibration issues due to spring wrap up. I fab'd a bud built style torque bar w/link which worked well until the nuts that were lock tited and w/ lock washers backed off and ended up stripping out 1 hole on the axle housing. I'm thinking of building 2 traditional style torque bars that attach at shock mount/ubolt bracket in the rear to the frame in front. I've also considered adding a torque leaf to the spring pack but I discovered this would cause clearence issues w/ the e-brake cable and lever, also looked at alcan springs but $230 per side seems a little steep. Would like to hear what other people have done to solve this dilema. thanks

 

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464319

I need to get off my arse and build one myself

 

Finally getting around to doing this. I liked the bar Elvota built and posted but I haven't got a reply from him on how its holding up, so I think I'll do something close to that but keep the link idea I used on the last bar.These are some pics of my first attempt and the components for the second. Hopefully there won't be a third . For the new one I beefed up the size of the tube I'm going to use. Here's the list of stuff I've got: 2- 4' of 1.250 x .25, 1- 12" piece of 1.50 x .187 for the bushing eyelets, 1- 12" piece of .75 rod that I will turn down on lathe and step to prevent over tighting bushings but still stay tight, 4- pro comp spring eye bushings I had laying around, and last 1- CE-9112 currie johnny joint for the front of the bar that will attach to the link. Total price for materials comes in around $130, they don't give the DOM away! More pics to follow......

 

Got the braces for the axle housing cut out to fit the axle,1/4" plate by the way, also got the eyelets weld on, next step will be to weld the braces in and start on the link end @ xmember, I'm thinking of adding some thicker steel to the xmember to beef it up so it isn't the weak link.

 

made the bolts I've been thinking of Friday night. I've never worked with a lathe before this so I know they probaly don't look perfect but hey I'm not a machinist! I was pretty happy how they turned out and hopefully they'll work the way I'm thinking they will.

 

u mounted yours in the exact same spot as mine.. i installed it before i even drove with my 4.3 but it works

 

That looks great Derrik! Have you had any issues with the crossmember cracking?

 

the one where the shackle is mounted to for the ladder bar?? nope ive had my front spring hanger rip my frame in half haha but not my ladder bar. when i sell my motor swap i have a tbi 350 waiting for me to throw it in there .. thatll put the traction bar to the test

 

Looks like you've got a sweet bar going there. Nice work!

I was going to say, the best fix is to get rid of the leaf springs and link it.

I'm impressed you were having wrapping issues only after the 4.3 swap. My tiny 22re used to wrap my leaf springs all sorts of bad ways when in low range. I hated those things.

 

Chevota,

Are you using an alignment rack? If not, what the heck is that thing?

 

Thanks for the kind words, I've got the bar done and installed but haven't gotten pics yet. I"ll try to get them on here this weekend. Let me clarify a little. I bought this truck not running with a 22re so I actually never got to drive it before the swap. It had Downey 3 1/2" springs on it with a mystery spring added to the pack but because of the extra spring the emergency brake was in-op. Now I know why that spring was in there even w/ 4cyl! As for the "rack" it's called a hetra lift and is designed to lift big trucks like peterbilts and frieghtliners. Each post is rated @ 10k so I figured it would hold up my beater! The cool thing about the hetra compared to a post type lift is the suspension doesn't droop when you lift it up, so it worked great when fabbing things into place.

 

Finished things up this morning, ground down the corners and shot with Outlast undercoating. That stuff is great because it stays rubbery but doesn't leave a black residue on everything that touches it!!! Turned out to be a really nice day today so I threw my dog and favorite firearm in the beater and went for a test drive in the woods. Everything worked great, no more vibration!! It's a good feeling when a plan comes together and works.

 

more pics

 

looks good, this is something i need to do. My 3.4 swap is wrapping like crazy and i'm gonna sc it soon so nice to know its something i can do at home.

 

Like Ike said, probaly the best solution is a 4 link, but I can't justify the cost right now. Maybe later on......

 

sorry to bring out an old thread but i just couldnt stop myself after i came upon it during a search (let the complaints start now. ok , now stop, hear me out.) how are these bars working out? have any of you reseached the geometry and how (ladder/torque) bars work? id be surprized to hear that any of you didnt have stress breakage at some point in the rear suspension. the length and angle has to be exact and will not work with leaf springs and a rigid mounted axle with out binding.you would have to either float the axle housing in its mounts or replace the front spring perches with shackles like on the rear of the spring, but this would require the use of two bars (one on each side). any aftermarket device like this would of been designed with the proper length , mounting angles and pionts to minimize binding but not eliminating it. ladder bar suspensions are a complete system and to be combined with the propper components not added to an existing suspension. sorry but i had to get that out. p.s. controlling spring wrap was only a part of thier purpose.